So by now I'm sure you've heard about the latest bull shit form Karl Rove:
http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/...
The Veterans Affairs scandal is now a campaign issue, courtesy of an ad targeting vulnerable Democratic Sen. Mark Begich in Alaska.
Crossroads GPS, one of the groups founded by GOP strategist Karl Rove, is out with a commercial criticizing Begich’s reaction to the scandal over long wait times and falsified appointment records at VA hospitals.
“A national disgrace. Veterans died waiting for care that never came. Senator Mark Begich sits on the Veterans Affairs Committee. His response? If there’s a problem, they need to fix it. If there’s a problem?” the narrator says in the ad that began airing Wednesday. “Tell Senator Begich: When veterans are dying, it is a problem.”
American Crossroads and its cousin, Crossroads GPS, have been spending millions to attack Begich and fellow Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Kay Hagan of North Carolina on the airwaves in this election cycle. - USA Today, 5/28/14
Crossroads GPS says it will spend $450,000 to air the Begich ad for one week. Right, ok. First off, not only is Rove's latest attack shamefully awful, it's also full of shit:
http://www.adn.com/...
His campaign manager, Susanne Fleek-Green, said fighting to ensure veterans receive the care they deserve isn't about politics. She said Begich sought answers within 24 hours of the problems within the Arizona VA system coming to light and has pushed to improve veterans' care in Alaska. - Anchorage Daily News, 5/28/14
In fact, yesterday, Begich called for action:
http://kdlg.org/...
Alaska’s Junior U.S. Senator is calling on the Veterans Administration to address the wait times for veterans seeking medical care by filling current vacancies at clinics with public health officers. Senator Mark Begich believes that V-A Secretary Eric Shinseki has the authority to request the move. In a prepared statement, Senator Begich claims that assigning public service officers to the Alaska V-A is just one more step that can be taken to reduce wait times. Alaska has the highest rate of veterans per capita of any state in the nation and Senator Begich reports that the wait time for veterans in Alaska to see a health care provider is down to 17-days. Senator Begich is scheduled to visit the V-A facility in Anchorage on Wednesday. - KDLG, 5/27/14
And Rove's getting some backlash and it's from someone you would least expect:
http://www.mediaite.com/...
In an appearance on CNN’s The Lead with host Jake Tapper, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) took aim at Republican groups for campaigning on the scandalous revelations surrounding Veterans Affairs administrators falsifying the wait times service personnel endured. Miller said it was inappropriate for any group to be politicizing an issue that “should not be a political football.”
Tapper noted that Crossroads GPS, a conservative political group co-founded by GOP strategist Karl Rove, is running ads centered on the VA scandal and attacking Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) for not addressing the scandal fast enough. “Is that appropriate?” Tapper asked.
“I wouldn’t use anything like that politically,” Miller said. “I have tried since I’ve been the chairman of this committee to work with both sides.” - Mediaite, 5/28/14
That's gotta sting. This is how desperate Rove is at trying to unseat Begich. Rove probably thought it was going to be easier unseating a native Alaskan in a red state but Begich is actually well-liked and a smart Democrat so it's a little more difficult than he thought. Of course Crossroads isn't the only group trying to get rid of Begich. Check out the Club for Growth's ad:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Club for Growth is targeting a pair of vulnerable Senate Democrats by highlighting their support of President Barack Obama's health care law.
The right-leaning free enterprise group unveiled new television ads Tuesday comparing Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) to a parrot, repeating some of the administration's promises that fell short in the implementation of the law.
"Mark Pryor and Mark Begich voted for ObamaCare and then they parroted Obama’s false promise that if you liked your plan you could keep it," Club for Growth President Chris Chocola said in a statement.
"Instead of sending back a reliable vote for President Obama and his failed agenda to the Senate, voters in Arkansas and Alaska have a better choice," he added. "[Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and [Anchorage Mayor] Dan Sullivan are pro-taxpayer fighters for economic freedom who will fight Obama and his reckless, job-killing agenda in Congress. Mark Pryor and Mark Begich won’t."
The ads, which are backed by a $300,000 buy, close by showing bird droppings splatter on a New York Times front page from the day the law was passed. - Huffington Post, 5/27/14
Huffington Post got the name wrong in terms of the candidate. The Dan Sullivan they mentioned is running for Lt. Governor. The Dan Sullivan they're backing is this clown:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Sullivan, a former Marine and ex-state attorney general, stands atop a building in Anchorage, Alaska, in a campaign ad to say that as a former military man he learned that talk is cheap, and it's results that matter.
"We need real results, not just talk," Sullivan says to end the ad, with the beautiful view of Alaska's snow-draped mountains in the background.
It makes for a nice shot, but there's a problem: Sullivan appears to be standing atop Anchorage's Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center -- a $100 million edifice that was hailed in 2009 as the crowning achievement of then-Mayor Mark Begich. - Huffington Post, 5/15/14
And by the way, Begich is hitting Sullivan over that screw up in his latest ad:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is apparently tickled that one of his would-be opponents took to the top of a landmark building that Begich got built in order to mock Begich's ability to deliver results.
Former Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan (R), in an advertising spot this month, panned Begich from atop the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, saying Alaskans wanted someone who delivered real results. Unfortunately for Sullivan, the center was dubbed Begich's "crowning achievement" by local press during his days as mayor, when he secured its construction.
So Begich, in a new ad out Wednesday, is returning the favor by going back to the same roof with its lovely views of Alaskan mountains to offer Sullivan some advice on other sites he might consider for future ads.
And yes, Begich claims roles in securing those, too.
"I approved this message because here are some more nice places Dan could use in his next ad," Begich says, pointing to "Merrill Field, where I expanded the safety zone, at Eielson [Air Force Base], where we kept the F-16s, the new hospitals at Nome, at Barrow, the coal-fired power plant we saved ..." - Huffington Post, 5/28/14
See this is why I feel very optimistic about us holding onto our seat. Sullivan's proving to be a dumb ass and Rove is getting desperate. But lets not take anything for granted. Rove, the Club for Growth and the Koch Brothers will spend big to defeat Begich. If you want to get involved and donate to Begich's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.markbegich.com/