Collins for Senate Campaign calls on Tom Allen to denounce new attack ads targeting Senator Collins

August 31, 2008
Tom Allen has yet another opportunity to live up to his pledge that this campaign is "no place for the politics of personal destruction"

PORTLAND – A group affiliated with MoveOn.Org and funded in part by partisan billionaire George Soros has launched another attack ad against Senator Susan Collins. The new ad, run by MoveOn.org affiliate VoteVets.Org, attempts to distort Senator Collins' record. This is the latest in a series of ads, which are paid for by out-of-state, special interest political groups, to attack Senator Collins since 2007. These same groups have already spent more than $1 million on attack ads against Senator Collins. Tom Allen recently said that such ads do not belong in Maine, but he has yet to denounce any of the negative attack ads that have run, and are currently running, against Senator Collins.

In addition to their negative tone, the ads are factually incorrect and intentionally distort Senator Collins' record. The ads feature Alex Cornell du Houx, former President of the Maine College Democrats, who is currently running for a seat in the Maine State House representing Brunswick.

Tom Allen recently said, "My sincere hope is that all third parties - those who favor Senator Collins and those who favor me - will limit their television and radio advertising to positive messages about their favorite candidate," Allen told the Associated Press on May 20, 2008, after declaring that his campaign has "no place for the politics of personal destruction."

Collins for Senator campaign spokesman Kevin Kelley pointed out that MoveOn.Org has contributed nearly $366,000 to Tom Allen's Senate Campaign, more than has been given to any other candidate.

Kelley further said, "This is a major test for Tom Allen. Will he live up to his promise to denounce all negative, third-party, and special-interest ads? This is yet another example of Allen's out-of-state allies attacking Senator Collins, and it is time for Tom Allen to hold true to his promise and publicly denounce these attack ads."

The ad that is currently airing on Maine television stations ignores Senator Collins' efforts to change the mission in Iraq and to force the Iraqis to pay more of the costs of securing and rebuilding their own country. Along with Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Evan Bayh (D-IN), Senator Collins authored bipartisan legislation, included in the FY 2009 Defense Authorization Act, that would shift the costs of major reconstruction projects; the salaries, training, and equipping of the Iraqi Security Forces; and the cost of the fuel U.S. troops use in Iraq to the Iraqis. Specifically, Senator Collins' legislation would prohibit American tax dollars from being spent on major reconstruction projects in Iraq. This provision was approved unanimously by the Senate Armed Services Committee and represents a major bipartisan shift in Iraqi policy. In addition, Senators Collins, Nelson, and Bayh sent a letter to the President on August 7, asking that the Administration provide further details of the steps it is taking with the government of Iraq to increase that country's investment in its own reconstruction and restabilization, along with plans to ensure that American taxpayers do not continue to foot the bill for these efforts.

"Senator Collins' leadership in the US Senate has pulled together a bipartisan group to recover the costs of this war. To say anything else is absurd," said Neal Williams, veterans' advocate and chair of Veterans for Collins. "Tom Allen is a good individual, but he knows these ads are wrong, and he knows better. It's time to stop."

Kelley, Collins for Senator spokesman, added, "The bottom line is, the ad that is currently airing in Maine is blatantly false, and it is unfortunate that Senator Collins' opponent and his partisan allies feel that they have to mislead Maine voters."

Tom Allen in the media:

Allen pledges to denounce negative ads (Portland Press Herald, 5/19/08)
http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/027279.html

Rep. Allen says he'll denounce third party ads (Lewiston Sun Journal, 5/20/08)
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/266284-3/MaineNews/Rep_ Allen_says_hell_denounce_ thirdparty_ads/

Tom Allen on negative campaigning (You Tube video, 5/19/08)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfIeP3tPCg

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