Ad sponsor: Mark Udall for U.S. Senate
Producer: Dixon-Davis Media
Type and length: Television/30 seconds
Airing: In Denver this week; statewide next week
Largely a revised version of a previous ad, this spot touts Udall’s foreign-policy credentials as a member of the House Armed Services Committee and support for a bill to add a new division to the Army. It shows Udall talking to veterans interposed with shots of soldiers in Iraq.
New Claim: “Mark Udall . . . supports a responsible plan to phase out of Iraq.”
Fact: Udall’s campaign website declares that it’s time to bring the troops home. He sponsored a bill that would have required stepped-up diplomatic efforts in the region and a phased troop withdrawal by mandating implementation of the Iraq Study Group recommendations.
Last year Udall also voted for HR 2956, which — had it passed — would have given the Defense Department nine months to reduce American troops in Iraq to “minimal” levels, leaving only enough soldiers to protect U.S. diplomats, target al-Qaeda in Iraq and train Iraqi forces.
Critics of the approach, including Defense Department officials, have said that such a quick reduction of troops could create more instability in the country.
Claims are: Mostly true
