The Koch brothers are behind a Super PAC ad that targets U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, accusing him of trying to “cover up” health care cancellations and “hide” his record on energy.
“Mark Udall isn’t being honest,” a narrator says. “Don’t buy it.”
The ad from Freedom Partners Action Fund refers to a tussle earlier this year with Udall’s office and the state Division of Inurance. The insurance director felt intimidated after the senator’s staff pushed back against claims that 250,000 Coloradans had insurance policies canceled because of the Affordable Care Act. .
But the spot also hits Udall on energy, and that attack isn’t nearly as clear cut because it’s based on a difficult-to-follow audio of an energy conversation with Udall at an event where plenty of other conversations were taking place.
The ad features Gardner asking Udall a question about that conversation at their first debate, in Grand Junction last month, and Gardner supporters laughing when Udall seemed unable to answer.
“You told a constituent recently in Alamosa that fracking ‘keeps us locked into the old system.’ What did you mean by that?” Gardner asked.
“Fracking, as I said earlier, is an important part of the energy mix,” Udall said, after the pause. “I don’t know who this constituent was, I’ve not seen this report.”
Udall spokesman Chris Harris has said for weeks that Gardner’s characterization is inaccurate because it’s unclear what Udall said before remarking “keeps us locked into the old system.”
“Every Colorado outlet has refused to use this because it’s completely indecipherable and a clear effort to take words out of context,” Harris said.
Gardner supporters maintain the audio is clear enough to hear Udall did in fact say that about fracking.
“By trying to cover up the real number of health insurance cancellations and his opposition to fracking, itap clear that Mark Udall would rather trick Coloradans than treat them with the respect they deserve,” Action Fund spokesman James Davis said. “And while Sen. Udall claims to be an independent voice, the truth is that he votes with President Obama 99 percent of the time. Rather than shoot straight with voters, Mark Udall is running a campaign based on dishonesty.”
Harris in the past has provided dozens of links to newspaper articles and other records that highlight Udall’s “all of the above” energy record, including his support for fracking.
“I know and you know that fracking is not a threat to our community when it’s done safely and responsibly,” Udall told the Greeley Tribune last year.
Freedom Partners Action Fund is notable because the donors are public. Traditionally, political attacks linked to wealthy oilmen Charles and David Koch have been done in such a way that other donors have been shielded. .
