Times-Union says Treadwell ad "misrepresents the facts"

The Albany Times-Union has unveiled a new ad-watch feature, that aims to fact check various regional campaign ads.

The article slams the campaign of Republican challenger Sandy Treadwell for claiming that incumbent Democratic congresswoman Kirtsen Gillibrand “voted to impose the largest tax increase in history.”

According to the spot: “Gillibrand’s tax hike would cost your family an extra $2,900 a year.”

The ad claims that Gillibrnad supports an end to President George Bush’s massive tax cuts, enacted in 2001.

In fact, she proposes to maintain tax cuts aimed at middle class families.

The T-U’s conclusion: “Treadwell’s ad misrepresents the facts.”

The Times-Union tries to balance its criticism (clumsily, I think) by reviewing a Gillibrand ad that grumbles about negative campaigning.

“With all of America’s challenges,” Gillibrand says, “you’d think Sandy Treadwell could do better than a false, negative campaign.”

Gillibrand then goes on to call Treadwell’s ads a “personal attack.”

“It is a bit of a mismatched response,” writes the T-U’s Irene Jay Liu. “Treadwell’s ad, though misleading, can hardly be characterized as a ‘personal attack.'”