November 07, 2011 2:00 pm ET filed under Blog
Rep. Harris Defends "Death Panel" Lie With A Wink And A Smile
August 12, 2011 5:16 pm ET filed under Blog
Conservative Maine Groups Jump On The James O'Keefe Bandwagon
January 03, 2011 11:41 am ET filed under Blog
Rep. Upton Struggles To Explain His Carbon Backpedal
November 18, 2010 10:03 am ET filed under Blog
How Many Anonymously-Funded Campaign Ads Does It Take To Sweep Republicans Into A House Majority?
November 09, 2010 10:03 am ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: 20 Largest Right-Wing Groups Bought 144,000 TV Ads, 77% Anonymously Funded
October 29, 2010 7:12 pm ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: 10,000 Right-Wing TV Ads In 5 Days Push Total To Nearly 110,000
October 26, 2010 11:56 am ET filed under Ad Check
Americans For Prosperity Misleads Virginians On Clean Energy
In an effort to squeeze as many lies about Virginia job loss into 30 seconds as possible, Americans for Prosperity is targeting clean energy legislation in a new ad. AFP slings mud at Rep. Rick Boucher's (D-VA) energy policies in a vain attempt to scapegoat Boucher for Virginia job loss, which began long before Obama policies went into effect. Unfortunately for AFP and its coal industry backers, none of these claims stick. Clean energy legislation creates jobs — up to four times as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels — and would boost the American economy at a minimal cost to families.
October 25, 2010 12:03 pm ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: Anonymous Donor Groups Drive Total Right-Wing TV Ads Above 100,000 Since Aug. 1
October 22, 2010 1:40 pm ET filed under Ad Check
AFP's Latest Ad Says "Yes" To Big Falsehoods
Americans for Prosperity's latest attack ad targets Arkansas House candidate Chad Causey, portraying him as a Washington insider before he's even been elected to Congress. AFP criticizes Causey for being a "lifelong Congressional staffer" and — to the dismay of AFP — earning a salary while he worked for Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR). The organization also slams Causey for his support of the Recovery Act — even though the program was instrumental in reviving the economy and creating millions of jobs — and his "refusal" to sign a pledge to stop a potential "energy tax," presumably referring to a cap-and-trade policy that Causey, in fact, opposes.
October 18, 2010 1:48 pm ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: 81,000 Right-Wing TV Ads Since August 1
October 13, 2010 9:54 am ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: Right-Wing Groups Have Now Aired 60,000+ TV Ads Since Aug. 1
October 04, 2010 1:38 pm ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: Right-Wing Money Machine Bought 45,000 Ads Since Aug. 1
September 30, 2010 6:35 pm ET filed under Ad Check
Americans For Prosperity's False Attack On Lynch Suggests He Compromised Public Safety
Americans for Prosperity is out with a new ad attacking New Hampshire Governor John Lynch for supporting the Justice Reinvestment Act (Senate Bill 500). The ad dishonestly suggests that in supporting the legislation, Governor Lynch sought to balance the budget at the expense of public safety. In reality, the act will strengthen public safety while reducing costs to taxpayers.
September 23, 2010 3:10 pm ET filed under Blog
Astroturfing The Airwaves: 7 Weeks, $26 Million, And 33,000 Right-Wing TV Ads
September 17, 2010 2:32 pm ET filed under Ad Check
Americans For Prosperity Muddles The Facts In Ad Attacking Rep. Schauer
Americans for Prosperity has produced an ad attacking Rep. Mark Schauer (D-MI), along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The ad accuses Schauer of supporting a $500 billion Medicare cut that simply doesn't exist in the Affordable Care Act, falsely implies that "Pelosi's budget" is responsible for the debt, and suggests that excessive spending occurred while unemployment soared. In reality, irresponsible Bush administration policies and the economic downturn blew up the national debt, and the Affordable Care Act will reduce the deficit by billions and strengthen Medicare without cutting seniors' benefits. Additionally, the Recovery Act saved us from economic catastrophe and turned our economy around once it took effect.
September 17, 2010 1:54 pm ET filed under Ad Check
Americans For Prosperity Labels Giffords "Out Of Touch" Using Misleading Claims About Health Care Reform
Americans for Prosperity has released a new ad attacking Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) for being "out of touch with Arizona," claiming that she "caved to Nancy Pelosi" by voting for her "big government health care plan." The ad pushes the falsehoods that the Affordable Care Act it will "cut $500 billion from Medicare" and "make it harder for Arizona businesses to add jobs." In fact, the Affordable Care Act is far from a "big government" plan. It fights for Arizonans by strengthening Medicare without cutting benefits for seniors and creates thousands of jobs in Arizona.
September 10, 2010 12:28 pm ET filed under Blog
Anonymous Air Cover: Tracking The Right Wing's Ad Spending
August 20, 2010 1:19 pm ET filed under Fact Check
Koch Companies Have Received Almost $100 Million In Government Contracts
David and Charles Koch, owners of the oil conglomerate Koch Industries, are among the most influential players in the conservative movement. The brothers have spent millions of dollars funding right-wing organizations, such as Americans for Prosperity and the Cato Institute, that rail against the government. Nonetheless, according to recent data, Koch-affiliated companies have received nearly $100 million in government contracts since 2000.
August 20, 2010 12:13 pm ET filed under Blog
Koch Companies Have Received Almost $100 Million In Government Contracts
August 17, 2010 9:11 am ET filed under Ad Check
New Americans For Prosperity Ad Lies About Health Care Reform, Clean Energy Legislation
In a desperate attempt to smear Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) with lies about Democratic policies, Americans for Prosperity has issued a new ad that falsely claims that cap and trade legislation would have killed jobs and that health care reform cut Medicare. In reality, cap and trade would create jobs and health care reform not only creates jobs and cuts the deficit but also improves Medicare for America's seniors.
August 16, 2010 5:11 pm ET filed under Blog
Americans For Prosperity Continues Misguided Attack On Recovery Act
August 16, 2010 3:16 pm ET filed under Ad Check
Americans For Prosperity Continues Misguided Attack On Recovery Act
A new ad by the conservative advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity, attacks the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, claiming that the "$862 billion stimulus paid for pork barrel projects across the country." The ad further alleges that the spending occurred while millions lost their jobs. True to form, the ad is replete with misinformation and ignores the millions of jobs that have been created or saved as a result of the stimulus. The ad further neglects to note the hundreds of billions in tax cuts, especially for middle-class and working-class Americans. Of course, the group's failure to report the many successes of the Recovery Act should come as no surprise. While billing itself as a grass-roots organization working to "engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels," the group is in fact a corporate-funded front-group looking out only for the interests of the very wealthy.
May 19, 2010 4:28 pm ET filed under Fact Check
Americans For Prosperity Ad Spreads Lie That The FCC Wants To "Take Over The Internet"
A new ad from the right-wing, big-business front group Americans for Prosperity distorts the Federal Communication Commission's efforts to prevent telecommunications companies from restricting Internet users' activity. The ad falsely charges that "Washington wants to spend billions to take over the Internet." However, the FCC isn't trying to take over the Internet - they're working to extend the information superhighway to every American community, and protect all of us from companies that want to control what we see.
March 15, 2010 9:33 am ET filed under Fact Check
Americans For Prosperity Keeps Its "Hands Off" The Truth In New Anti-Health Care Ad
The sheer number of lies in Americans for Prosperity's new anti-health care reform ad is astounding. Apparently unaware that it is March 2010, AFP has reverted to repeatedly debunked and obviously false talking points from fall of 2009.
February 10, 2010 10:22 am ET filed under Blog
Snowstorms Do Not Disprove Climate Change
December 15, 2009 5:32 pm ET filed under Blog
Another Anti-Health Care Rally, Another Holocaust Sign
Will any GOP leaders speak out against their base this time around?
November 04, 2009 6:49 pm ET filed under Blog
Rep. Bachmann Continues To Promote "Spontaneous" Event
August 21, 2009 12:21 pm ET filed under Fact Check
Independent Women's Forum
With a new, misleading ad on health insurance reform, the Independent Women's Forum has jumped into the August fray. Media Matters Action Network has provided some background information on the group's anti-women, anti-health care reform, and anti-environment activities and people.
August 14, 2009 9:27 am ET filed under Blog
Town Hall Anger Is Not About Health Care
August 06, 2009 2:00 pm ET filed under Fact Check
Oil and Gas Industries Fuel Unruly Townhall Meetings
During the congressional recess, Democratic lawmakers have been facing unruly mobs at town hall meetings in their districts. However, the protestors' outrage has been largely manufactured by front groups tied to the oil and energy industries.
