Clark to hit Bachmann on BP
Democrat Tarryl Clark's campaign for Congress announced today that it will start running a TV ad criticizing GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann for her comments on BP. The Clark campaign started fundraising to run the ad earlier today and announced this afternoon that the ad will start running Sunday night on WCCO-TV.
Bachmann told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that BP should be held responsible for the disaster.
"There are people right now whose lives are on the line because their businesses are tanking," she told the newspaper.
Bachmann also said her real concern is the $20 billion fund would be used for other purposes than the oil spill.
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This is Clark's first ad in the campaign for Congress in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Bachmann hasn't run any TV ads but ran radio ads criticizing Clark's vote on a bill that increased taxes.
Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton issued as statement defending Bachmann from what he termed a "dishonest attack ad."
"Michele Bachmann has consistently stated that those responsible should and will pay for the cleanup of the Gulf," Sutton wrote.
UPDATE
Bachmann released her own statement:
"The claims made about my statements are false. In each of the interviews I have given, I have stated that BP is liable to fully compensate victims for the damage they have inflicted on the Gulf Coast with this tragic accident. It's important to make the victims whole, and the American taxpayer should not pay one dime for the mess created by this spill. My opponents are demonstrating with this first ad they are scraping the bottom of the barrel with distorting my views on this tragedy that's been foisted upon so many innocent Americans, marine life and wildlife in the Gulf Coast region. Making false claims and distortions about my statements is indicative of a negative campaign style, and Minnesotans deserve better."
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