TITLE: “Lies”
LENGTH: 30 seconds
AIRING: Statewide
PRODUCER: Chris Mottola, Philadelphia
SCRIPT: “Billionaire Tom Golisano’s campaign is built on lies. And he’s been caught again. The Post says his new attack ad is ‘inaccurate’ and ‘classic mudslinging.’ The Times called another Golisano attack ad ‘false.’ Newsday said ‘misleading.’ Losing badly and desperate, Tom Golisano has sunk to new lows. ‘Inaccurate.’ ‘False.’ ‘Misleading.’ Tom Golisano is lying . . . What’s worse, he knows it.”
ACCURACY: Several articles have questioned the accuracy of Golisano’s claims, as they have the accuracy of claims made by Gov. Pataki and Carl McCall. Golisano’s claims linking Pataki directly to a criminal conspiracy are the toughest attack ads yet and there is, in fact, little direct evidence to back them up.
ANALYSIS: Clearly a defensive response to Golisano’s tough attack commercials and an attempt to blunt the impact of what are likely to be several more attack ads to come. The Pataki spot seeks to smash Golisano’s credibility by saying that several respected newspapers have branded his efforts false or misleading. The Pataki camp also is banking that more of the voters it drives away from Golisano will find a home with Pataki than McCall.