Independent U.S. Senate candidate Angus King takes the offensive in this ad, which directly challenges his top opponent, Republican Charlie Summers.
The ad marks the start of a more aggressive tack from King, who has been criticized by Maine political operatives for not responding to attacks on his record by national Republican-oriented groups.
⢠âCharlie signed a no-taxes-ever pledge thatâll make it impossible to solve the deficit.â
This is correct, though we are verifying only that Summers signed the pledge. Whether that act will âmake it impossibleâ to solve the deficit is open to dispute.
Summers was hailed by Americans for Tax Reform, the conservative group led by Grover Norquist, a Republican lobbyist and activist, for signing the groupâs terse pledge.
For U.S. Senate candidates, the pledge says the candidate will âoppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businessesâ and âoppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.â
We rate this statement true.
⢠âHe doubts climate-change science ⌠â
Summers, throughout his campaign, has said he doesnât believe a main tenet of accepted climate change science â that humans have primarily caused global warming by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earthâs atmosphere.
At a Portland candidate forum in September, Summers was asked, âDo you accept the scientific consensus that climate change is happening and is being primarily caused by human activities?â
His answer: âNo, I donât. I think that humans certainly have an effect on our environment but I think there are a lot of other natural factors that would be included, whether youâre talking about volcanic eruptions, whether youâre talking about the changes in our atmosphere.â
In a candidate questionnaire, the Bangor Daily News asked Summers, âDo you believe climate change is happening? Do humans contribute to it? What should Congress do to address the problem?â Summers replied, âNo, however, we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.â
Drew Brandewie, Summersâ spokesman, said the campaignâs response to that questionnaire was âa mistake,â and Summers believes climate change âis happening, humans are contributing to it, but there are other factors.â
Because Summers has repeatedly answered ânoâ to questions asking if humans are the main cause of climate change, itâs safe to say he doubts climate change science. Thereâs no shortage of sources discussing humansâ impact on climate change. NASA says most scientists agree itâs been mostly caused by humans.
Two surveys, in 2009 from Eos, an American Geophysical Union publication, and in 2010 from a publication of the United States National Academy of Sciences, both showed that more than 97 percent of the most active climate change scientists believe humans have made significant contributions to global warming.
The second study also said âthe relative climate expertise and scientic prominence of the researchers unconvincedâ of human contributions to climate change âare substantially below that of the convinced researchers.â
We rate Kingâs statement true.
⢠â ⌠favors taxpayer subsidies for big oil, ⌠â
MPBN reported that at the September forum in Portland, Summers said he supported tax subsidies for oil and gas companies.
The Free Press, a Rockland newspaper, reported he said the subsidies âmade senseâ because they support a fair amount of jobs. The Portland Press Herald said Summers doesnât support subsidies for alternative energies, like wind and solar power, that arenât cost-competitive in the free market.
We rate Kingâs statement true.
⢠â⌠and thinks Washington isnât broken.â
As King, who has made âWashington is brokenâ a mantra of his independent campaign, says this to the camera, as a quote implied to be from Summers hits the screen: âIâm here to tell you that the system is not broken(.)â
That quote is cited to the Sun Journal, which never put that exact quote in an article about a debate in Lewiston. Summers has essentially said that, but whatâs written is a slight misquote: in Summersâ closing statement, he said, âI am here to say to you tonight that the system is not broken. It is rudderless. It is without leadership.â
In his opening statement, he also said something along that line: âThere are those who say that the system is broken. I donât think itâs broken; I think itâs rudderless. I think itâs without leadership.â
Kingâs campaign could have quoted Summers properly, but thatâs our only issue with this statement. Kingâs point is true. Summers has said he thinks Washingtonâs system of governance isnât broken, especially as King defines it.
We rate Kingâs statement true.
Verdict: Kingâs ad is honest about Summersâ stances on issues they picked, even though the campaign was sloppy in quoting Summers on what he thinks of Washingtonâs brokenness. Even that quibble, however, doesnât make Kingâs assertion any less true. The other references are spot-on.
We rate this ad true.
Michael Shepherd can be contacted at 621-5632 or at: mshepherd@mainetoday.com
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