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» Candidate/Organization: Rick Santorum
» Other Candidates Mentioned: Bob Casey, Jr.
» Year: 2006
» State: Pennsylvania
» Race: Senate (About This Race)
» Party: Republican
» Funded by: Candidate
» Disseminations: TV, Web

Ad Content

» Cues: Black and White, Campaign Signs, Cigar, On-screen Writing
» Issues: Corruption, Integrity
» Tone: Negative
» Types: Attack
» Music: Ominous
» Narrator: Male
» Language: English

Analysis

By The Washington Post: The Republican senator's ad against his Democratic challenger leaves the mistaken impression that these ethically suspect figures are part of Casey's current campaign team. Some have contributed to past Casey campaigns, but none has given money to his current bid to unseat Santorum.

One, a Philadelphia lawyer, died almost two years ago. The man described as Casey's "handpicked finance chairman," fundraiser Robert Feldman, has come under scrutiny in a Philadelphia corruption probe. He is a friend of Casey and has been finance chief for two of his past campaigns but has no role in Casey's current effort. (Feldman has also donated $2,000 to past Santorum campaigns).

The ad links Casey to some unsavory characters but the lack of time references incorrectly implies that they are helping run and finance his 2006 campaign. Santorum has been on the defensive over his support for the Iraq war and is clearly trying to change the subject.

-Howard Kurtz

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