Akron Beacon Journal Calls Conservative Group Out Over Lying, Anti-Boccieri Ad

Freedom's Watch, a right-wing organization out of D.C., is pouring money into a radio ad accusing State Senator John Boccieri of doing nothing to lower gasoline prices. The ad accuses Boccieri of being "all talk and no action" regarding high gasoline prices. As an editorial in yesterday's Beacon Journal makes clear, however, this ad is a bunch of typical conservative lies.

Here is the editorial:

Freedom's Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative lobbying group, is blasting John Boccieri on gas prices. In radio ads across the 16th U.S. House District, the group accuses the Democratic congressional candidate and state senator from Alliance of being ''all talk and no action'' when it comes to alleviating pain at the pump.

The ad is outrageous, a stunning misrepresentation of political reality even by the increasingly loose standards of political advertising. Boccieri was elected to the Ohio House in 2000. Republicans were in the majority. They still are. Boccieri was elected to the Ohio Senate in 2006. Republicans were and remain the majority party, leaving legislative Democrats little opportunity to advance proposals.

Kirk Schuring, the Republican candidate in the race, has called for outside groups to stay out of the campaign. No wonder. Schuring, a state senator from Jackson Township, has been in the legislature the past 15 years. Since 1995, he has been in the majority, his party holding the governor's office for most his time at the Statehouse.

The ad also makes an issue of the state's gas tax, suggesting that ''lawmakers like John Boccieri could save our families 28 cents a gallon this summer by repealing the Ohio gas tax.'' Ludicrous, again. A 2003 gas tax increase (under the Republicans, with Schuring's vote) enjoyed widespread bipartisan support because it financed much-needed road construction and repair. Boccieri, unwisely, voted no.

So the charges levied by Freedom's Watch against Boccieri more aptly apply to Schuring, if they apply at all to state government. Kirk Schuring needs to say more loudly: Freedom's Watch, take a hike!

So here we have a group attacking a Democrat for not doing something, lowering the gasoline tax, when, in actuality he voted against the tax in the first place. Meanwhile, the group lays off Schuring, who, in reality, supported the gas tax that the group wants repealed. Yep, typical conservative lies.