FactCheck.org Finds Democrat Ads Targeting Rick Berg Something Less Than Truthful

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Written By:
Rob Port

Jul 31, 2012
7:22am

According to FackCheck.org, a Democrat ad bashing Rick Berg on health care isn’t factual. It takes quotes from news sources out of context, and misrepresents the legislation Berg voted for.

Here’s the ad:

Here’s FactCheck.org’s rebuttal:

The North Dakota ad goes after Republican Rep. Rick Berg for voting in support of Rep. Paul Ryan’s two most recent budget proposals, which included plans for a major overhaul of Medicare. Berg supported the budgets, which were proposed by Budget Committee Chairman Ryan. But Majority PAC uses an out-of-context quote from the Wall Street Journal to claim the Medicare plan would “essentially end Medicare.” The Journal actually said the 2011 plan would “essentially end Medicare … as a program that directly pays those bills,” some vital wording that this ad — and several other Democratic attack ads — conveniently leaves out.

Ryan’s 2011 plan proposed to change Medicare for those turning 65 in 2022 to a private-insurance Medicare exchange, where seniors would choose health plans, purchased with the help of government subsidies. His revamped 2012 plan would keep traditional Medicare as an option, even for those turning 65 a decade from now, and it would increase the amount of the subsidy at a greater rate, making it a more generous plan. That bring us to the next claim in the ad: “Experts say Berg’s plan more than doubles out-of-pocket expenses to seniors.” That’s an outdated reference to the 2011 Ryan plan.

Click on the link to read the entire rebuttal.