Heitkamp Bullies ND Media Outlets Into Pulling Crossroads Ad
Yesterday I wrote about a new ad from Crossroads GPS hitting Heitkamp on her record of giving lavish raises, and spending money on a government airplane for use by her office. Apparently Crossroads has now pulled the ad after Heitkamp called it “completely false.”
Politico has the details.
Frankly, I’m not sure why Crossroads pulled the ad. It’s absolutely true that Heitkamp gave employees in her office lavish raises, far above average for state employees, and clashed with the legislature over an airplane purchased on her budget. Heitkamp apologists would argue that she stayed within her budget despite these things, but that a) doesn’t make the original ad false and b) doesn’t change the fact that Heitkamp was a bit of a free spender as AG.
North Dakota Democrats have a long history of bullying North Dakota media (case in point, Senator Kent Conrad threatening advertising dollars to the Minot Daily News over a report about a town hall even he stormed out of).
My guess is that Democrats were able to raise enough of a stink to get media outlets to push back against Crossroads, despite the fact that the ad is perfectly accurate.
Here’s the ad again, which remains on YouTube for the time being.
