Misleading Political Ads

In his first hundred days in office, John Kerry wants to raise taxes by $900 billion dollars. George Bush thinks outsourcing jobs makes sense for the country and wants to allow drilling off the coast of Florida. With the presidential elections still five months away, misleading charges like these are flooding the airwaves in battleground states.

A full 75 percent of George Bush's ads have been "attack" ads. Kerry has devoted 27 percent of his TV ad time to attacks, plus those aired by anti-Bush outside groups. Negativity this early in the election cycle is unprecedented, and political watchers say the level of vitriol is only likely to increase as November 2nd approaches.

Click the "Listen" link to hear about exaggerations and half-truths in the Bush-Kerry advertising slingfest.

Guests:

Ken Goldstein, director of Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin

Brooks Jackson, Director, Annenberg Political Fact Check

Dan Payne, Boston Globe columnist and political consultant