A couple of points today on the dishonest campaign Republican Rep. French Hill is waging for re-election to 2nd District Congress.
Think Progress has compiled an exhaustive spreadsheet on the dozens of Republicans who voted to repeal Obamacare and damage, if not kill, health insurance coverage for pre-existing illnesses. Many of them, including Hill, are trying to claim they really support pre-existing coverage. Hill, in addition to anti-health care votes, has also been silent on Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s participation in a lawsuit in Texas to kill the entirety of the Affordable Care Act outright. Here’s the full data set.
Then there’s campaign advertising. Have you seen the French Hill ads that claim Democratic opponent Clarke Tucker is being flooded by “Hollywood” money, the word Hollywood being understood in certain circles to mean dangerous
KTVH was inspired by a viewer to take a look at the claim. It found:
Of $1.66 million Tucker had raised through the third quarter of this year, about $151,000 came from California (all of California). About $7,900 came from contributors with Hollywood or West Hollywood ZIP codes. Credit ALL of the California money to dastardly Hollywood “liberal elitist” types and you’re still talking small change, 9 percent of Tucker’s money. Hill is unapologetic. He said Tucker once went to a fund-raiser in California!! Hill has never, I’m sure, rubbed elbows with lobbyists at fancy D.C. restaurants!!!
Compare that with the $2.2 million “Wall Street Flunky” Hill has raked in from Wall Street types (a quarter million from Arkansas-based Stephens Inc. sources, it should be noted.)
Next up for fact-checkers: French Hill’s wacky ad that attempts to link Clarke Tucker to the MS-13 gang. It’s a followup to earlier racist mailers that somehow Clarke Tucker is encouraging MS-13 to invade Arkansas. It’s a movement, which — to date — appears to be non-existent.
A Tucker comment on the “Hollywood” ads seems relevant on the MS-13 attack as well:
“The latest ads from Congressman Hill are beneath the dignity of a member of Congress… I don’t know who convinced Congressman Hill it was a good idea to put his name on that ad, but I believe he must be embarrassed to be associated with such a video.”
Hill, however, DID vote to wreck health coverage of hundreds of thousands of Arkansans.
