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Arizona: Cardon TV Ad Uses Questionable Image

Update: 6:03 p.m. | Real estate investor Wil Cardon’s Senate campaign essentially conceded today that it used a misleading image of GOP primary opponent Rep. Jeff Flake in its latest television advertisement.

In the spot, Flake is pictured standing with President Barack Obama at what appears to be a Capitol Hill press conference. The screen shot shows Obama speaking from a podium with Flake on stage, looking on from behind. The Flake campaign accused the Cardon campaign of using a false image. The Cardon campaign did not deny the charge.

“We used multiple images of Congressman Flake and President Obama to demonstrate the similarity of their positions on amnesty,” Cardon campaign spokeswoman Alyssa Pivirotto said. “The pictures aren’t the point. The voters of Arizona deserve to know the real truth: For 12 years, Congressman Jeff Flake has stood beside liberals in Washington supporting amnesty.”

A Flake campaign spokesman emailed Roll Call and charged that the image of Flake and Obama in the House Gallery was photoshopped by the Cardon campaign.

“Wil Cardon’s dishonest campaign for Senate continues to mislead voters and rely on doctored photos,” Flake spokesman Andrew Wilder wrote in an email. “The truth is that Jeff Flake is a leading supporter for securing our border and does not support amnesty.”

Wilder also sent a link to  Rep. Jack Kingston’s (R-Ga.) Flickr page, which shows a similar image to the one used in the ad. But instead of President Obama at the podium, the shot on the Kingston website has Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) at the podium.

Cardon launched the television ad that criticized Flake on immigration today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOSQWdTfNiw&feature=player_embedded

The spot began airing today in the Tucson market, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group. It had $286,000 behind it.

The female narrator calls Flake a “liberal” twice, says he supports amnesty and notes Flake’s distance from the controversial S.B. 1070 bill, a far-reaching piece of state immigration legislation.

The ad also shows an image of Flake and President Barack Obama appearing together in one of the House Gallery studios. It also juxtaposes two different images of the pair.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican. Former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona is the presumptive Democratic nominee.

 

 

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