Atlanta, GA - Today, U.S. Senate candidate Michael Coles responded to a new Coverdell attack ad. The TV ad claims that Michael Coles would have voted against the IRS Reform Bill and the 1996 Republican budget proposal while voting to cut Social Security. Coverdell’s claims are simply not true. Veterans vs. Highways: Michael Coles’ position on veterans’ benefits was made clear during both U.S. Senate televised debates when the candidates discussed Coverdell’s vote to take $17 billion from veterans and put it into highways. Coles said: “I would never have voted to take a penny out of the veterans benefits [to pay for highways].” Coverdell’s position was made clear when he stated: “Well, I wasn’t going to deny Georgia $2 billion in transportation funds.” Veterans vs. Tax Cuts: “I would have voted against the 1996 Republican budget for the same reason Sam Nunn didit cut billions from veterans’ programs to pay for a tax cut,” stated Coles. “Because of votes like these, our veterans are not getting the care they need and deserve. It is simply a slap in the face to veterans that Paul Coverdell is boasting about this.” Social Security & Medicare: The Truth vs. Coverdell’s Lies: “Coverdell is lying when he claims I would cut Social Security or Medicare,” said Coles. “A 1996 League of Women Voters questionnaire asked: “Assuming there is neither fat nor waste left to cut, what programs would you reduce in order to balance the budget?” In response, Coles stated, that, if there was nothing left to cut, he would support a 1% cut in discretionary spending programs. Medicare and Social Security have their own trust funds and are not discretionary spending programs. More importantly, in 1996, Coles made it clear that he had a plan to balance the budget without cutting important programs. He stated: “As a businessman, I know that with common sense and determination, we can balance the budget and reduce the deficit without sacrificing environmental protections, education, or senior citizens’ benefits.” Coverdell Can Run, but He Can’t Hide: “Paul Coverdell is using the same ‘smoke and mirror’ tactics in his new commercial as he did in the Senate when he robbed the veterans,” states Coles. “He is cloaking his betrayal of our veterans, desperately hoping that people don’t find out what he has done. For this reason, veterans across Georgia are supporting me and they are simply not buying Coverdell’s lies.” # # # |
