Politics

Conservative Super PAC: Iowa TV Station Won’t Run Our Ads Against Democrat

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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A television station in eastern Iowa is refusing to run an attack ad paid for by a conservative super PAC against the Democratic candidate in the state’s contentious Senate race, The Daily Caller has learned.

The group, Conservative War Chest, has produced a spot comparing Bruce Braley, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, to “extremist” liberals like Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton. The fast-paced ad references a variety of issues while flashing photos of prominent liberals.

“In the judgment of station management, the ad did not meet our criteria to allow it to air,” John Huff, the general sales manager at KWWL-TV, confirmed in an email to TheDC.

Conservative War Chest spokesman Mike Flynn says the ad is running in other markets in Iowa. Similar versions of the ad, he said, are airing against other Democratic candidates on television stations across the country.

“Out of more than a dozen TV stations throughout the country, KWWL is the only station that has refused to run our ad critical of candidate Bruce Braley and his liberal agenda,” Flynn said in a statement provided to TheDC.

Flynn said the station requested “substantiation” of various statements made in the ad.

“We were happy to confirm any facts,” Flynn said. “But the station asked us to define ‘liberal’ and provide proof that people like Michael Moore are ‘liberal.’ Those are questions of opinion. It was borderline harassment.”

Flynn complained that the station did not return its phone calls seeking clarification of its objection to the ad. The station told TheDC that it got back in touch with Flynn on Monday.

“We did not refuse to return phone calls and actually had several email exchanges last week regarding this ad,” Huff said. “In addition, our National Sales Manager was unavailable on Friday and returned a call to Mike Flynn today.”

Liberals who make appearances in the ad: MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews, billionaire George Soros, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, former IRS official Lois Lerner, environmentalist donor Tom Steyer, filmmaker Michael Moore, actor Alec Baldwin, former Obama aide David Axelrod, President Barack Obama, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder.

Flynn suggested politics is at play.

“We shouldn’t have been surprised, really,” Flynn said. “I grew up with the owners of the station and am well aware of their ties to the Democratic party. I just thought business would trump party loyalty.”

 Watch the ad:

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