Conversation with a Braley backer
Just had an interesting conversation with a Braley worker.
He was talking to a voter, and I overheard the conversation. Being the obnoxious person I am, I asked him whether he was telling lies about Joni Ernst.
He denied it. "We aren't telling too many lies about Ernst," he said. Interesting wording, that.
"I'm talking, for example, about that 'pledge' to give tax breaks to the rich and to companies that move jobs overseas," I replied. The claim was first made in a series of ads sponsored by billionaire Tom Steyer, and has since been repeated in a number of ads sponsored by the Democratic party itself.
"That's not a lie," he responded.
"Politifact disagrees," I pointed out.
"The pledge says that she'll give takes breaks to special interests," he repeated.
"No," I replied. "I've read the pledge. In fact, it merely promises that she won't support tax increases for anybody without offsets."
"That guy sponsored it," he said.
"Oh," I replied. "You mean Tom Steyer, the out-of-state billionaire who paid for the pro-Braley ad that first made the charge?"
"No," he said. "The guy with the pledge. I can't think of his name. I'm having a senior moment."
"Grover Norquist," I repled. "And like I said, it only promises not to increase anybody's taxes without an offset."
And with that, he walked away.
He was talking to a voter, and I overheard the conversation. Being the obnoxious person I am, I asked him whether he was telling lies about Joni Ernst.
He denied it. "We aren't telling too many lies about Ernst," he said. Interesting wording, that.
"I'm talking, for example, about that 'pledge' to give tax breaks to the rich and to companies that move jobs overseas," I replied. The claim was first made in a series of ads sponsored by billionaire Tom Steyer, and has since been repeated in a number of ads sponsored by the Democratic party itself.
"That's not a lie," he responded.
"Politifact disagrees," I pointed out.
"The pledge says that she'll give takes breaks to special interests," he repeated.
"No," I replied. "I've read the pledge. In fact, it merely promises that she won't support tax increases for anybody without offsets."
"That guy sponsored it," he said.
"Oh," I replied. "You mean Tom Steyer, the out-of-state billionaire who paid for the pro-Braley ad that first made the charge?"
"No," he said. "The guy with the pledge. I can't think of his name. I'm having a senior moment."
"Grover Norquist," I repled. "And like I said, it only promises not to increase anybody's taxes without an offset."
And with that, he walked away.
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