Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is tarring Republican challenger Josh Mandel as possibly “the most dishonest candidate in the country” with a new ad released on Friday, though the ad itself is somewhat misleading…
…(the ad) goes on to accuse Mandel of lying about his record as state treasurer in a way that is misleading as well.
Mandel has said in ads before that he “earned the highest possible credit ratings as state treasurer,” which is what the Brown ad is referring to. But he merely maintained the highest possible rating while in office, which the fund in question had received for 16 consecutive years.
Mandel’s assertion, then, is a stretch of the facts — but not quite a lie, as Brown’s new ad accuses…
But he’s (Sherrod B remained below the 50 percent polling threshold considered comfortable for an incumbent for more than a month now. That could mean the advertisements are taking their toll — and could continue to lessen Brown’s already slight lead as the race wears on.