* Congresswoman Cheri Bustos voted for the Paul Ryan, Patty Murray budget plan last year and is now under fire from her GOP opponent for voting to cut spending. From a press release…
The Bobby Schilling for Congress campaign has released their second commercial of the 2014 campaign cycle. The commercial features veterans who are disappointed with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) for her heartless vote to cut veterans benefits by $6 billion last year.
In December of 2013, Cheri Bustos voted to cut veterans benefits by $6 billion by voting for the Ryan-Murray budget. Shortly afterwards, Cheri Bustos said that her vote to cut veterans benefits was “right for America.” Veterans across the Illinois 17th District were outraged by this heartless vote.
In addition to voting to cut benefits to veterans and their families in her own district, Congresswoman Bustos failed to lead when veterans needed her most during the VA crisis. While veterans were dying on wait-lists at VA hospitals, Cheri Bustos said and did nothing until Bobby Schilling stepped up.
Bobby Schilling opposed the Ryan-Murray budget. In an op-ed he wrote in January, Schilling said “we should be cutting our debts, not our vets.”
Schilling also led first to solve the VA crisis. Schilling introduced the Enhanced Veterans Health Care Experience Act back in 2011, a bill that would fix the VA wait-listing issue by allowing veterans to use their own doctors in their own hometowns. Schilling’s bill was included as a provision in this summer’s VA reform legislation that passed the House unanimously 426-0 and has now been signed into law.
There is a clear contrast between Cheri Bustos’ disappointing record on veterans issues and Bobby Schilling’s aggressive advocacy for veterans in his district.
It is very hypocritical for Cheri Bustos to run a TV commercial about what her staff did for one veteran while she voted to hurt tens of thousands of veterans. This new ad shines light on Cheri Bustos’ failure to stand up for veterans.
Jon Schweppe, communications director at Bobby Schilling for Congress, released the following statement:
“Cheri Bustos spent more than a year voting against veterans and ignoring their concerns, and now she’s trying to flip the script in an election year. If Cheri Bustos wants to work on her image with veterans—which she clearly does, judging by her first two commercials—maybe she should just follow through on her promise to give up 10 percent of her pay and donate the $34,800 to a veterans charity. That would be the right thing to do.”
* Schilling’s new ad…
* Script…
Bobby Schilling (Colona): I’m Bobby Schilling, and I approve this message.
Councilman Eric Turner (Peoria): We’ve risked our lives.
Brian Munos (Silvis): We’ve put it all on the line.
Ken Moffett (Moline): And how did Congresswoman Cheri Bustos repay us?
Munos: Bustos voted to cut veteran benefits by six billion dollars.
Ron Tady (East Moline): Six billion dollars!
Moffett: That’s billion with a B.
Munos: After promising she never would.
Moffett: How could you cut our benefits, Cheri?
Turner: How could you?
Munos: How could you?
Tady: How could you? Shame on you.
Moffett: Shame on you.
Turner: Shame on you, Congresswoman Bustos.
* The bipartisan lesson here is that budget cuts never play well in general election campaigns. That’s why Bruce Rauner vows to increase state spending on education, infrastructure and IDNR even though he also pledges to cut taxes. Bustos tried to position herself in Congress as a fiscally conservative Democrat. So, she gets this hit.
However, the hard reality of governing is that when you demand cuts (as Schilling has and does), then stuff like this happens.
*** UPDATE *** From the Bustos campaign…
Today, Colin Milligan, the Communications Director for Cheri Bustos for Congress, released the following statement on ex-Congressman Bobby Schilling’s new desperate and dishonest negative ad:
“Ex-Congressman Schilling wasted little time going negative. In an apparent act of desperation, Schilling has responded to Cheri Bustos’ strong support from Illinois veterans by airing a dishonest attack ad in the hopes of confusing voters about her record. Veterans are such a priority to Cheri that she not only led an effort to protect military retiree benefits, but has combat veterans on her staff. And voters have already seen first-hand that when veterans speak up, Cheri Bustos listens.
“Once again, ex-Congressman Schilling is trying to distract voters from his anti-middle class record by pointing to cuts that never happened, but voters know the truth.”
- Jimmy - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:27 am:
I wonder Schilling is in favor of cutting social security or medicare benefits? If so, the response will write itself and the audience will be much larger.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:30 am:
It’s a good ad, but i’d love to see some ads featuring vets against the war(s) and the American State of Iraq and the Levant, or ASIL — make sure it’s pronounced correctly — blasting the leaders that sent them off.
- cynic - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:32 am:
Pretty destructive ad against Bustos.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:32 am:
More warm and fuzzy spend, spend, spend from GOP Congressional candidates in competitive districts.
What a difference a couple years make.
- Amateur Hour - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:38 am:
This looks like another case of “dueling ads” with Bustos currently airing her ad about helping a veteran with a case. She helped one veteran get his pension, that’s great, but then she voted to cut everyone else’s pension? That’s a pretty devastating hit.
- ANON - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:39 am:
For those who want to actually know how deceptive ads like this can be:
About July 24, 2013: GOP Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget committee adds a cost-savings method to budget bill; a 1 percent reduction to CPI (consumer price index) increases to veterans retirement payments for veterans under 62.Ryan’s method has estimated savings of $6 billion over 10 years.
Sept. 20-Oct. 16, 2013: Congress exchanges budget and continuing resolutions without reaching agreement. A three-week shutdown of some services happens.
Oct. 1-Dec. 11, 2013: House and Senate conference committees negotiate a budget bill. GOP conference leader Ryan insists cost savings in food stamps, veteran retirement, etc., remain in conference bill.
Dec. 12, 2013: Ryan brings to the House for vote the conference bill that includes the $6 billion CPI savings. GOP Reps. Aaron Schock, Ryan, Adam Kinzinger and 166 more GOP members vote for the compromise budget. Democrats, including Rep. Cheri Bustos, cast bipartisan votes so the otherwise failing compromise passes.
Dec. 18, 2013: Senate passes House (already adjourned and out of DC) budget resolution rather than cause another government shutdown during holidays recess.
Feb. 11-12, 2014: December’s budget act is amended to remove the GOP idea of CPI reductions to veteran’s retirement benefits and becomes law. Rep. Bustos votes for the budget amendment.
Hopefully Bobby Schilling is also willing to call out his good buddy Aaron Shock for voting for this as well.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:54 am:
Unless I have no control over the mute button, capitolfax is the only place where I look at these ads
@ anon: I’m sure the opposing campaign won’t wait for the calling out. Political leaders find more uses for soldiers and vets than fighting undeclared wars.
- Up and Adam - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:02 am:
This is a terrible ad.
- Watch the clown - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:12 am:
Meh.
Too scripted. “How can you?”….watch this.
- foster brooks - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:29 am:
Why would anyone vote for Schilling? He refused to bring home the bacon to his own district
- Illinoise - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:29 am:
It doesn’t seem like a winning strategy to throw a bipartisan effort led by your own party’s golden child under the bus, especially in a competitive district. I think a lot of people would like to see more support for bipartisanship, not less.
- Amateur Hour - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:31 am:
- Up and Adam -
- Watch the clown -
- foster brooks -
- Illinoise -
Oh hi Bustos campaign
- A guy... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:41 am:
Ow. That one’s a punch in the gut. Veteran’s pack a punch, a hard one. This is more memorable than hers. That’s the name of the game now. Strong solid pass.
- i miss illinois - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:42 am:
Devastating….Everyone knows a veteran or someone who is serving.
This ad will force Bustos to stay on defense for at least another month.
- Two Cents - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:43 am:
Schilling campaign folks, is he also going to call out Schock?
- Watch the Clown - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:47 am:
I’m on a campaign? Must have missed the paycheck in the mail.
For Hire: Professional internet troll. Will accept check, Visa and McDouble’s.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:53 am:
iirc, they are both one-termers at this point. It would be interesting to match up the budgets and cuts they voted for during their terms.
Did Schilling ever vote to cut veteran’s benefits? If not, it gives his hit on Mrs. Bustos additional credibility. If so, it discredits his hit.
It seems doubtful he just got “lucky” and never had to make difficult choices of his own.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:55 am:
And has Bustos paid that money she promised to donate yet?
- i miss illinois - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:56 am:
I’m sure it was a pretty difficult choice for Schilling to “End Medicare as we know it” and Bustos tried to make him “pay the ultimate price” for it.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:56 am:
The key here is “she promised not to do that”
So, the ad is piggybacking on her broken promises.
It is a C.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:54 am:
To the update: It sounds like you’re calling those Vets untruthful. Gotta paint a lot more carefully than this.
- Turtle - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 1:19 pm:
Bobby Schilling has a long tradition of being one of the least ethical campaigners we have ever seen in Illinois. The saving grace for people of the 17th District is that the voters have seen what Schilling dishes out and they don’t buy it.
- i miss illinois - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 1:29 pm:
Turtle….you wish. Either give citations or shut your trap. I think that counts as a “rumor” and you should be banned.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:44 pm:
i miss,
Isn’t that a bit of a hare trigger on Turtle?