Obama camp denies knowledge of cancer tale it told in May.
Campaign officials flatly denied any knowledge of the facts in the case—but it turns out the widower told the same story on an Obama campaign conference call in mid-May. (The Obama campaign responded late in the day: See update below).
“We have nothing, no involvement, with any ads that are done by Priorities USA. We don’t have any knowledge of the story of the family,” Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday.
The ad features Joe Soptic, who lost his job and his health benefits after Romney’s Bain Capital closed the GST Steel plant in Kansas City, Mo., in 2001. Soptic later told CNN that his wife had health insurance through her own employer from that point to 2002 or 2003, when she left that job because of an injury—a detail that undermines the ad’s heartbreaking narrative.
“I don’t know the facts about when Mr. Soptic’s wife got sick, or the facts about his health insurance,” deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter told CNN on Wednesday.
But there’s a problem. As Politico first reported, Soptic told essentially the same story in a May 14, 2012, conference call hosted by the Obama campaign.
Yes, they most certainly did build it. Lies, and more lies. Refusing to disavow?
August 9, 2012 at 10:36 am
Love it! Adding you to P&L’s blog roll, an oversight that has gone on far too long. My apologies for the delay.
August 9, 2012 at 10:39 am
Thanks Lola, I’m honored. I’m thrilled that Anthony is working with you at P&L.
August 9, 2012 at 10:56 am
Me too. If you ever want to cross-post or write something original for P&L, you have a permanent invitation.
August 9, 2012 at 11:33 am
Thank you Lola. I’m thrilled at the possibilities.