Bachmann revisits ‘Jim,’ misleading claim in newest ad

Rep. Michele Bachmann released the third television ad of her campaign; it’s the third to attack DFL opponent Tarryl Clark and the third to use “Jim the Election Guy.” It again criticizes Clark for raising taxes, but uses the same example deemed false by three media outlets.

The ad spoofs recent iPhone ads featuring the slogan “There’s an app for that” instead saying Clark has “a tax for that.” The ad targets Clark’s vote for the Legacy Amendment, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2008 by large margins. The Clark campaign notes that Bachmann encouraged voters to approve the amendment, which raised the state’s sales tax.

“In fact, Bachmann herself apparently supported the Legacy Amendment, so Bachmann is attacking her opponent for an Amendment that she herself supported,” Clark’s campaign said in a statement on Tuesday, referencing a 2008 Star Tribune article that reported Bachmann supporting the amendment at Game Fair that year.

“For the third week in a row, Michele Bachmann is on the air with a misleading attack ad featuring a paid actor calling himself ‘Jim,’” said Clark’s campaign manager Zach Rodvold. “And for the second week in a row, Bachmann is using Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment — which passed with widespread support in 2008, receiving 30,000 more votes in the 6th District than Bachmann herself — to attack Tarryl Clark. This line of attack has already failed the truth test, as have countless other claims made by Bachmann in the past year.”

Bachmann’s assertion that Clark voted to raise the sales tax have already been ruled false by MPR’s PoliGraph, WCCO’s Reality Check and KSTP’s Truth Test, which gave it a D+ this weekend.

The ad also targets Clark for voting to raise the gas tax, which she did as part of the controversial transportation bill on which six Republicans crossed over to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto.

Here’s Bachmann’s newest ad:

Here’s the script:

Michele: I’m Michele Bachmann. I approve this message.

Jim: Hi, it’s me Jim again, and that is Taxin Tarryl Clark candidate for congress, its back to school time, and when you go back to school shopping just remember

because of good ole Taxin Tarryl. You’re going to pay more if you want to:

buy some crayons, She’s got a tax for that.

Drive your kids to school; She’s got a tax for that.

Buy a backpack, She’s got a tax for that

One thing’s clear, taxin Tarry loves taxes