Terry’s TV attack ad ending its run

By   /   October 10, 2012  /   52 Comments

Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog

UPDATE: October 11, 2012.

Congressman Lee Terry’s controversial TV ad attacking John Ewing as a big spending Democrat is on its way out.

Terry’s campaign insists the decision to remove the ad has nothing to do with a series of complaints that the ad was misleading.

But both Ewing and Kris Pierce, the chairman of the Douglas County Democratic Party, disagree.

According to Ewing, “I hope that we can expect honesty from Mr. Terry for the remainder of this campaign.”

Pierce issued a statement saying, “Finally Congressman Terry has distinguished fact from fiction and has come to realize that that kind of campaign does not mesh with Nebraska values.”

Terry’s campaign manager, Dave Boomer, tells Nebraska Watchdog the spending ad has simply run its course and is being replaced with a new ad that questions Ewing’s position on Medicare.

Boomer says that ad should begin running tomorrow.

After the spending ad was released on Monday, Democrats demanded that Terry pull the ad immediately.

But instead Terry’s campaign said they were doubling down, running the ad even more than they first planned.

Nebraska Watchdog asked Boomer about that move:

Nebraska Watchdog: Did you ever up the buy on the spending ad like you said you were going to?

Boomer: I was in the process of doing it.

Nebraska Watchdog: So it never happened?

Boomer: Right. I was ordering more (advertising time) and I needed to offset it but the technical answer is yes…yes I did that’s the answer.

Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog

October 10, 2012

Congressman Lee Terry

Douglas County Democrats trotted out the “L” word today, calling Republican Congressman Lee Terry a liar.

Terry is apparently not talking.

It’s the newest chapter in the fight over Terry’s latest ad, which as Nebraska Watchdog has reported, finds Terry attacking Democrat John Ewing.

Kris Pierce, the Douglas County Democratic Chairman, is now requesting that either Terry or the local TV stations pull the ad.

John Ewing

“Lee Terry is a liar,” Pierce said during a morning news conference. Pierce adding, “Because (Terry) has to go on those ads and say, ‘I approved this message.’”

The ad claims that Ewing, who says he’s saved tax dollars as the Douglas County Treasurer, has been a big spender.

Terry’s campaign is standing behind the ad, despite a new wrinkle in the fight.

Douglas County Commissioner Clare Duda—a Republican who stood with Terry when the ad was released on Monday—is now backtracking a bit.

“I kind of stepped in it,” says Duda.

Duda tells Nebraska Watchdog that while the the ad “is factually correct I would have used a different set of budget figures if I could have done it all over again.”

The figures in Terry’s ad find that since 2007 Ewing spent $688,000 more than was budgeted, initially asking for $1.2 million more.

During an interview with Nebraska Watchdog, Ewing brought out county records showing he had spent $155,000 less than was budgeted.

Nebraska Watchdog: Didn’t you initially request more money than you eventually wound up getting?

Ewing: Absolutely. We then sat down with the county board…we negotiate back and forth…and once I’m given a budget I live within that budget.

At least part of the difference between Terry’s numbers and Ewing’s lies in the inner workings of the county board, which produces two budget figures.

Terry used the first number which did not include budget increases for midyear wage hikes. Ewing is using the second, and larger, number which includes those wage adjustments.

According to Ewing by ignoring those added pay hikes Terry’s campaign is using figures designed to ”confuse the public.”

Nebraska Watchdog asked to speak directly to Terry about all this today but he has not been available.

Stay with Nebraska Watchdog for more information as this story continues to develop.

Contact Joe Jordan at joe@nebraskawatchdog.org.

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Joe Jordan

  • Dave Fall

    Lee Terry has been pulling these stunts for years. If you have nothing bad on your opponent make something up. Nice to see some one is willing to say it out loud. Watch him squirm like a worm to get out of it.

  • D. Mark

    Sounds like Clare Duda may be the liar! Why blame Terry if he was given bad information. Ewing does not belong in Washington and don’t forget the problem he had in Colorado! Didn’t know he had a warrant out for his arrest, but had time to find out about it when he decided to run for office!

  • B2

    The obama administration claims they didn’t lie about the 9/11 attacks because they were given faulty intel.
    Terry used the information provided to him by Duda. How does that make him a liar?
    You dems continue to want it both ways!!!

  • jimino

    Whether he’s a liar or not, this obviously shows his clear ignorance about governmental budgeting.

    I’m more concerned with the fact that he, along with all of the other Nebraskans in Congress, are thieves. That’s what the law terms someone who is entrusted with your money (Social Security payments), “borrows” your funds, then tells you they’re not going to pay you in accordance with the deal you originally made.

  • Brent

    LEE TERRY is a LIAR!!
    Terry is STILL authorizing and ‘Approving This Message’, even after being advised that Clare Duda may have given him WRONG information. At that point he should have removed himself from this AD, until the FACTS could be proven and then rerun his AD with CORRECT figures.
    THAT is why LEE TERRY is a LIAR!!!

  • fly-over state

    Lee Terry’s a liar, that’s for sure.
    How else could his campaign endure?
    With no legislation to boast
    a lifetime parasite must host
    on the government dole for his cure.

  • What else is new?

    Lee Terry’s a liar, that’s for sure.
    How else can his campaign endure?
    With no legislative record to boast
    a political parasite must host
    on the government dole for his cure!

  • Rodney Callahan

    Paul Ryan, vice presidential candidate, was elected at the same time as Lee Terry. Wisconsin has a represenation worthy of the vice-presidency and we’re stuck with Lee. There isn’t anyone that has done less than Lee.
    It’s time for better representation. Ewing will do more in 1 year than Terry has done in 12 years. Lee Terry has got to go.

  • brian

    “If you tell a lie big enough and keep reapeating it, people will eventually come to believe it . The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of It’s powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension,the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

    Joseph Goebbels (Minister of Nazi Propaganda) 1932

  • Eric

    It makes Lee stupid for using bad information. So our Congressional representative is a liar or a moron? The choice is clear, Lee Terry is a doofus.

  • Eric

    go on line and try and find something news worthy Lee Terry has done. I typed in Lee Terry, clicked news and all that came up was the this story. Page two, same thing. Page 3 stories about a guy named Terry Lee. Move along…nothing to lock at here.

  • Kevin

    One set of records supports Terry, another Ewing. Does not add up to a “liar” to me.

  • Road Runner

    In case you forget, Lee Terry was elected with the Gingrich crowd, promising to serve with self-imposed ‘term limits’ of two terms. He lied about that, but Nebraskans keep letting him get away with it by re-electing him. His only qualification: a solid party line vote! GAH!

  • Roger Yant

    For God’s sake, lets just face it everyone is a liar. Now does everyone feel better now. You all sound like little children. You know I don’t know all the facts do the rest of you. Maybe he did get bad information and he should have checked things out before he spoke about them, but that does not make him a liar. They all tell fibs, both sides, it’s hard to tell who is BSing you who is not. I want a politician who will answer questions with a yes or no? Now how hard is that. You make a mistake you admit you goofed.

  • Joan

    Lee Terry has been sucking off of the government long enough. Sleeping in his office? What kind of class is that for a Representative of the State of Nebraska? He has life time healhcare but he’ll repeal mine, he will rid me of my medicaid and vouchure my Social Security. He wants to decide what text books my grandchildren read in school and he wants the government to control my daughters vagina. He certainly is not what he claimed to be when he went to Washington. He is a lying idiot!

  • Spike

    Neither of these two Clowns belong in DC!! Pity the Dems couldn’t find a decent candidate to run against Worthless Lee Terry!

  • Joan

    OK you don’t care if he manipulates the truth and is as dumb as a pile of rocks, plus is an embarashment to the State of Nebraska, lets hold him to his loud and clear message when he first ran. “I believe in term limits!” His term is long past due, he has done nothing for “we the people”. He is worthless and when you go to his office to talk with him it is like dealing with a high school drop out. There is nothing between his ears.

  • Jazzee

    You posted the smartest comment
    neither of these guys are any good but ewing is an obama clone and he doesn’t need a third government pension

  • Rodney Callahan

    The slilence is deafening from the Congressman. His campaign pit-bull is running his mouth because he’s in CYA-mode (Cover Your *ss)

  • Eric

    Terry’s info was wrong and ran the ad anyway. LIAR!! Case closed

  • Up in Omaha

    This shows how out of touch government is with the rest of the people. The private sector creates a budget for the year and is forced to live within that budget. If the private sector has to spend outside of the budget, it is called deficit spending. There is no budget at the beginning of the year, then a new budget at the middle of the year. Oh by the way, salary increases are budgeted at the beginning of the year. It is time that government learns to live within its means. The comments of John Ewing proves to me that he doesn’t know how to live within his means and would be more of the problem not the solution in Washington D.C.

  • Up in Omaha

    Not wrong info. Those numbers a matter of public record.

  • Up in Omaha

    Have you ever heard of Hill-Terry law.

  • Up in Omaha

    Are you sure you were connected to the internet? If you were, you would have read about Hill-Terry law.

  • not a sore loser

    Words from a sore loser.

  • not a sore loser

    Sore Loser, Sore Loser, Sore Loser.

  • Bob

    This show how of out of touch the government it to real budgeting that the private sector has to go through.

  • Mark

    Joan you know that you just said is a lie. President Obama with the support of John have already taken over $700 billion from medicare. It is Lee Terry who has voted to restore that money.

  • Jeff

    Because Terry is still running the ad. He’s spending thousands of dollars to make a claim that he now knows is false.

  • Trevor

    Another uneducated comment. Have you ever heard of Hill-Terry Law. Look it up

  • Brent

    Since when is requiring ‘Truth in Politics’, sore losing.
    Putting out ‘False Figures’ admitted to by his figures supplier, is wrong.
    So I suggested he update his commercial with the correct numbers AND THEN RE-RUN IT!!
    Unless you subscribe to the ‘Anything at ALL Costs to get a Win’ philosophy? This is not UFC, this is an American Political Process which should require open and honest campaigning.

  • Brent

    I agree almost completely with your synopses of the system as is. But we are responsible for either electing or re-electing these individuals. The only way we can combat them is to expose them at every inequity and every election cycle, support candidates that we hope will more closely understand AND follow the rules envisioned by our forefathers.

  • Brent

    Sounds similar to other ‘faulty intel’ situations that either were NOT acted on or WERE acted on (the original 9/11 and the vaporizing WMDs), but the difference is they admitted to having had poor intel and have moved to get better info.

  • Brent

    The ‘liar’ tag was not from his original AD run on the poor figures, it evolved as he did not amend his AD after learning the figures provided were wrong. When we know what we are authorizing has been proven wrong it is only good judgement to adjust what we were authorizing to make it the truth.

  • Kevin

    Terry will still win. The Liberals need to direct their animosity at the Treasurer’s office for releasing bad information in the first place.

  • still laughing

    2007 was when the Hill-Terry ‘bill’ was incorporated into the Clean Air Act also known as Public Law 110-140. Dufus boy is running an ad touting one lil’ bill he co-authored 7 years ago (nice he got one thing done the past 12 years). A bill is not a law ‘Up in Omaha’ so pat your uninformed back when you vote to send Dufus Boy back to DC to sleep in his office three nights a week. We’ll give you this: Dufus Lee is not as extreme, right wing nutty as King, Bachman, West, Goehmert, and the multitude of crazies that have infected the Republican Party with their Neanderthal ideologies, science denying, fear-mongering madness, etc. Admittedly, Terry is not dangerous: he doesn’t do anything significant.

  • L.A.

    When are candidates and their respective consultants/handlers ever going to learn this kind of negative garbage has seen its day. It was below Congressman Terry to run and more so to defend it by allowing it to continue. I hear repeatedly from voters they want to hear straight from the horse’s mouth by way of appearances,debate, etc. rather than this constant barrage of advertisements that simply becomes white noise from overkill.

  • Giggles

    Trevor: Defy you to identify a source for existence of a Hill-Terry “Law”; a 2007 ‘bill’ yes, but a ‘bill’ is not a ‘law’–so much for your “uneducated comment”–we educated commenters know Terry’s 2007 bill became a tiny part of the 2007 Clean Air Act -or, Law 110-140. Now, consider yourself ‘educated’ -smiles!

  • Eric

    Are you sure you were on line? Because nothing comes up about Lee, I’m going to hide so I don’t have to answer any questions, Terry that’s news worthy. He’s not a do nothing, he’s a done nothing, he’s a mooch and worthless.

  • Eric

    He’s sponsored one law in 12 years. I need a job like that where I do one thing in 12 years and get $125k and tax paid insurance for me and my family. MOOOOCH!!!

  • Eric

    The private companies only have to take care of themselves. Gov’t can not operate that way because companies don’t have to budget of natual disasters, roads, wars etc…Your agruement is tired and fired.

  • GrassyassMofos

    Mark you know that you just said is a lie. Mitt Romney with the support of Lee Terry want to take over $700 billion from medicare. It is President Obama who has restored that money.

  • Eric

    Clare Duda gave Slippery Lee the wrong info. LIAR!

  • Jeff

    @Up in Omaha – Read the Omaha World Herald today…

  • Jeff

    Read the World Herald this morning…

  • ProgressiveOasis

    That only works if Terrymongers could read.

  • ProgressiveOasis

    Speaking out of touch, Lee Terry has been in Congress longer the Obama has been President, yet his campaign blames Obama for the multi-Trillion dollar debt? Let’s get a clue here, Lee Terry voted for things like 2 UNPAID WARS, UNPAID Medicare pt D, UNPAID Bush Tax Cuts, etc. Amounting to about $10 trillion at least of our nations debt has Lee Terry’s vote stamped on it.

  • ProgressiveOasis

    Yes, one law that named a Post Office that is now being closed. Took about wasting tax payer dollars, all into Terry Lee’s wallet.

  • http://www.facebook.com/brian.personett.9 Brian Personett

    Lee Terry the prolific LIAR. His political future is in immediate dire. Can’t run on his record, there’s NOTHING good there. So run misleading ads. Who cares if it’s fair. He gives not a damn about you, nor I. Unless you write him a check with a courteous smile. He’s certainly used up his 15 minutes of fame. And the fact he’s still in Washington is an absolute SHAME! Wise up people and have no doubt, VOTE this do nothing congressman OUT….

  • http://www.facebook.com/larry.vilda Larry Vilda

    Of course on the other hand there is Adrian Smith who has done nothing period and the dodo’s in the west keep sending him..

  • Watching_From_Lincoln

    Yes there is: A horrible hair cut and a pair of Birth Control glasses. (We called them BC glasses in the Army because people who wore the issue military glasses would never get laid on leave, hence the term Birth Control glasses.)

  • Watching_From_Lincoln

    He just votes with those cretins, that’s dangerous enough.