WATCH: NEA's New TV Ad Attacking Schweikert; partial Fact Check

Previously, we reported that the National Education Association has spent $650,000 to run an ad in the Phoenix market attacking Republican challenger David Schweikert.  Here is the ad:

http://www.youtube.com/user/NEAFundCampaignAds#p/a/u/1/yS6GSQkRLi4



The Arizona CD5 race is one of two that the NEA has decided to kick off its campaign ads with (the other in Ohio).

While a fuller Fact Check of the ad will be published later, the citation for the middle claim caught my eye.  Below the graphic that Schweikert "Would Abolish the Department of Education" was a cite for a DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) YouTube from September 21.  It turns out that it is a 21-second clip of Schweikert at a "Fountain Hills Tea Party forum" on September 17.  In it, Schweikert passionately says:

"And now it's time for the tough part. What are you willing to cut?  If I stood up in front of you and say if you love the Department of Education, please don't vote for me.  Because I'm passionately going to try to eliminate those functions of the federal government that are, (a), unconstitutional, and (b), the fact we're bankrupt."

(video after the jump)

http://www.youtube.com/user/NEAFundCampaignAds#p/a/u/1/yS6GSQkRLi4

That's pretty clear.  He does say that he would try.  However, the NEA ad says that abolishing the Department of Education would be "crippling our public schools."  That is more problematic.




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