New NY-20 ads: 'false attacks' and outsourcing

Chris Gibson and Rep. Scott Murphy released new campaign ads this weekend, attacking each other.

Gibson, the GOP candidate and a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook, launched his ad ostensibly to fight against the “false attacks” he says Murphy and his surrogates have launched on him.

“He can’t win on his record so he falsely attacks decorated military veteran Chris Gibson,” Gibson’s latest ad proclaims. It then notes — putting Murphy’s visage next to that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a more liberal San Franciscan who Republicans are seeking to tie to Murphy.

It ends with Gibson saying Murphy should have thought more time worrying about the needs of district voters.

Murphy’s ad accuses Gibson of protecting a loophole that allows businesses to outsource jobs, after lots of happy footage of Murphy interacting with “the middle class upstate: they’re working hard to compete, but they need a fair shot.” He voted to close that loophole, the ad says.

The bill Murphy is referring to sent federal money to states for education and health care, and paid for it in part by changing the tax code. Gibson opposed the bill — on the grounds of spending — but said he would be open to have a discussion about changing the tax code “at the appropriate time.” Speaking Friday to the Times Union’s editorial board, he suggested that was not now, as the economy continues to limp.

Gibson’s campaign released this long response.

“Who believes this stuff?” asked Gibson. “It borders on the absurd to accuse me of wanting to send jobs overseas. My father was a union worker for Otis elevator in the late seventies and we knew what it was like to struggle. My goal is to create jobs here in New York. My ideas have attracted the endorsement of the North East Small Business Group, who chose to endorse me rather than the incumbent Congressman. Scott Murphy takes distorting my opposition to raising taxes on already struggling business to a mythical level. He is the one with the record of imposing hundreds of billions of new taxes and fees on small business and who just voted to leave his job in Washington to come home and fight for his own job instead of bringing certainty to all of us by working to prevent the massive tax hikes to start in January.”

“Those of us who have grown up in our region know full well that hostility to business, and high taxes, have forced many companies, jobs and our friends and neighbors to flee New York. We know that creating more taxes, unnecessary burdens and adding uncertainty to the hostility is only going to force more jobs away from here. Scott Murphy and Nancy Pelosi, with the anti-business policies they have forced through Washington, make our businesses less competitive here and abroad. Scott Murphy’s record includes voting for the healthcare expansion bill, which already forced premiums to increase, levied crushing new taxes on business and increased red-tape. Then he co-sponsored Cap and Trade, again punishing business and families in New York, and making it even harder to compete with overseas companies. Now, in the lead up to Election Day, Scott Murphy is trying to take credit for correcting his earlier harmful votes that added new burdens, like the 1099 paperwork reporting on all small businesses and farmers. But voters will see through this,” said Daniel Odescalchi, Gibson campaign Spokesman. “Their continued assault on business is what is sending jobs overseas. Chris is trying to create a friendlier business climate here at home in an effort to keep jobs here.”