FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Calls Markey's silence "politics of destruction - Politics as Usual"

Greeley, CO (July 8, 2008): With press reports calling attack ads against Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4) "shameless" and "unsupported by facts", Congresswoman Musgrave today condemned her Democrat opponent's silence as "the old politics as usual, politics of destruction by falsehood."

"My opponent's silence on these ads is both shameful and deafening," said Congresswoman Musgrave. "Shameful because her silence amounts to an unspoken endorsement of the political character assassination and defamation now being conducted by her Defenders of Wildlife friends, whose endorsement she recently received. Deafening because her silence speaks louder than words as to her campaign's apparent strategy - to win this election at any cost, while permitting any lies. That's politics as usual and is the first indication of just what she'd be in congress."

Press sources also exposed the untruthfulness of these ads.  Raj Chohan of Denver's CBS 4's Reality Check called the ad "a shameless accusation of corruption unsupported by the facts." NBC 9News' Truth Test also called their allegations attack "false".

"My opponent knows these allegations are false, and I ask her to join me and denounce the Defenders of Wildlife tactics and misrepresentations. Not only do these ads deceive the public by distorting the truth, but further coarsens the process, increases voter cynicism and lowers confidence in their electoral process, " said Musgrave.

Musgrave concluded: "How can Ms. Markey call for bi-partisan cooperation on the major issues of our day, yet silently stand by and allow an extremist group that endorses her to falsely smear my character and distort the record?"

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, a self-described environmental and conservation organization recently started airing a half million dollar ‘independent' expenditure campaign to unseat Musgrave, simultaneously endorsing her opponent, Betsy Markey.

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