"Knock It Off," Gillibrand

HALFMOON, NY (10/25/2008)(readMedia)-- Raised in the Capital Region, Congresswoman Gillibrand attended the Academy of the Holy Names and Emma Willard High School. (Gillibrand's official website)

Before her arrival on Capitol Hill, Gillibrand was a partner in the prestigious law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner in New York City. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth University where she majored in Asian studies and learned to speak and write Chinese. Gillibrand, whose parents also were lawyers, got her law degree at UCLA School of Law in 1991, completing her senior internship in Vienna, Austria, at the United Nations Crime Prevention Branch. (Times Union, 5/13/07)

"I think Dartmouth really instilled in me an independent streak and a will to think critically. I think both of those instincts have served me well in law and will serve me well in Congress," she said. "Dartmouth also instills in its students the belief that you can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do." (The Dartmouth.com, March 31, 2006)

When Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) attended the Women's Campaign School at Yale several years ago, she was a practicing attorney flirting with the notion of running for office. (Roll Call, July 17, 2008)

The Gillibrand campaign's ad airing now is a sad, cynical and obvious effort to engage in typical Democratic class warfare by telling voters that Sandy Treadwell is "not one of us."

If Sandy Treadwell is "not one of us", who is Kirsten Gillibrand?

And who are the two men who appear in this ad? Are they CD 20 residents?

The first man says, "He's just not one of us." The second man says, "Nothing like the rest of us." In order to determine whether this ad is misleading, voters need to know who "us" is. The Gillibrand campaign should release their names and towns.

The ad goes on to misrepresent the facts further. "And - turns out - Treadwell's put his money where his mouth is. Personally donating over $200,000 to support George Bush." [Visual: "Donated over $200,000 to Bush." (FEC Reports, Times Union, 1/13/05)]

The January 13, 2005 Times Union article cited in the ad refers to a $100,000 contribution from Treadwell to help pay for the 2004 Inauguration - not, as the ad alleges, "to support George Bush."

According to FEC reports, Treadwell has "personally" donated only $3,000 "to Bush."

$1,000 Bush for President, Inc. 9/14/99

2,000 Bush-Cheney '04 (primary) 6/20/03

Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Upstate New York is on to him.

FIRST MAN: Sandy Treadwell? He's just not one of us.

[Visual: "Treadwell's ad misrepresents the facts" (TU, 9/25/08); "Try a little honesty on taxes"(Post-Star, 10/10/08)]

ANNOUNCER: Treadwell. Already caught in a big lie about Kirsten Gillibrand and taxes.

SECOND MAN: Knock it off, Treadwell.

ANNOUNCER: Of course, there's this...

[Visual: Treadwell CNN video (CNN, 8/25/04)]

TREADWELL: I hugely support President Bush and his leadership.

[Visual: "Donated over $200,000 to Bush" (FEC Reports, Times Union, 1/13/05)]

ANNOUNCER: And - turns out - Treadwell's put his money where his mouth is. Personally donating over $200,000 to support George Bush. Sandy Treadwell...

FIRST MAN: Just too close to Bush.

SECOND MAN: Nothing like the rest of us.

###