According to analysis from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, political attacks ads are now "about 85 percent false."
For most of us that would generate a genuine gut response of "no shit," but the report does go further and name the biggest offenders. And not surprisingly, they include Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers.
Crossroads GPS, the group founded by Karl Rove, has the worst record, according to Annenberg. It has dropped $10.3 million on attack ads with at least one inaccuracy. The organization is the creator of many anti-Obama ads. The most recent being “Stopwatch,” which claims that Obama’s negligence is growing the national debt by $1.4 million every 30 seconds.
In second place is The American Future Fund, which has spent $6.4 million on ads with at least one false claim, according to the fact checkers. It has also spearheaded the attempt to convince the FEC to loosen the definition of “clearly identified candidate” in order to sidestep regulations requiring organizations that run ads attacking candidates to reveal their donors. Read more about that effort here.
Americans for Prosperity and the American Energy Alliance, the third- and fourth-ranked spenders, have shelled out more than $5 million and $3.3 million, respectively, for ads with errors.
The report relied on fact checks conducted by FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.org, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker and the Associated Press, so we can safely assume the 85 percent figure was low-balled by at least 14 percent.
None of these super PACs, who do nothing but lie while promoting the "social welfare to benefit the community," are required to disclose their donors.