VoteVets ad hits Collins on Iraq War record

Senate candidates Susan Collins (R-Bangor) and Tom Allen (D-Portland) both denounced an ad that hit Collins on her support of the Iraq War.

The ad is from the third party veterans’ organization VoteVets.org that opposes the Iraq War.

In the ad, Alex Cornell du Houx, an Iraq War veteran, said $2 billion of Maine’s tax dollars went to the war while Iraq got rich off oil profits.

In the ad he says: “Sen. Susan Collins just stood by and let all of this happen, and still is. I gave 100 percent in this war, and can’t afford to give any more. Call Susan Collins and tell her we want our money back.”

Cornell du Houx is an Iraq War veteran and a former chairman of the College Democrats of America. He is running for the Maine House.

The campaigns for both Collins, the incumbent, and Allen, a current U.S. Representative, released statement on the ad.

First, the Collins campaign called on Allen to denounce the ad, citing a recent promise Allen made to denounce all third party ads.

Spokesman Kevin Kelley said the ad is false, noting legislation Collins sponsored that shifts the costs of reconstruction projects to the Iraqis.

“The ad that is currently airing on Maine television stations ignores Senator Collins' efforts to change the mission in Iraq and to force the Iraqis to pay more of the costs of securing and rebuilding their own country,” a press release from the Collins campaign stated.

One hour later the Allen campaign responded. Communications director Carol Andrews said that Allen would in fact denounce the ad.

"Tom Allen is the only candidate to denounce false, negative tv and radio ads by third parties. He knows there is too much at stake for outsiders to disrupt the conversation he is having with Mainers on the important issues of energy, health care, the economy and Iraq,” Andrews wrote in a release.

Andrews then turned to both candidates’ records on the war, criticizing Collins for opposing a deadline for withdrawal.

“Because he feels so strongly about a deadline for withdrawal, Tom Allen has repeatedly voted against measures for funding that do not include binding deadlines for withdrawal,” Andrews wrote. “Susan Collins has repeatedly opposed setting timelines or deadlines.”

The tables were turned earlier this month when two third party groups hit Allen for his support of the Employee Free Choice Act (click here for previous coverage). The Allen campaign called on Collins to denounce the ad. There was no formal denouncement, but when asked campaign staff told reporters that Collins always denounces third-party ads, including the one in question.