Shaheen calls Sununu ad ‘inaccurate’

Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury) is calling her opponent's most recent ad "a desperate attempt to run from his record" and said a reference in the ad is "inaccurate."

However, U.S. Sen. John Sununu's (R-Waterville Valley) campaign says that the ad is correct and says Shaheen is citing the wrong document.

In Sununu's newest television ad, titled "Common Sense," the ad states, "six months ago Jeanne Shaheen still saw no risk and said let them use ‘flexibility and common sense.' Boy Jeanne that worked out well."

Shaheen told reporters on a conference call that the Sununu ad is referring to a March press release in which Shaheen called for reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but Sununu's campaign said the quote "flexibility and common sense" comes from an op-ed piece Shaheen wrote in the Union Leader in February.

"If you look at the press release that they're quoting from that we issued back in March it starts with saying, and I'm just going to read it and again we're happy to provide it if anyone would like, the bullet starts with Reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Allow them to expand and ease the mortgage crunch, but the expansion of their portfolio caps must be tied to tighter regulation and independent oversight in order to prevent the accounting scandals of recent years," Shaheen told reporters. "That's directly from the press release so they're just making this up and I understand why Sununu and his allies are doing this because they want to divert attention away from Sununu's record in Washington."

In the press release Shaheen cited there is no mention of the words "flexibility and common sense" which appears in Sununu's television ad. The Sununu campaign said the quote came from an op-ed piece in which Shaheen wrote, "Congress needs to press government-sponsored entities, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to use flexibility and common sense to help Americans stay in their homes." The ad shows the Union Leader banner and the date February 3, 2008.

Stefanie Zimmerman, Sununu's press secretary, said that Shaheen is "distorting" Sununu's record.

"Not only is Jeanne Shaheen distorting John Sununu's record, she is trying to distance herself from her own misguided words and statements," Zimmerman said in a statement. "The fact is, Mrs. Shaheen has wholeheartedly supported the reckless policies of the same Washington politicians who blocked Senator Sununu's efforts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and are currently spending millions of dollars in false, negative ads attacking his record."

When asked to clarify Shaheen's remarks on Sununu's ad, a Shaheen spokeswoman said Sununu is trying to change the subject.

"Gov Shaheen has been consistent in her calls for tighter regulation and oversight of Fannie and Freddie," Kate Bedingfield, Shaheen's communications director, wrote in a statement. "She has consistently supported tying Fannie and Freddie reform to more accountability and oversight.  John Sununu is desperately trying to change the subject from his 12 year record of supporting lax accountability and oversight on Wall Street that has gotten us into the crisis we are in today."

The ad in question can be viewed below.

Also read:

-WITH DESPERATE AD, SUNUNU TRIES TO HIDE RECORD OF SUPPORT FOR BUSH AGENDA OF LAX OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY