Dan Seals has a new commercial running that attacks Mark Kirk for his record on veterans health benefits. I’m not a big Mark Kirk fan but I hate these kind ads. They make claims about voting records that are so convoluted as to stretch the boundaries of accuracy. Both sides do it. And we should be equally critical.

The commercial (below) criticizes Mark Kirk for “cutting” Vet Health Benefits, even though Kirk actually voted FOR a bill authorizing $25.3 billion on Vet Health Care. However, this bill came in under the $27.1 billion authorized by the Senate. Not really a “cut” by my definition … or most any others.

All Congressional bills are a product of compromise and this bill included a number of them, like means-testing for some benefits. You can always find fault with legislation that has been compromised. Always. But the bill had bipartisan support: 149 Democrats and 166 Republicans voted for it. To characterize it as a vote against veterans is intellectually dishonest and represents the worst of politics today.