Bush Hits Clinton Record as Governor

The Bush campaign has released a new ad that attacks Democratic rival Bill Clinton’s record as governor of Arkansas.

* THE AD: A narrator says: “In his 12 years as governor, Bill Clinton has doubled his state’s debt. Doubled government spending and signed the largest tax increase in his state’s history.” On the screen are bleak images, shot in black and white, of a rural landscape. “Yet his state remains the 45th worst in which to work. The 45th worst for children. It has the worst environmental policy. And the FBI says Arkansas had America’s biggest increase in rate of serious crime. And now Bill Clinton wants to do for America what he’s done for Arkansas. America can’t take that risk.” The parting image is a buzzard sitting on a dying tree.

* THE ANALYSIS: The ad in some cases fails to tell a complete story. It does not note that Arkansas’ tax burden is among the nation’s lowest. It exaggerates in saying Clinton has doubled government spending--the state’s budget has increased roughly 90% since 1980, nearly the same amount as federal spending during that period. The claim that Arkansas is “the 45th worst in which to work” comes from a study by the Corporation for Enterprise Development--a Republican-leaning think tank. The Clinton campaign disputes the ranking, and notes that jobs and incomes have increased faster than the national average in Arkansas in recent years. The ad’s claim that Arkansas is “the 45th worst for children” comes from a study by the Center for the Study of Social Policy--another think tank. The Clinton campaign disputes the ranking and notes that during his gubernatorial Administration, infant mortality has been cut nearly by half in Arkansas. The ad’s claim that Clinton’s environmental policy is “the worst” nationally is based on a study by the Institute for Southern Studies, which recently issued a statement criticizing Bush’s environmental record as well.