Ad Implies California’s Nurses Are “The Special Interests”; Group’s Re-Edit Shows Effects of Believing That

Santa Monica, CA — A new TV advertisement against Proposition 89 has been modified by supporters of the campaign reform initiative to reflect what the ad would look like if it were required to follow the full-disclosure disclaimers associated with pharmaceutical advertisements. The No on 89 ads were created by the same consultants that create political ads for the drug company lobby, which is one of the top funders of No on 89.

The edited version of the ad can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGYr1KqqfaM

In the actual ad, which is currently blanketing the airwaves, a sighing father says that he learned “Prop 89 was written by the special interests.” At that point, the revised advertisement rewinds to highlight the onscreen disclosure that the chief funder of the No on 89 campaign is Chevron and that PHARMA consultants created the ad.

The revised ad continues with a special warning about the possible side effects of the advertisement, culminating with the advice:

“If you are pregnant or nursing, or could become pregnant, are taking any other medications, are ill or could become ill at any point in your life, are in school or could attend school in the future, have a job, pay taxes, live in a home, drive a car, or have friends or family you care about, you should know that voting No on 89 isn’t for you. Talk with your family nurse for more information on how Yes on 89 can heal California.’

Proposition 89 supporters claim that if the public knows that the “special interests” referred to by the No on 89 ad are nurses, and that the special interests paying for the ad are drug companies, HMOs and insurance companies, voters would side with nurses’ “special interests” — better health care, good government and voter power — in a heartbeat.

“HMOs and drug companies will say anything to defeat Prop 89 and protect their power in Sacramento,” said Douglas Heller, Executive Director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. “They are now spending millions of dollars to confuse voters who really want a cure for special interest control, so we rewrote their ad to make sure the public gets a second opinion before swallowing the insurance and drug companies’ pill.”

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