Posted on 09/18/2002 7:05:13 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
WEST PALM BEACH -- Pinning her political fortunes on cut-rate prescription drugs, Democrat Carol Roberts launched the TV phase of her congressional campaign Thursday with an ad that touts her controversial drug hot line.
Roberts appears with four Palm Beach County seniors in the 30-second spot and pitches her hot line -- "1-866-RX-CAROL" -- which advises seniors how to save money by filling their prescriptions in Canada via the Internet.
Such purchases are illegal and have been called "potentially dangerous" by the Food and Drug Administration. Roberts has countered that the FDA doesn't seek prosecution against individuals who buy Canadian drugs. And her campaign says the hot line has logged more than 800 calls and received overwhelmingly favorable responses.
In unveiling the ads Thursday, Roberts' campaign called high drug costs "the top issue for residents in District 22."
Perhaps. But none of the four seniors featured in Roberts' ad is a resident of District 22. According to the elections office, they all live in the neighboring district of U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach.
"That really isn't the point. The point is, these are people who are feeling the pain of high prescription drug costs," Roberts spokesman Stephen Gaskill said.
The ads don't mention Roberts' opponent, 11-term U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale. The only mention of Roberts' campaign is a printed disclaimer at the end of the ad that says "Paid for by Carol Roberts for Congress."
Shaw campaign manager Larry Casey on Thursday called Roberts "someone who is taking to the airwaves to encourage illegal activity and is endangering the lives of the elderly."
Roberts' ads will run on cable systems in Palm Beach and Broward counties, Gaskill said. He wouldn't reveal how much time Roberts is buying. Shaw has spent more than $100,000 on two ads that began running in July.
Sheesh! A congressional election campaign that kicks off by promoting illegal activity on TV.
But none of the four seniors featured in Roberts' ad is a resident of District 22.
Hey, Carol is promoting illegal activity in her TV ads so why should a little fraud stop her?
BTW, if Carol Roberts thinks the high cost of drugs is a big problem, then why doesn't she QUIT SMOKING? Roberts is well known as a chain smoker and a good deal of ailments for which prescriptions are needed are CAUSED by smoking.
Hey, don't DemocRATs have a constitutional right to lie? And lie? And lie? Ad nauseum?
You might be wrong. Palm Beach Commissioners have a strict anti-smoking rule....which was constantly broken by Carol Roberts. I remember reading a news story about that and how the other commissioners and staffers were scared to call Roberts on that. Someone out there with Lexus-Nexus might want to pull up that story and post it here. And believe me, Carol Roberts smokes like a chimney.
p.s. I have been accused of shameless namedropping on this forum so I WON'T mention the fact that I was personal friends with the former producer of the Dr. Demento show (Robert Young) and met Dr. Demento himself at his Westwood Studio in L.A..
Anybody living near the border is a DOPE if they buy prescription drugs in the USA when it is about 90% cheaper en el otro lado de la frontera. And if they don't live near the border, they can have a friend or relative perform that function for them (but don't forget to include that all-important cerveza money).
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