Reality Check: Green’s Claims That Doyle TV Ads Aren’t True

In his latest TV ad, Republican Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Green cites a past “Reality Check” report stating claims in Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle’s ad are “misleading.” But, in the very same ad, Green repeats a claim labeled “misleading” from one of his own past ads.

VIDEO: Watch The Report

The ad first hits familiar themes, criticizing Doyle’s first-term work on creating jobs and claiming that he has promoted illegal immigration.

Here’s how the ad starts: “There’s no excuse. A Wisconsin company tries to create 800 jobs and Jim Doyle stands in the way,” said the announcer.

A WISC-TV analysis finds this claim “needs clarification.”

Home-improvement retailer Menards decided to expand operations in other states instead of Wisconsin after a public battle with the state Department of Natural Resources. Menards officials said that they wanted to build on an area the DNR classified as a wetland.

In the ad, Green said that Doyle “stood in the way” implying that he should have done more to keep those 800 jobs here in Wisconsin.

But, what the ad doesn’t tell is that company CEO John Menard issued a statement after the decision to expand out of Wisconsin was announced.

“Gov. Doyle has worked very well with Menards and myself over the years, helping us grow in Wisconsin,” said Menard in a statement.

The ad continues: “Honda wants to build a new plant in the Midwest and Jim Doyle doesn’t even pick up the phone,” said the announcer.

This claim also “needs clarification” according to WISC-TV.

Honda chose Indiana for a new manufacturing plant. WISC-TV auto expert Matt Joseph said that Wisconsin was “never in the realm of possibility” for Honda. Joseph said that Wisconsin doesn’t have the infrastructure, and the new plant needed to be closer to existing Honda operations in Ohio.

However, it’s true that Doyle himself didn’t call Honda officials.

The next part of the ad brings up policies related to illegal immigration.

“And while jobs are lost, Jim Doyle wants to give illegal aliens handouts, in-state tuition at the UW, subsidized home loans.”

These three claims are repeated from a Green ad first broadcast two weeks ago. The assertion that Doyle supports providing in-state tuition for some illegal immigrants is mostly accurate.

As for claims about wanting to give illegal immigrants handout, Doyle vetoed a bill to require tougher proof of identification. However, he is opposed to giving out welfare for illegal immigrants.

WISC-TV finds it “misleading” to say Doyle wants to give illegal aliens home loans. For a time, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, or WHEDA, allowed illegal immigrants to apply for low-interest home loans. But, Doyle signed a bill which made that practice illegal.

The ad ends by making this claim about Doyle’s truthfulness: “His ads just aren’t telling the truth.” At the same time, the bottom of the screen is the word “misleading” with a source cite of WISC-TV.

Green is correct in citing a past Reality Check report calling two Doyle claims “misleading.”

But, the ad leaves out an important fact — a different, past Reality Check report found Green using misleading claims too. In fact, the claims about Doyle supporting welfare and low-interest home loans for illegal immigrants were repeated in this latest ad even though they were previously questioned for being inaccurate or leaving out important facts