Misleading Lies

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Florida candidate challenges opponent's political ad


Posted: September 28, 2010 -- 09:33 AM ET

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Rebecca Sinderbrand
AC360° Political Producer


Washington (CNN) - The challenger in a hotly contested race for a U.S. House seat in central Florida accused Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson on Monday of using misleading edits in a campaign ad to distort his comments.

Former Florida state Rep. Dan Webster said the new ad by Grayson's re-election campaign doesn't accurately portray what the GOP candidate said.

"Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom - in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida," says the narrator in the 30-second Grayson spot, which is cast on a background of Afghan women in burqas, militants with machine guns, and maps of Iran and Afghanistan.

The ad which began airing over the weekend shows Webster telling a Christian group: "Wives, submit yourself to your own husband" and "she should submit to me."

But video of Webster's full comment, provided to CNN by his campaign from a 2009 address in Nashville, Tennessee, seems to show a different picture of the candidate's intent.

"So, write a journal. Second, find a verse. I have a verse for my wife. I have verses for my wife," Webster goes onto say. "Don't pick the ones that say, 'she should submit to me.' It's in the Bible, but pick the ones that you're supposed to do.

"So instead, 'Love your wife, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it,' as opposed to, 'Wives submit yourselves to your husband.' She can pray that if she wants to, but don't you pray it."

The Grayson campaign dismissed questions Monday over whether their editing had distorted the meaning of Webster's comments.

"Webster is a member of this group, Institute for Basic Life Principles. That's where he was speaking," said Grayson campaign spokesman Sam Drzymala.

"They are a group that interpret the Bible literally. When Webster says 'she should submit to me' is in the Bible, he believes that's the truth," Drzymala said. "He is explaining that women and children should be submissive to their husbands and fathers, but that the men have to earn it, not just expect it."

The Grayson attack ad is the second in a matter of days to draw fire over factual claims.

Last week, the two-term Florida Democrat's campaign released a spot dubbing Webster a "draft dodger," during the Vietnam War. The ad cites a series of student deferments the GOP candidate received before reporting for duty. He was ultimately disqualified for medical reasons.

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