Yesterday, after Dow Constantine's campaign started running a hit piece TV ad against his opponent Susan Hutchison for siding with the the conservative local think tank, the Washington Policy Center, the group started complaining that the ads were misrepresenting their positions.

Keith Ervin reports on WPC's complaints in today's Seattle Times.

After the "He-Said-She-Said" bit he goes to the video tape:

Here are some of the claims in the current Constantine ad about the WPC policy guide and what the [WPC] guide says.

The claim: Supports slashing the minimum wage.

What the WPC guide says: Stop automatic inflation-based increases in minimum wage, and count restaurant tips as part of wage earnings.

The claim: Opposes new clean-energy jobs.

What WPC guide says: Drop state targets for creation of new "green-collar" jobs, because the target may lead to economic inefficiency.

The claim: Wants to stop light rail.

What WPC guide says: "Reduce spending on costly and ineffective fixed-route mass transit" and improve highways. (This was written before voters passed Sound Transit 2 light-rail expansion.)

The claim: Supports raising school class sizes

What WPC guide says: Give more budget authority to school principals and "remove restrictive class size requirements."

Ervin's report, which certainly diminishes WPC's claims, left out the WPC guide's specific definition of "ineffective fixed-route mass transit."

In the same section of their report—Ch. 10, Pt. 2—WPC defines fixed-route mass transit like this: “expensive systems like light rail and the Sounder Commuter Train.”

Re: Light Rail. Earlier this month, the WPC accused PubliCola of misrepresenting their anti-light rail position too. Not true.

We've reported extensively on Hutchison's close relationship with WPC.