Right Attacks GOP Moderate

The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Steve Chaggaris of the CBS News political unit analyzes a TV ad, called "1980," which claims a New Jersey GOP congresswoman is too liberal for re-election.

Audio: Announcer (disco music in background): "1980! Carter is President. Disco lives. And liberal Marge Roukema goes to Congress. 2000! Carter is history. Disco is dead. But Roukema is still taxing and spending. (disco music changes to dramatic music) Across 20 years, the National Taxpayers Union ranks her among the most liberal Republicans in Congress. She supported raiding Social Security, opposed the line item veto and scrapping the IRS tax code. Now she worries 'We may be cutting taxes too much.' Marge Roukema. Too taxing, too liberal, too long."

Visual: Begins with a full screen of "1980" with pictures of Jimmy Carter, the word "disco" and Rep. Roukema. The full screen then changes to "2000" with the pictures of Carter and "disco" disappearing leaving just Roukema. Graphics then appear showing the National Taxpayers Union ranking, newspaper citations of the votes mentioned by the announcer, and her quote about "cutting taxes too much." It ends with Roukema's name and the text: "Too Taxing Too Liberal Too Long"

Fact Check: The term "liberal Republican," especially in the context of the National Taxpayers Union's rankings, is a stretch. In recent years, the NTU has consistently ranked Roukema in the middle of the pack. In fact, in 1999, she earned a NTU rating of 54%. The average of all House Republicans was 60%, while the Democrats' average was 21%.

Strategy: With this ad, the Club for Growth is trying to convince Republican voters in New Jersey's June 6 primary that Roukema is too liberal. The Club is a new conservative political organization which advocates "the Reagan vision of limited government and lower taxes," according to its mission statement. In addition, the group supports personal investment of Social Security and school vouchers, two issues Roukema opposes. The group has targeted Roukema in the primary, placing its support behind her challenger Assemblyman Scott Garrett, who came within 1,700 votes of beating her in the 1998 primary. In a press release, the group said, "Garrett has been a reliable fiscal conservative in the state legislature and a true friend of New Jersey taxpayers." Meantime, the centrist Republican Leadership Council, formed to counter groups which it calls "an intolerant vocal minority that divides the GOP," is irritated wth the Club's intraparty attack and is defending Roukema. The RLC is hoping to hold onto this safe Republican seat in a year when the party is concerned with maintaining their slim majority in the House.