Truth Test - Campaign for Attorney General

Did the Oklahoma Attorney General sue the Boy Scouts? Does his opponent lack experience? <br><br>Both are claims you've seen in the campaign commercials for Drew Edmondson and Denise Bode. News on

Monday, October 28th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Did the Oklahoma Attorney General sue the Boy Scouts? Does his opponent lack experience?

Both are claims you've seen in the campaign commercials for Drew Edmondson and Denise Bode. News on Six Reporter Emory Bryan sorts it out.

Whoever wins the race for attorney general will end up in court - promising to tell the truth - the whole truth - and nothing but the truth - but that's after the election.

Mondayâ€™s truth test is sound like a "he said - she said." Drew Edmondson's ads say crime is down. Announcer: â€œviolent crime is down 20% since Drew became attorney general.â€ But Denise Bode's ads say crime is up. Announcer: â€œOklahoma meth labs are number one in the nation.â€ And both are correct - violent crime is down - and meth labs are up.

Announcer: "Drew Edmondson, well he skirted campaign laws to take big contributions from the Cimarron gay and lesbian alliance while he opposed the Boy Scouts in their lawsuit over gay activist scoutmasters." That's partially true - but mostly false. Edmondson accepted a campaign donation from a gay advocacy group - but he didn't skirt campaign laws. And he did not sue the Boy Scouts.

The Edmondson ads raise questions about the money accepted by the Bode campaign. Announcer: "she's taken hundreds of thousands from companies appearing before her at the Corporation Commission." And that's true - but ethics rules allow commissioners to accept such donations. Announcer: "Bode has no law enforcement experience, never tried a criminal case. Never even practiced law in Oklahoma, she's an ex lobbyist who took money from Enron.â€ While that's technically true - Bode does have plenty of legal experience. She's actually more of a judge that just a lawyer on the Corporation Commission. She is a former lobbyist - and like candidates all over the country - she accepted donations from the once generous political arm of Enron.

Announcer: " it's time for an attorney general who puts our families first." This campaign has plenty of examples of claims that sound like opposites - when both may be true.

Both sides question where the other gets its money - but neither side is turning money away - partly because it's so important to buy more television time.