Campaign Central: Breaking down Nelson and Scott’s campaign ads

The two candidates fighting to represent you in Washington are throwing nasty accusations at each other.

FGCU Professor Peter Bergerson says their strategy is clear.

“Both ads are attempting to put each other on the defensive. And if you’re having to play defense in politics, you’re losing,” he said.

But are the claims true? Like this ad from the pro-Nelson group Majority Forward.

“His company was found guilty of massive Medicare fraud, but Rick Scott walked away with millions,” the ad says.

That claim checks out. The federal government fined Gov. Scott’s healthcare company Columbia HCA $1.7 billion for fraud. Scott stepped down as CEO in 1997 with a multi-million dollar net worth.

But Scott is firing back in his own ad, saying he took responsibility.

“Bill Nelson is confused again. When Rick Scott’s company was fined 20 years ago, he took responsibility and the company paid every penny it owed,” the ad says.

Scott’s ad the levels a Medicare-related claim of its own, saying, “Nelson voted to cut 716 billion from Medicare. Nelson cut Medicare to use it for other government spending.”

Bergerson says that claim is highly misleading.

“The amount of money that he’s referring to was money in Medicare that was transferred into the affordable care act, commonly known as Obamacare. It wasn’t a cut as much as it was a transfer,” Bergerson said.

The goal of these ads, Bergerson says, is not to present the whole truth, but instead to create a narrative for voters.

“One or two, or maybe three things that stick in their mind that they can recall in that last 10 days in a campaign,” he said.

Scott and Nelson are scheduled to debate in Miami Tuesday.