In an August 4 "Reality Check" on CBS4 News at 10 p.m. analyzing a Democratic candidate's campaign ad that contains footage of a flag-draped coffin presumably being brought home from Iraq, reporter Raj Chohan misleadingly asserted that Republican condemnation of the ad “reflects the partisan nature of the national debate on these images.” But contrary to Chohan's suggestion that the debate over the use of images of “flag-draped coffins” is a “partisan” one, one of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign ads featured an image of a flag-draped coffin presumably holding a victim of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Chohan's report examined an ad released by former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter (Golden), one of three candidates for the Democratic nomination for the 7th Congressional District. The ad opens with Marines removing a flag-draped coffin from a military plane, while Perlmutter's voiceover remarks: “Thousands of lives lost, and still we have no plan. Something has got to change.” Chohan stated: “Right now, most of the critics are coming from the right. In fact, the state Republican Party has already put out a press release blasting the use of flag-draped coffins in political ads. And it reflects the partisan nature of the national debate on these images.”

In fact, in 2004, the Bush campaign released an ad titled "Safer, Stronger" that featured “a flag-draped coffin of a terror victim” of the September 11 attacks. The ad was aired in 18 battleground states during the 2004 election season and was lauded by Republicans, such as Bush confidante and former communications director Karen Hughes, who called the ad “a reminder of our shared experience.”

Later during the “Reality Check,” Chohan showed viewers a clip from Perlmutter's ad in which Perlmutter stated, “We need to redeploy our troops out of Iraq and be independent of foreign oil.” Immediately after playing the clip, Chohan asserted: “It's not the whole story, at least not in Iraq,” apparently referring to the ad. Chohan's explanation for why this is not the “whole story,” however, was a non-sequitur: “While Perlmutter thinks troops ought to be withdrawn from Iraq, he's not exactly a dove. He supports the Israeli military action in Lebanon to root out Hezbollah and believes sanctions ought to be imposed against Syria and Iran.”

Chohan did not explain why Perlmutter's support for Israel's attacks on Hezbollah or his advocacy of sanctions against Syria and Iran supposedly contradict his views on Iraq or foreign oil.

From the August 4 broadcast of Denver's KCNC CBS4 News at 10 p.m.:

CHOHAN: The new ad by Ed Perlmutter seems to look past the Democratic primary election and talks about the national issues he intends to run on should he make it to the general election.

PERLMUTTER [voiceover in video clip from ad]: Thousands of lives lost, and still we have no plan. Something has got to change.

CHOHAN: This is a controversial opening. Perlmutter is certainly going to get some grief from critics who will accuse him of exploiting images of dead American servicemen and women for political gain. His campaign is unapologetic and defends the use of these images because, they argue, “Americans are indeed dying in Iraq,” and they contend the pictures illustrate what they call the tragedy of the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq. Right now, most of the critics are coming from the right. In fact, the state Republican Party has already put out a press release blasting the use of flag-draped coffins in political ads. And it reflects the partisan nature of the national debate on these images. But the pictures are certain to stir up emotions one way or the other for voters in both parties.

PERLMUTTER [video clip from ad]: We need to redeploy our troops out of Iraq and be independent of foreign oil.

CHOHAN: It's not the whole story, at least not in Iraq. While Perlmutter thinks troops ought to be withdrawn from Iraq, he's not exactly a dove. He supports the Israeli military action in Lebanon to root out Hezbollah and believes sanctions ought to be imposed against Syria and Iran. As for Iraq, his website says he would support the resolution by Congressman John Murtha [D-PA] calling for an expedited redeployment of troops out of Iraq. It's an issue Democrats across the country will hit hard this fall, and a stance Republicans will be sure to label a “cut and run” strategy.