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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

“Divided We Fail” Coalition Urges Candidates to Stop the Mudslinging

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008   

Negative ads on Florida television and radio stations have gotten some negative attention from "Divided We Fail," a bipartisan coalition launched by AARP, along with labor and business groups. The coalition, which represents more than one million people, is calling for an end to the mudslinging and asking candidates to focus on the issues affecting voters' pocketbooks.

Divided We Fail campaign manager Jeff Johnson says the ads aren't highlighting important issues: healthcare, financial security, and overcoming gridlock.

"What we have instead are candidates who are focused on pointing fingers at the other person, and raising allegations from decades ago that don't really have any pertinence towards the issues that affect people on an everyday basis."

Political pundits suggest the negative ads could continue - because such tactics have been proven to work, to turn voters' heads. But Lori Parham, AARP Florida executive director, sees the amount of money being spent on negative advertising as an insult to the American people - especially in this economic climate.

"At a time when families are hurting, the campaigns are spending millions of dollars a week on negative ads. They're not ads that are talking about their plans to fix the healthcare crisis in this country, or to talk about the economic issues we're facing, and the voters would like to see them get back to the issues.

The voters want more than an end to negative campaigning, she adds - they want to hear solid solutions.

"This is about helping people have access to the healthcare they need, and to be able to achieve their retirement dreams."

The coalition is urging leaders to stop partisan bickering and start working together on those issues. More than 350 members of Congress have supported the initiative, including Florida Senator Bill Nelson, as well as 16 Florida members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Find out more about the Divided We Fail campaign to its Web site: www.dividedwefail.org.



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