Rocky quoted "[p]olitical consultant" criticizing anti-Schaffer ad, failed to ID her as GOP operative

Summary: The Rocky Mountain News quoted political consultant Katy Atkinson's criticism of a "spoof ad" that parodies an ad praising Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for his "commitment to charter schools." But the article by Lynn Bartels did not mention that Atkinson is a Republican whose clients have included top GOP politicians and conservative ballot initiative campaigns, including a failed school-choice measure.

In an April 9 article about a "spoof ad" that parodies another political ad touting Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer's "commitment to charter schools, " the Rocky Mountain News quoted "[p]olitical consultant Katy Atkinson of Denver" criticizing the spoof without noting that she is a Republican consultant who once worked for an unsuccessful school-choice ballot initiative campaign, as Colorado Media Matters has noted.

The article by Lynn Bartels reported, "An ad that features school children thanking Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for his commitment to charter schools has inspired a parody." The article continued:

The spoof ad shows "oil executives" bragging about record profits and thanking Schaffer for supporting tax breaks for their industry.

The scripts are nearly identical, with the phrase "charter schools" being replaced by "big oil."

"Thanks, Bob," can be heard numerous times in each ad.

The initial ad is from a national term-limits group that wanted to recognize Schaffer in some way for keeping his term-limits pledge when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

[...]

The parody that debuted Tuesday is from ProgressNow, a Denver-based liberal group that has carped about Schaffer's ties to the oil industry. Schaffer now works for Aspect Energy LLC.

After reporting that "[a]s a state senator, Schaffer co-sponsored the Colorado Charter Schools Act in 1993, and later sponsored a bill to create an advisory committee to help improve charter schools," the News article stated:

Political consultant Katy Atkinson of Denver said she found the parody "cute" but was disturbed that the accusation of Schaffer giving tax breaks to the oil industry was never sourced.

"Maybe I'm old fashioned," she said. "Or maybe they think people are suckers."

According to Atkinson's website, she consulted on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's 1998 congressional campaign, and her clients have included many top GOP politicians and conservative ballot initiative campaigns, including Amendment 17, a school-choice measure that failed in 1998. The website lists the successful campaigns of Republican U.S. Senate candidates Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Hank Brown, and U.S. House candidate Scott McInnis as among Atkinson's work.

—C.H.