2016 AdWatch: on War & Peace

Ben Carson: Military intelligence underused in crafting Syria strategy

CARSON: My point is let's not sit here and talk about what we can't do. Instead, we have some terrific military intelligence and advisers who know how to get the job done. Let's ask them.

Q: Are those advisers not being consulted? What do you think that they're saying that is not being paid attention to?

CARSON: All you need to do is go out and talk to a number of the generals who have retired, in many cases prematurely. You want to know the exact reasons why we're not winning and ask what advice has been given and how it has been ignored. I would suggest that you talk to them.

Michael Bennet: AdWatch: Supports Iranian nuclear deal

Truth Test: CLAIM: "Senator Michael Bennet supports the Iran deal."

VERDICT: TRUE. Sen. Bennet voted in favor of the deal.

CLAIM: "A nuclear Iran is a threat to the entire world" and "Michael Bennet is jeopardizing our safety."

VERDICT: OPINION. Both sides of the debate over the Iran deal have experts who'll argue the merits and detriments of the deal.

THE POLITICS BEHIND THE AD: It's hard to avoid comparisons to the 1964 "daisy ad" from President Johnson's campaign. Both ads feature children, countdowns and nuclear explosions--and both ads were meant to evoke the same emotional response.

August Wolf: We can't trust the Iranian terrorist regime with nukes

His spokesman said the campaign has purchased between $15,000 and $20,000 in ads on cable television in the New Haven and Hartford markets in an effort to start a public conversation. "We'll see how it delivers," the spokesman said.

Blumenthal recently quizzed Pentagon officials about the proposed deal, but he is undecided, unlike his Democratic ally from New York, US Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has announced his opposition.