Editorial:

Political ads shouldn't skirt the truth

Comcast has been asked to reconsider airing an ad that questions Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak's support of Israel. "Sestak's Record" is the title of the ad produced by Weekly Standard editor William Kristol's new pro-Israel group, the Emergency Committee for Israel. Sestak has denied allegations made in the commercial, and has tried to persuade Comcast to take the ad down.

Among the claims made by Kristol's ad is that Sestak "raised money for an anti-Israel organization that the FBI called a front group for Hamas." But as the Jewish Exponent reported, Sestak did not raise funds for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In fact, he made sure a speech he gave at a CAIR event occurred before its fund-raising segment began. Moreover, this speech was given in 2007. That was before the FBI made allegations about CAIR, which, by the way, is not accused of participating in terrorism. Sestak admitted at the time that it would be risky to speak at the event, but the congressman said it was his duty to reach out to all groups.

Political-ad producers should be more diligent about presenting the facts. Sestak's stance on Israel has indeed come under fire by some pro-Israel activists in the past, but the "Sestak's Record" ad does not paint an accurate portrait of the congressman's record. Cable and broadcast outlets, as well as newspapers, should be scrupulous about not presenting false advertisements that do a disservice to voters.

Family Court saga has a scorecard

Philadelphia politics can get pretty complicated, and that's especially so with the Family Court controversy. Trying to understand the layers of possible double-dealing and breaches of ethics involved in building a new courthouse could bring on a migraine.

Fortunately, the Committee of Seventy has come to the rescue with its new question-and-answer guide, "In the Know: Disorder in the Court." This fact sheet offers a straightforward, concise play-by-play of what's happened in the case thus far, and explains the multiple inconsistencies in the way it's been handled by state Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille.

The guide shows city residents why the case is such a big deal, why a new court building is essential, and how many of their tax dollars are at stake.

Taxpayers should understand how their money is being used or misused, and why the judiciary's actions in this episode appear questionable at best. The Committee of Seventy's new manual is an excellent resource for Philadelphians who want to understand a conflict that involves their justice system and their tax money.