I am in favor of free speech, but recent ads on television by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others make me wonder. These ads attack U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud for his recent courageous vote to support health care reform, including a public option.

Attack ads such as those could be legitimate if they contained truth. Instead, they are filled nearly 100 percent with lies. For example, they claim costs will go up, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms costs will go down. The ads mislead the public that taxes will go up — another lie. Only individuals with enormously high incomes will pay more.

Evidently, the U.S. Chamber is more interested in protecting the advantages of wealthy people than those in the general population. We desperately need health care reform. Organizations fighting to preserve the status quo should think again.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a reputation for spending millions of dollars on reactionary, regressive advertising against various causes. The series of ads opposing health care reform takes the prize.

When powerful organizations can bombard the public with misleading lies, I wonder if there should not be some review. Foods and drugs must be labeled truthfully, and ads for these products are regulated. Perhaps legislation is needed to establish some kind of standards for truth in advertising.

Robert Mulliken, Monmouth