Rep. Alan Grayson tried to equate his Republican challenger with the Taliban. Grayson's 'Taliban' ad backfires

Rep. Alan Grayson's attempt to equate his Republican challenger with the Taliban is having a big impact — just not the one Grayson may have hoped.

In an ad, Grayson's campaign calls Republican Daniel Webster a "religious fanatic" — a charge it supports with video in which Webster seems to encourage wives to "submit" to their husbands.


But FactCheck.org says the narrative crafted by the Florida Democrat's campaign distorts what Webster was actually saying.

"Grayson has lowered the bar even further. He's using edited video to make his rival appear to be saying the opposite of what he really said," the nonpartisan site, sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, wrote on its blog Monday.

"Grayson manipulates a video clip to make it appear Webster was commanding wives to submit to their husbands, quoting a passage in the Bible. Four times, the ad shows Webster saying wives should submit to their husbands," the site points out. "In fact, Webster was cautioning husbands to avoid taking that passage as their own. The unedited quote is: 'Don't pick the ones [Bible verses] that say, 'She should submit to me.'"

Grayson was also reprimanded by the Orlando Sentinel, which posted a story Monday headlined "Grayson's 'Taliban Dan' Ad Takes Webster's Words Out of Context, Twists Meaning."

"By twisting Webster's words, Grayson risks eroding some of the support he may have won from independent voters," the paper concluded.

Grayson campaign manager Susannah Randolph defended the ad, issuing a statement in which she attempted to turn fire on Webster's record of social conservatism.

"Sen. Dan Webster has pushed an anti-woman agenda for 28 years in the Florida Legislature," she said. "Sen. Webster sponsored a bill to outlaw divorce, even in cases where women are in abusive relationships, he voted against a ban on insurance companies listing battery as a preexisting condition, and he would require women who are victims of rape or incest to bear their attackers' child. Women in Central Florida need to be made aware of these extreme views and that Sen. Webster will push an anti-woman agenda if he gets to Congress."

In a statement from Webster's campaign Monday,Webster's wife condemned the ad as "shameful."

"Mr. Grayson seems to have a problem telling the truth and no problem misleading the public. Dan has been an amazing husband and father, and the finest man I have ever known. Mr. Grayson should be ashamed of his nasty smears against my husband," said Sandy Webster.

The ad has created an opening for Webster's campaign, which significantly trails Grayson's in fundraising.