The Ravalli Republic is reporting today that State Rep. Gary MacLaren resigned from the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, humiliated over the fact that his name appeared on mailers that the RLCC has sent out, dirtily attacking Democratic legislative candidates by absurdly trying to link them with Obama. The Flathead Memo posted a couple examples of the false mail here. (Example A,Example B)
MacLaren showed guts, apologizing personally to the candidates that were attacked for the shameful behavior of his party.
Notably, the person who heads the committee that mailed these ridiculous, over-the-top flyers is State Senator Jeff Essmann, of Billings, who distinguished himself earlier this week by attempting to derail a national business recruitment effort by the Governor.
It’s not clear how much money the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, or RLCC has spent on these communications, but my guess is that it is around $70,000 to $100,000, given how many districts these lit-pieces have appeared in.
It’s not at all surprising that the Rs are trying to focus on Obama. State Democrats have humiliated the Montana GOP now for six years running, balancing the budget, creating huge surpluses, developing record amounts of energy, recruiting record amounts of businesses to the state, and even handing out the largest tax rebate in history. As a result, Dems now occupy all five statewide-elected positions.
Republicans don’t know how to deal with this, seem enraged by it, and need to find a way to make an argument to voters that Democrats “tax and spend” too much. So, they just lie about it, and try to claim that state candidates are somehow responsible for what Democrats in Washington are doing. They figure truth simply doesn’t matter anymore in politics, so why not just say whatever you want.
Now a senior Republican has basically admitted to the entire state that his party is engaged in a massive act of political fraud.
As I mentioned earlier, I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw the negative on an individual’s campaign sign along Tenth Ave. South. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. NEVER have I seen an individual go negative on his OWN campaing sign, and go negative in a big way! The sign had his name, a local Pubbie named Jim Whitaker. And then, prominently down below that were the words, “A Vote for a Democrat is a Vote for Obama”! Well, I was stuck at the stoplight which can be quite long, and I sat there staring and seething. How COULD a local Pubbie Puke like Whitlessaker in a democratic stronghold like GF DO such a stupid thing? Why would this idiot INSULT his fellow local politicians like that? He injected a heretofore level of hatred and negativity that I’d never seen before anywhere in Montana. In fact, there was a good letter to ed in the Trib about it shortly thereafter. But this is the new Pubbie Party. They have placed all their fortunes in the Teaparty wagon. It’s full speed hatred and racism ahead and DAMN any semblance of civility or reasonableness! They will destroy the country in order to save it! They need to be smacked down and smacked down hard at the polls by Montanans. This is NOT who we are or how we do business here. BTW, where is the idiot Essman from? He’s gotta be an outta stater too I would suppose.
THE CITIZENRY HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEACH! YOU CANNOT SILENCE THEM WITH YOU PROPOGANDA AND FALSE WITNESS!! THE RIGHT WILL NOT BE SILENCED BY THE TYRANNY OF THE POWERFULL!
Woe, Dude. International Caps Lock Day was last Friday. But like the drunk loser who shows up a day late for the party, well, you just kinda look like an idiot, now.
Oh Pee Pee, you’re cute when you’re angry. Did I REALLY try to silence your “speach”? How? That moron Whitlessaker can put whatever he wants to on his sign. But I certainly have the right to call him an asshole for doing so. Wouldn’t you agree?
Ok, you praise Gary… and you praise people running negative attacks on Republican candidates in Montana.
The double standards continue…
Emma-showing a candidate next Obama, with the words “tax and spend” has no nexus to the truth or any relevant facts. I’ve not seen any democratic communications that veer away so far from the truth. Not even close.
Shall we take bets as to whether this gets reported by the press?
I’ll bet the Ravalli Republic reports it. Oh wait – they already did.
I generally support negative ads that are factual, and oppose those that aren’t.
It is obvious that you are against negative ads that go out against your chosen boy… I have seen negative ads from the Democrat party that are full of lies against the Republlican candidates, these don’t make your bolg. Oh, I forget this is an entertainment site, don’t believe what you read here, it is only useful for entertaining the public.
[citation needed]
[...] Times By Cowgirl, on October 26, 2010, 12:29 pm | Discuss Gary MacLaren, who resigned recently as treasurer for the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee over false negative attack mailers has been replaced as treasurer by Jake Eaton, former executive [...]
[...] Choice for GOP Leader By Cowgirl, on October 28, 2010, 6:49 am | Discuss The bad news about the infamous attack mailers coming from Republicans, desperately trying to link state Democrats to Obama with no evidence, is that politics has degraded [...]