* The debate between congressional candidates Jason Plummer and Bill Enyart was apparently more of the same last night. Enyart demanded that Plummer released his tax returns, Plummer hammered Enyart over Nancy Pelosi.
Halfway through the debate, when asked to say what he found disappointing about his rivals, Plummer paused a moment while sizing up Enyart.
“Bill … I just expected a little bit more,” Plummer said. “I think the American people, the people of Southern Illinois, are thirsting for substantive conversations about the issues that are really impacting them … You’re never going to see a commercial for Jason Plummer yanked off the air because it’s not being honest … You’re never going to see us get in trouble for distorting anything.”
* Jason Rosenbaum of the St. Louis Beacon has the video. The claim starts at about one minute in…
* I was quite surprised to see reporters writing that without question because I hadn’t heard about any ads being taken off the air, so I checked with Plummer’s campaign. The response…
Jason misspoke last night at the debate as to which groups ads had been pulled
Oops.
The Plummer spokesperson continued…
but frankly it’s unfathomable that Bill Enyart would not call on his Washington attack dogs to take down such outrageously false claims on the air. If Bill Enyart is willing to stand by these lies on the airwaves as a candidate now, Southern Illinois families can count on Bill Enyart’s continued dishonesty if sent to Congress.
There was so much said last night that wasn’t true from Bill Enyart. If you want to cover Jason’s misstep I think it is fully necessary to look at the false claims by Enyart. Here are just a few of the most egregious claims from Enyart last night:
Distortion #1: Lies in Advertising
On more than one occasion, Enyart tried to tie Plummer to a company that is under federal investigation. Enyart said that Plummer has received donations from this company, claiming that it made its profits illegally. Not only are Enyart’s allegations about the company false, but the claim has already been named a “Pants on Fire” lie by the non-partisan fact-checking site “Politifact.”
Distortion #2: Bankrolled by Nancy Pelosi
Enyart hates to admit it, but he has received campaign contributions from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. While he flatly denied it, evidence from several sources shows that the liberal former Speaker has donated to Enyart. She hosted a fundraiser for him and other Democrat candidates on Sept. 20 in Washington, D.C., and held another fundraiser for him in Chicago in October 7. On October 14, Pelosi is sending the most liberal Member of Congress, Jan Schakowsky, with close ties to Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago political machine, and a felon husband - to Southern Illinois for a fundraiser.
* The Enyart campaign has its own fact check…
False Claim #1: Plummer’s Secret Financial Record Is Somehow Public: Jason Plummer again refused to release his tax returns and falsely claimed that his financial information is all “public information.” The truth is that Plummer only filled out what was required by him by federal campaign law and refuses to disclose his tax rate, whether or not he paid taxes at all, if he holds offshore assets, or how as a 30 year old who reportedly earns less than $50,000 is worth millions.
False Claim #2: Plummer’s Tax Plan Doesn’t Reward Millionaires, Outsourcers: Plummer had the audacity to claim tonight that he”never endorsed tax cuts for companies that ship jobs overseas” and that he “doesn’t support tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.” The truth is that Plummer supports a tax plan that gives more tax breaks to millionaires He signed a pledge that protects tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and he praised the Ryan plan that protects tax breaks for the super-rich and outsourcers.
False Claim # 3: Plummer Is Running A Positive Campaign and Enyart’s TV Ads Were Pulled. Jason Plummer hasn’t run a single ad that focuses on positive information about himself to let voters learn more about who he is. Instead, he and his secret corporate allies have run smears so egregious that the Associated Press called them “misleading.” To be clear, NO Democratic ad has EVER been pulled in this race.
False Claim #4: Plummer & the Ryan Budget: Plummer can’t face tough questions about the fact that he praised a plan that would end the Medicare guarantee and force seniors to pay thousands more for their health care. Enyart is the only candidate in the race with the endorsement of the Committee to Protect and Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
False Claim #5: Plummer & Washington Party Leadership: Jason Plummer tried to claim he was the best candidate who stand up to Washington Party Leaders. Too bad he spent the better part of the day fundraising alongside Republican Party Leader Eric Cantor who has encouraged all candidates to “embrace” the Republican plan to end the Medicare guarantee.
After some crosstalk, Enyart then said “most lieutenant junior grades will refer to somebody older than them as sir.” The line - used in previous debates - is a reference to Plummer’s service in U.S. Naval Reserve.
“I referred to Mr. Plummer as Mr. Plummer out of some modicum of respect,” said Enyart, who made the similar barb during previous debates.
===Yeah, I’m old school. In public, you refer to someone old enough to be your father as “mister” or “sir” until they tell you differently.===
100% concur. I call my children’s teachers “Mr.” or “Mrs./Ms.” even though they are years yoinger … out of respect. Heck, unless I hear someone who is older tell me to call them by their 1st name, I still call them by “Mr.”, “Mrs./Ms.”
If I didn’t as a kid/young adult … I would hear about it and it has stuck with me through my adulthood.
My kids know better too. The kids may break rules like all kids do, but they know not to call the neighbor “John” … the neighbor is “Mr. Smith.”
The more the merrier! Please, post some next time!
Glad you enjoyed them. I dunno if anyone is out there & if they think they are funny @ times, what THEIR thoughts are, Most of the time, everyone else come up with better stuff.
I had thought about setting up @FakeJasonPlummer, but tweeting Jason’s funny stuff would take way too much time!
It just steams me how supposedly pro-military Lieutenant Junior Grade Plummer and some of his supporters continue to disrespect a two-star general; a general, by the way, who was nominated for at least one of his stars by President George W. Bush and UNANIMOUSLY confirmed by the U.S. Senate. I would have loved to hear the General
mention that in reply to the ubiquitous debate question about what you’ve done in the past to indicate you could work in a bi-partisan manner in Congress.
Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with limited intellegence experience and a track record for being a Dad’s Little Rich Kid run for a newly drawn congressional seat?? Would it be so that Lieutenant Junior Grade can finally move off his Dad’s Payroll?
I’m just going to go with what I think of every time I hear Mr. Plummer speak:
“If Mr. Plummer is going to lie to the people of this district now when he’s asking for their vote, what is he going to do when he’s in Congress.”
It would be nice to see some balanced reporting on this race, something that mentions Mr. Plummer’s numerous distortions and baldfaced lies over the course of this campaign. I’m honestly surprised that there hasn’t been a campaign ad that uses Mr. Plummer’s own words about dishonesty against him.
@ X ace, at least you give Gen. Enyart props for his law degree, but as for National Guard being a hideout for draft dodgers, you should know that Gen. Enyart enlisted in the Air Force during the Viet Nam war and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, while his only sibling was in Viet Nam.
LIVE session coverage...
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 12:08 pm:
===“I argue you send a small businessman to Washington, D.C.,” Plummer said.===
I guess Jason’s Dad wants to go to Congress?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
Yeah, I’m old school. In public, you refer to someone old enough to be your father as “mister” or “sir” until they tell you differently.
- Aaron - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 12:34 pm:
Are the Plummer’s business interests even small enough to actually be a small business?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
===Yeah, I’m old school. In public, you refer to someone old enough to be your father as “mister” or “sir” until they tell you differently.===
100% concur. I call my children’s teachers “Mr.” or “Mrs./Ms.” even though they are years yoinger … out of respect. Heck, unless I hear someone who is older tell me to call them by their 1st name, I still call them by “Mr.”, “Mrs./Ms.”
If I didn’t as a kid/young adult … I would hear about it and it has stuck with me through my adulthood.
My kids know better too. The kids may break rules like all kids do, but they know not to call the neighbor “John” … the neighbor is “Mr. Smith.”
You were brought up right, - wordslinger -!
- foster brooks - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 1:19 pm:
Not that impressed with RP lumber
- Cheswick - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 1:50 pm:
As someone who is in the Navy Reserves, Jason knows how to address other military people (even retired).
Willy, your fake tweets tempted me the other day…
@FakeJason4Congress: I joined politics because dad said I could have a fun raiser. Heee.
- The General Sez - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
Ur 15 minutes are almost up Jason.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 1:57 pm:
- Cheswick -,
The more the merrier! Please, post some next time!
Glad you enjoyed them. I dunno if anyone is out there & if they think they are funny @ times, what THEIR thoughts are, Most of the time, everyone else come up with better stuff.
I had thought about setting up @FakeJasonPlummer, but tweeting Jason’s funny stuff would take way too much time!
- Oh Yeah - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 2:05 pm:
It just steams me how supposedly pro-military Lieutenant Junior Grade Plummer and some of his supporters continue to disrespect a two-star general; a general, by the way, who was nominated for at least one of his stars by President George W. Bush and UNANIMOUSLY confirmed by the U.S. Senate. I would have loved to hear the General
mention that in reply to the ubiquitous debate question about what you’ve done in the past to indicate you could work in a bi-partisan manner in Congress.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 2:11 pm:
Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with limited intellegence experience and a track record for being a Dad’s Little Rich Kid run for a newly drawn congressional seat?? Would it be so that Lieutenant Junior Grade can finally move off his Dad’s Payroll?
- Madison - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 3:19 pm:
The thought of any JG with the ability to declare war on anybody except Oswego willy is a little scary, no?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 3:54 pm:
Don’t confuse Jason. I am waiting for a phone call telling me to stop or Jason’s Dad would beat up my Dad or something.
- He Said What? - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 3:56 pm:
I’m just going to go with what I think of every time I hear Mr. Plummer speak:
“If Mr. Plummer is going to lie to the people of this district now when he’s asking for their vote, what is he going to do when he’s in Congress.”
It would be nice to see some balanced reporting on this race, something that mentions Mr. Plummer’s numerous distortions and baldfaced lies over the course of this campaign. I’m honestly surprised that there hasn’t been a campaign ad that uses Mr. Plummer’s own words about dishonesty against him.
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 4:49 pm:
Pretty sad that Plummer and Walsh are still viable candidates….
- Justin - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 5:08 pm:
I sure hope that Bill Enyart is able to win this in November.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 6:51 pm:
Plummer was a Naval Intelligence Officer?
Get out.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 11, 12 @ 7:37 pm:
===Plummer was a Naval Intelligence Officer?===
WAS??? IS!!!!!
- x ace - Friday, Oct 12, 12 @ 12:03 am:
Confused.
Don’t like Generals.
Don’t like spoiled rich kids.
Knew Plummer’s grandpa as an extremely honest , hardworking man ,who sold lumber outdoors in a vacant lot well into his golden years.
Plummer’s Dad , a self made success story, no doubt.
Nat. Guard or Navy Reserv., a wash , because my cronies consider them all “draft dodgers”.( like Clinton, “W”, Quayle and Ali)
Don’t like either one, but give it to Enyart , the guy with the Law Degree over Kid “gimmee”.
- David - Friday, Oct 12, 12 @ 1:59 pm:
@ X ace, at least you give Gen. Enyart props for his law degree, but as for National Guard being a hideout for draft dodgers, you should know that Gen. Enyart enlisted in the Air Force during the Viet Nam war and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, while his only sibling was in Viet Nam.