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* The mud is really starting to fly, campers…
Tammy Duckworth’s campaign is also using Joe Walsh’s child support issue in its direct mail program.
The only question now is whether the ads are too little, too late. We’ll see soon enough.
* Walsh’s reaction…
In April, a suit filed against Congressman Joe Walsh for delinquent child support payments was dismissed by a judge and Congressman Walsh along with his ex-wife issued a statement that he is not and never was a “deadbeat dad”. Despite the issue being amicably resolved in private by the family, Tammy Duckworth began airing a new TV ad in addition to a mail campaign accusing Walsh of being a “deadbeat”. Congressman Walsh released the following statement:
“For Tammy Duckworth to bring up this private family matter that was resolved and dismissed is nothing short of graceless. It shows how desperate her campaign has become since polls have shown me ahead and it represents the worst in our political system. Ms. Duckworth has demonstrated she will do and say anything to win this campaign.
“Because of my children, it has always been my priority to keep this a private matter. I’ve always campaigned as an open book and have been honest with voters about my life. But for Ms. Duckworth to drag my family into this campaign by running on a case that was dismissed months ago, shows that she and her campaign have no limits to the lows they will achieve. This is Chicago machine politics at its worse, but it is what is expected from a Blago protege like Ms. Duckworth. I will not stand for it, and I call on the Duckworth campaign to stop these untrue and offensive attacks on my family.
“It’s Ms. Duckworth’s hope to distract voters from the fact she is currently being sued by two Illinois Veterans Affairs whistleblowers that she tried to fire and humiliate. I think we deserve better from our candidates than what Ms. Duckworth is resorting to in this campaign, and we deserve better from public officials than what Ms. Duckworth did to two whistleblowers when she ran the Illinois VA.”
Discuss.
* On another topic, an unusual Joe Walsh fan video…
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:13 am
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Golly,
With the daye being September 1st, and the debates coming up, this is the perfect as to define Walsh …
How’s that? …. Its’ 15 days out?
(confused look) … Did we just find out about the Walsh/child support problems? … No? …
Who is running that shop?
Great Ad … for September 1st!
Comment by Oswego Wily Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:17 am
I was so confused, I misspelled my name!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:17 am
I recently met a VA official who had worked with Duckworth out east He was impressed by her resume and even educated me about some of her qualifications. Here in Illinois all we are told about her is that she’s a disabled veteran and apparently very liberal.
What was surprising he said was her refusal to buck the system and defend veterans from the bureaucracy that’s screwing them left and right. He’s sort of a whistle-blower himself and told me some of the horror stories are wounded warriors have to face when they return home.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:35 am
Willy, Wily…both are good.
Two candidates in a row who underestimated Walsh and didn’t get this out in time for voters to digest.
8 and 13 should be over. They’re not and you really have to question the campaigns.
Comment by CU Voter Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:36 am
Both candidates are terrible. Can we vote for a cat and or dog?
Comment by Seth Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:42 am
- CU Voter -
I was only responding to the “Too Little Too Late” Ad by Duckworth …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:48 am
Coming so late it looks incredibly desperate, especially since the matter has been resolved. Considering one of Duckworth’s big positives is her honorable service, this potentially casts a pall on her sense of honor with people who are not her base. Since she is apparently not winning people who are not her base, this is a dangerous strategy.
Maybe her campaign feels her sense of honor can withstand the blowback, maybe they think there won’t be any, or maybe they are so desperate they don’t care. I’m too biased against her campaign, and how it has been run, to be objective on the matter.
Comment by Liandro Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:56 am
With so much focus on Independents, there is a sense about this election season that people will be changing their minds on Nov 6th while waiting in line. We’re all interested in politics while others are too busy texting about nothing to make up their minds.
Comment by Belle Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:06 pm
If support for Duckworth is slim at Cap Fax (especially against Walsh) she is doomed.
Just think of how many LOW information voters are out there…
Comment by Piggy Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:11 pm
I think its really telling that Joe “I can’t but my foot in my mouth enough” Walsh hasn’t already lost because of his comments he made last week. Good ad, for two months ago.
Comment by anon Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:11 pm
If democrats want a positive thing from the weekend, I thought brad schneider got the better of dold in their foxnews sunday debate, foxnews also won in part because their moderator was a lot better than the “I’d rather be dead than here kathy brock performance”. You don’t often see people from kenilworth rattled unless it’s on a golf course or around sat time, but he clearly got to dold.
Comment by Shore Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:12 pm
The Duckworth spot is fair game (it was in the papers, for crying out loud) but her whole campaign effort has been bizarre.
You don’t start taking victory laps in August. And you don’t start running in October.
With all of her built-in advantages (map, national suspport) and Walsh’s negatives, if she doesn’t win, and fairly handily, there are going to be some Dem campaign types working on dog-catcher races next cycle.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:16 pm
I’m in love with this gun range thing. That was amazing.
Comment by The Captain Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:18 pm
I’m no fan of Joe Walsh, but I just don’t know if the child support issue is fair game considering the Judge dismissed the case and his ex backed off of the issue. Yes, I realize that the case simply being dismissed doesn’t mean he wasn’t behind on child support payment, but other than accusations in the newspaper we really don’t know what happened.
Comment by Just Observing Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:27 pm
@Shore — do you know if the Dold/Schneider debate is online somewhere?
Comment by Just Observing Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:28 pm
“Victory first — campaign afterwards.” — Queen of Hearts, Campaign Manager, Duckworth for Congress.
Comment by MrJM Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:41 pm
Why bring up child support now?
People around the country are astonished she’s not trouncing this guy, but when I tell them she’s run a bad campaign, they don’t see how that can matter.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:42 pm
“As Duckworth campaign spokesman said, ‘Yeah, we are a bit late to the game, but the windows to the DC office Tammy will be occupying need 9 ft drapes’ …”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 12:55 pm
I agree with Shore that the Fox debate between Schneider and Dold was worth watching. And there’s no question that Schneider got seriously under Dold’s skin several times. Lots of yelling and interrupting from both sides. But that said, I did not think Schneider came across all that well auditioning as a future congressman for the 10th district.
Here’s just one example: Schneider was brutal about calling Dold a tea partier (which he’s not) and accusing Dold of being in lockstep with Republican leadership (which Dold’s statements and votes in congress clearly have proved he’s not, and were illuminated in the Trib and Daily Herald endorsements). Yet, when Dold challenged Schneider back –to name even one issue/vote on which he’d be willing to go against his Dem leaders (a question Schneider had already muffed in his editorial board interviews a couple weeks ago) Schneider still could not come up with ONE thing where he would not be lock-step with Dem leadership. That whole exchange made Brad look rather silly and shallow and is exactly the sort of thing that does not play well with voters in the independent minded 10th.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 1:11 pm
Just observing here it is, I meant to post it. Duckworth like the rest of Illinois Democrats started taking a victory lap the moment brady conceded. I know there’s VRA stuff with the jackson, gutierrez, davis and rush seats, but boy they could really use an extra 3-4 percent in each of those 3 competitive suburban races right now they could have gotten had they stuck some gop turf in those districts or shifted them with jan’s-who also could have given up another 3-4 percent and not sweated.
schneider thing-nothing new, but dold was flustered which if you know kenilworth is something you never ever see from people from that neck of the woods.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/19865125/robert-dold-brad-schneider-debate-cadidates-congressional-district-10-fox-chicago-sunday
Senator Kirk’s illness has really hurt dold, biggert, ect. they could have really really used that boost both on the trail, in mail and perhaps on tv(I assume kirk is doing political stuff to avoid the charge he’s not working in dc but is campaigning).
Comment by Shore Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 1:21 pm
I’m sure this ad was prepared a long time ago and kept for use at the last minute. It is hard hitting, but as noted above seems to be a little late to hit Walsh with a personal ad containing old information.
The reliance on the dismissed child support lawsuit opens the door for Walsh (or the SuperPACs) to beat Duckworth over the head with her Whistleblower retaliation lawsuit. Although, like the Duckworth ad which I suspect was already prepared, Walsh/SuperPACs were already preparing an ad based on that lawsuit.
Comment by Charlie Foxtrot Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 1:57 pm
“Great ad… for Sept 1st”
I don’t think so. The child support story is an unsubstantiated smear. It truly sullies Duckworth’s allegedly spotless image.
Comment by Conservative Republican Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 1:59 pm
Stay classy little duckling!
Comment by Logan Square Lopez Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:04 pm
Joe accuses Tammy of “dragging his family into the campaign.” But she’s focusing on Joe’s behavior, not his family’s.
If I had the chance, however, I’d like the ask the first wife if she was simply fabricating the allegation in her lawsuit?
Comment by reformer Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:11 pm
Hate to sing against the choir here, but Tammy is in trouble not because her people assumed she’d win but because they’ve been massively outgunned by Walsh’s Super PACs. Chicago is too expensive to sustain a three month broadcast campaign like would have been required to get this up in September. The real question is where is the DCCC? Schneider is getting money and their ie. Bustos is getting help. Hell even GILL has tons of support, but not Duckworth. Seems the one who dropped the ball and assumed victory is national Dems, not Tammy’s people.
Comment by Knifefighter Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:12 pm
===Seems the one who dropped the ball and assumed victory is national Dems, not Tammy’s people.===
(sniff, sniff) …Hmm, soumds like someone is making excuses … and making sure some of “Tammy’s people” are OK … if this tursn out bad …
You know what they say about excuses …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:26 pm
My problem remains the same as it was on the day this settlement was announced: since Joe “had no money” to pay his wife what she was clearly owed, who paid?
Was it properly reported as a campaign contribution?
Comment by walkinfool Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:29 pm
They would have been smarter to just run that nonsense about women never dying in childbirth over and over and over and over. It doesn’t even need anything except his name across the bottom of the screen.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 3:54 pm
A “private family matter?” You mean like deciding whether to continue a pregnancy in difficult circumstances? Yeah, I hate it when other people get involved in that kind of thing…
Comment by soccermom Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 4:32 pm
@soccermom,
Very well put!
Comment by Wensicia Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 4:38 pm
I hate to voice against the august majority here, but… this add is definitely a bullet to the head, and it will push Duckworth back into the positive numbers!
Comment by Elder Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 7:33 pm