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* I told you yesterday that Republican Congresman Joe Walsh was furious with a new TV ad by Tammy Duckworth which brings up his back child support issues...
“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.”
* Duckworth’s response…
Duckworth said [yesterday] that Walsh has attacked just about everyone in this district, whether it was Latinos, African Americans, women who want access to their contraception….He’s attacked me from everything from the clothes that I wear to my military service.”
“I think for him to now cry foul is very typical of a bully,” she said. “They bully other people and when you point out their own problems, then they cry foul.”
* Walsh is now planning to turn up the heat in what will surely be a high-profile press conference with his son. From a press release…
Congressman Walsh and his son Joe Walsh (speaking on behalf of his siblings) will hold a press conference today to respond to the recent attack ads on Congressman Walsh and his family currently being aired by the Duckworth Campaign.
WHAT: Joe Walsh press conference
WHO: Congressman Joe Walsh and Joe Walsh Jr.
WHEN: TODAY, October 23 - 2:30PM
WHERE: 55 West Monroe, 5th Floor Conference Room, Chicago, IL
This will get intense. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** This Walsh presser puts me in the mind of 1996. Democrat Terry Link was not given a chance in heck of winning a Senate seat that year. But then the Republicans blasted him for not paying child support. Link held a press conference with his ex-wife, who praised him up and down for being a great father.
Link won.
This could be a very dramatic turn of events, campers. Watch closely.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From a press release quoting Walsh’s son…
“Our Mom and Dad didn’t agree on everything, but even during the divorce they made it clear to us we were their top priority. After the divorce, they continued to do their best to provide for us financially and emotionally. Most of all, they both made us their priority during the public child support dispute last year by not discussing the case or us in public and this past April, they privately resolved their issues once again keeping us out of the news.”
Walsh Jr. continued, “We understand that politics is a rough business, but these ads are wrong and very hurtful to us. It’s wrong you’re saying these untrue things about our Dad. Please, Ms. Duckworth, try to win this campaign on the issues where you disagree with our Dad. But don’t attack him as a Father. He was and is a wonderful Father.”
“Please pull these TV ads. It’s just not right to be doing what you’re doing,” Walsh Jr. concluded.
The full letter from Walsh’s kids can be read by clicking here.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:32 am
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Comment by Fire Anita Alvarez Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:36 am
Look - Joe Walsh has publicly admitted to not paying his court mandated child support payments. And now he’s going to complain about Duckworth bashing him for it? Come on.
Walsh has a long history of not meeting his financial obligations - mortgage, salaries, taxes, and, yes, child support.
Comment by dave Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:37 am
People are going to get distracted by the shininess of this presser, but if they had their wits about them they’d realize that it’s really counterintuitive to use the son as a political prop when just yesterday Walsh said “Because of my children, it has always been my priority to keep this a private matter.”
When you accuse your opponent of politicizing a family matter that you were keeping private to protect your children then you decide to use your child as a political prop you’ve completely given up the rationale and the high road (not a lot of high road experience for Walsh) in the debate.
So … game on for everybody I guess now, no?
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:41 am
Nonetheless, it shows desperation in the Duckworth camp.
It was supposed to be easy…….
Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:52 am
I agree with the Captain. You can’t complain about it being a private matter when you drag your son front and center to the political stage.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:59 am
Very desperate move. Maybe Tammy should have asked Terry Link for some advice before pulling this move. . .
From where I stand, things not looking good for most of the Dem Congressional candidates. Except maybe for Foster.
Comment by Siriusly Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:02 am
Interesting strategy.
It’s counter-intuitive to hold press conferences on negative hits. You keep the story alive for another news cycle.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:04 am
If you don’t want this brought up, you shouldn’t owe over $100,000 in child support while you’re a congressman. It’s like this was several years ago or even before he was elected. This has happened while he was on the job, its fair game. Additionally, Congressmen make a pretty good salary.
Comment by Ahoy! Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:06 am
Prior to his election, Walsh had a long history of struggling financially (his longstanding political ambitions certainly interfered with his employment), but he and his ex-wife settled their dispute. That should end the argument. More to the point, in terms of making headlines, this is all pretty old news. It was reported ages ago.
There is also a terrific double standard in place here. You would be shocked to find that more than a few elected officials in Chicago and Cook County were awfully bad about paying their bills, income and real estate taxes and other obligations, but there is one standard for the suburbs and another for the city.
Tammy Duckworth comes across looking desperate by rehashing this stuff now. Obviously, her campaign is in trouble in what ought to have been a safely Democratic pick up district designed for her election.
Comment by Esquire Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:08 am
**There is also a terrific double standard in place here.**
How is it a double standard? If someone runs campaign ads about those Chicago politicians not paying their bills, I don’t think people would complain.
It seems like a pretty legitimate avenue of attack on anyone running for office - if you can’t even pay your own bills, why should we trust you to be an elected official making budget decisions?
**his longstanding political ambitions certainly interfered with his employment**
Ooh… please do run with that.
“Joe Walsh didn’t pay his bills. Why? Because his political ambitions got in the way, and he chose to continually run for office rather than pay his bills.”
Comment by dave Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:19 am
Oh, poor Joe Walsh Jr. I’d be changing that if I were him.
Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:27 am
Whether a press conference with Joe Walsh’s son was a good idea or a bad idea will not be known until it’s over. Frankly, it can go either way. (I admit I don’t know how old the son is which could make a huge difference in how it’s perceived.) If the Walsh children love their dad and each other, and know their parents as exes have struggled to work things out but do try hard, then one can see why the siblings might be very very angry at the Duckworth campaign for airing this and putting them in the middle of it. One can see how they might think the attack is dirty and would want to stick up for their dad and defend him publicly. I’m not sure its fair to assume that the congressman somehow “put them up to it”, either. But I don’t doubt he appreciates it, as any father appreciates emotional support from his children.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:29 am
its pretty scary that we have to choose between the two of them.
Comment by jericho Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:45 am
It was a very fair hit from duckworth, but like everything else for democrats in that race for the last 4 years it will probably boomerang and hit them in the face and defy logic.
the last walsh press conference was a joke. as one example he filmed it for his website with his wife, only the videographer he used didn’t have her in the picture and it was a side shot of him. As a Republican I’ve also now endured 12 years of bush speeches, palin interviews, whatever herman cain was and now walsh and that speech he gave on friday was among the most difficult to follow.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:48 am
=== I admit I don’t know how old the son is which could make a huge difference in how it’s perceived. ===
Agreed. I have no clue how old his kids are too. If his son is under 20 or so, it could backfire on Joe.
Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:49 am
Didn’t Joe Walsh already talk to the media about his wife suing him for back child support?
If a candidate gets sued by the former spouse and then talks to the media about the case (Walsh kinda trashed his ex-wife, right?) then the candidate probably doesn’t get to come back and say it’s a private matter.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:52 am
I’d take a lot of hits, suffer painful indignities and gladly lose before I’d allow my child to confront a media circus in my defense.
You shield your kids from that kind of weirdness. You don’t use them as the shield for your own shortcomings.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:53 am
I wonder if Joe Walsh, Jr., changed his name, too, like his father?
It’s not like the unpaid child support obligations were an aberration. There’s a long history of financial irresponsibility on the Congressman’s fault, and the fact that his child support was deducted from his check speaks volumes.
I thought my choices were bad until I look at that district.
Comment by LincolnLounger Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:58 am
Again: Rep. Walsh says his failure to pay child support is a “private family matter.” But he thinks a woman’s decision about whether to continue a pregnancy in a difficult time is a matter of public policy.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:00 pm
Remember when the DC Dems declared victory the day after Joe & Tammy won their primaries?
Good times… good times…
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:05 pm
using your kid to make a political point…genius at work…methinks this could blow up in his face…desperation by Duckworth? No, a matter of public record…
Comment by Loop Lady Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:06 pm
From the Dusty Baker school of media defelction. It is fair game. If Duckworth has resolved her dual tax break issue, that is also fair game. This aint tiddlywinks, folks!
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:06 pm
Walsh was only saved from this child support problem when his federal wages were garnished.
In other words, Walsh got a federal bailout. His tea party supporters of course delude themselves that he’s some kind of hero for opposing gov’t bailouts while he takes them for himself.
Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:23 pm
Judges do not like it one little bit when you involve your children, especially minors, in your child support battles. But I guess this is okay since it’s only the court of public opinion.
Comment by Cheswick Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 12:43 pm
This has the potential to boomerang back on Duckworth, but I think it unlikely. We shall see.
Personally, I take allegations filed in lawsuits with a grain of salt. These were allegations by one spouse against another, like the Jack Ryan allegations. Could be true, but most likely a starting point in negotiations. I understand that Walsh has settled the lawsuit and his ex-wife issued a favorable statement.
That said, Duckworth’s reliance on lawsuit allegations has the potential to backfire on her, especially her personal firing of whistleblowers who turned around and are suing her personally.
Are any of these allegations against Walsh or Duckworth true? Who knows or cares, but it makes for great headlines and campaign ads.
Comment by Charlie Foxtrot Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:02 pm
I would assume you are livebroadcasting this?
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:04 pm
Son is 24 or 23
Comment by Dan Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:06 pm
===I would assume you are livebroadcasting this? ===
If there’s a feed, yes.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:11 pm
**Are any of these allegations against Walsh or Duckworth true?**
Ummm…Walsh has admitted to not paying his court mandated child support payments.
Comment by dave Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:12 pm
Duckworth is desperate or more accurately Rahm is seeing his chosen candidate lose a race that they gerrymander the district to elect her. A loss would be embarrassing for Madigan and Rahm.
Comment by Fed up Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:31 pm
I think you are letting your dislike of Walsh cloud the issue…
Assuming the son is at least 19 or 20 if he gets up there and says nice things about his dad and defends him well, this totally changes things on this one.
Even more so if they do a counter ad with the son.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:41 pm
I told you this could backfire on Duckworth. Her honorable service is a huge part of her narrative, but did she tarnish that with this public attack on a settled private matter? It may very well come across as a last-second desperate batch of mud-flinging.
She could have pulled it off if she did it much earlier, and it may have even been portrayed as righteous anger. Instead, she thought she was safely ahead and could “rise above” the mud. Now to me she just looks like a hypocrite who only walked the high road when it was convenient. That also risks making her look arrogant, foolish, and short-sighted.
I don’t know how it all plays out in the end, but if Walsh’s son comes up, says his father was there for him and never a deadbeat, and has his own righteous anger, I don’t see it being a net positive for Duckworth at all.
The bottom line is this district was drawn for her, money was sent in, advisers were sent in, and she still couldn’t win on issues.
Comment by Liandro Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:44 pm
the Chicago media have already done the dirty work for Duckworth by exposing every detail of Joe Walsh’s child support case. Can’t see how Duckworth can make any more hay out of this issue unless she truly is that deperate and out of ideas
Comment by overcooked Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 2:16 pm
any coverage on the presser?
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:05 pm
BTW… you would think that Walsh would want to do such a presser in district, yes? Downtown Chicago presser seems kinda’ odd.
Comment by dave Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:07 pm
===You shield your kids from that kind of weirdness.===
Remember when Scott Lee Cohn had his kids at the restaurant for a press conference? I know that was a totally different situation but man it really made you feel sorry for the poor kid. And you would think every politician would think more than a few times about using the kids.
But since Joe’s kid looks like he is an adult at least that is his own decision.
Comment by Been There Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:08 pm
I would bring up the standard D flack sniping and say if this is such an awesome game-changing presser why no live feed but I’ll be honest I’m just upset that I didn’t have live feed of Walsh shouting at cameras just now. That is garbage. I work hard at my job I deserve to see a crazy person explain why he is not total scum on my laptop.
Comment by Will Caskey Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:08 pm
BTW… you would think that Walsh would want to do such a presser in district, yes? Downtown Chicago presser seems kinda’ odd.
No one would have come out to Schaumburg todo the presser IMO
Comment by Dan Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:14 pm
Interesting quotes from Walsh, Jr. Notice that he and his siblings don’t actually say what, if anything, was false.
Comment by dave Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:40 pm
How is the ad actually attacking the kids?
Comment by Dan Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:45 pm
And if Chelsea Clinton had written a letter like this, the GOP would have backed off on the whole Monica Lewinsky thing, I’m sure.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:45 pm
Close, but no cigar, soccermom.
The known facts, plus the children’s ages, are substantially different.
Besides, if The Clintons thought that might have worked, HRC probably would have written the letter.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:53 pm
Soccermom let’s get this straight Joey Jr did not write this.. This was a campaign made comment!
Comment by Dan Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:58 pm
Arthur Andersen, I understand that the facts are different. But Chelsea Clinton was 18 and 19 when the Lewinsky thing erupted. My point is that the definition of “private family matter” seems to vary widely depending on whether it’s Walsh’s family or somebody else’s.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:58 pm
Rep. Walsh was not always so focused on family privacy:
“Using the kind of strong language he has become known for as a congressman, Walsh lashed out at his ex-wife Wednesday, accusing her and her attorney of breaking state law by “blatantly and knowingly submitting false information in her pleading.”
The thick nine-year-old divorce file in Cook County Circuit Court chronicles how every few years Laura Walsh has gone to court saying her ex-husband is not paying and asking a judge to order him to pay, sometimes garnishing his wages.
In her pleading three weeks after Walsh was elected to Congress, Laura Walsh said that from November 2005 to March, 2008, Walsh made only half-payments, failing to make required “second or third monthly $500 payments” on top of the $1,135 being deducted from his check.
Then he stopped making payments altogether in March of 2008, telling her he “had no income.”
Walsh admitted the second part of that Wednesday, but said it was by mutual agreement because he was making very little money, she was making good money, and the kids were spending as much time with him as with her: “Joe admits that as of April 1, 2008, he did not pay Laura direct child support. However, he asserts that he should have been relieved of this obligation,” according to his filing.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/8173663-418/rep-joe-walsh-i-had-verbal-deal-not-to-pay-child-support.html
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:07 pm
Didn’t he owe $20K in child support and had enough to start a congressional campaign. It’s not private when your ex-wife takes you to court. 2 weeks and he will be a trivia question.
Thank God. I only had wished he had run against Hultgren, we would have been rid of him sooner.
Comment by frustrated GOP Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:25 pm
soccermom are you saying that Walsh did not in fact keep all of this terrible tragic private business out of the press as his kids so clearly state?
:( no pleasing some people.
Comment by Will Caskey Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:26 pm
Dan, I cannot believe that a campaign would write a letter like this for these kids.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:31 pm
Walsh putting his son up to this is very reminiscent of Drew Peterson putting his son on the stand to testify. Didn’t appear to go over too well with the jurors. Hopefully will backfire on Walsh as well.
Comment by Liz Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:35 pm
Drew Peterson is a wife murderer. President Bill Clinton played games with a cigar and a young political intern just outside the oval office in the People’s House. Can we muster a little perspective here when it comes to Walsh, people?
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 5:26 pm
I can’t believe the D comments on this post.
Walsh’s adult son’s clear and unequivocal statement about his loving Dad and his continual financial support for his kids constitutes a complete and utter smackdown of Duckworth and her sleazy ad campaign. And her comment about Walsh “bullying” minorities across the district….pure Lala land. I detect a Terry Link effect here, yes indeed.
Comment by Conservative Republican Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 7:34 pm
I’m sorry I have to say this regarding the letter’s salutation:
1) She’s married. It’s on the Google
2) She’s a Lieutenant Colonel. That is ALSO on the Google
Either write “Tammy:” or use an actually accurate salutation. Letters: learn to write them.
Christ, kids these days.
Comment by Will Caskey Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 9:01 pm
Umm…
Will, I was taught Ms. is what you always use, you don’t use Mrs. unless you know the person personally.
Comment by Oneman Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 10:25 pm
@Dave:
James Carville was practically flat broke before he joined forces with Bill Clinton. Newt Gingerich ran three campaigns before reaching the Congress. It is not unheard of for candidates to go into debt. Walsh ran two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns in the 9th Congressional District (against Sidney Yates) and an unsuccessful race for Representative in the General Assembly (he was appointed to a vacancy in nomination in that race). Given the length of Illinois campaigns from petition gathering, to the primary to the general election (about twelve to fourteen months), it can be difficult to engage in politics and hold down a normal job.
Comment by Esquire Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 11:43 pm
I guess Duckworth isn’t up by fifteen after all.
Comment by T.J. Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 4:54 am
I know I’m a little late to this game, but for all who did not know the ages of the Walsh children, all you had to do was read their letter. Their ages are: Joe Walsh 25 years old; Megan Walsh 21 years old;
Patrick Walsh 18 years old.
Comment by KurtInSpringfield Wednesday, Oct 24, 12 @ 7:03 am