* Down in the polls and apparently fed up with being belittled, Jason Plummer’s campaign first resorted to attacking Bill Enyart’s son and has now moved on to attacking Enyart’s wife in a press release that’s literally chock full of glaring mistakes.

From Plummer’s press release…

While seniors and working families in Southern Illinois are left in limbo about the future of the pensions they earned, millionaire trial lawyer Bill Enyart and his family continue to enrich themselves on the taxpayer’s dime.

Enyart, who served as a political advisor to convicted felon Rod Blagojevich and Governor Quinn, and his wife Annette currently collect three taxpayer-funded pensions that pay more than $156,000 each year. With his household in line to receive at least four more taxpayer-funded pensions, how much more will Enyart collect off the backs of the taxpayers?

If elected, the Enyarts would add an eighth pension to their collection. This begs the question: Is he running to enrich himself or the lives of Southern Illinois families?

Despite those breathless allegations, Plummer’s own research shows that Bill Enyart isn’t collecting a single pension. Yes, you read that right. Go look for yourself.

* While the press release isn’t so explicit, this attack is purely about Enyart’s wife, Annette Eckert. And Plummer’s own research on her doesn’t even support Plummer’s attack.

For instance, this is one of the “pensions” that Ms. Eckert is supposedly receiving…

That ain’t a “pension.” That’s a one-time death benefit payout from her own mother, for crying out loud.

* And if you look at the Plummer research, the number of actual pensions being collected doesn’t equal seven, it equals three. And two of those are pretty small. Click for a larger view…

* Back to the press release…

Much of Illinois’ dire financial situation is due to pension abuse, and Enyart’s insider dealings show how Illinois’ pension system has been corrupted. Two of the pensions that he collects come from positions that lasted a total of 14 and 19 months, respectively.

Again, Enyart is not collecting those pensions. Plummer’s own research shows that Enyart’s wife is collecting those monthly payouts.

Argue what you want about whether or not Enyart’s wife should be receiving those two pensions. The monthly payouts do look a bit excessive for the time employed, even if they are small.

* But, really, that’s neither here nor there. Plummer’s press release comes nowhere near to matching Plummer’s actual research. This is a totally bogus release. Period. End of story.

To sum up: Plummer’s research shows three pensions for Enyart’s wife (one big, two small), but Plummer’s press release claims the couple is collecting seven pensions and that Enyart himself is collecting two, when Enyart is actually not collecting any.

Also, to say that Enyart was a Blagojevich “political adviser” is a huge stretch.

We’ll see soon enough how the southern Illinois media covers this, but this is a crock.

*** UPDATE *** The News-Democrat leads with Enyart’s rebuttal: “Enyart, the Dems’ 12th U.S. House District nominee, calls GOP rival Plummer ‘unconscionable’ for attacking wife’s state pension“…

Bill Enyart, the Democratic nominee for the 12th U.S. House District seat, on Tuesday lashed out at GOP nominee Jason Plummer for claiming that Enyart and his wife. retired St. Clair County Judge Annette Eckert, were unethically taking advantage of state-funded pensions.

“I say this first as a father and a husband, for Mr. Plummer to attack my wife’s career of service is unconscionable because nothing matters to me more than my family,” Enyart said in a written statement.

       

36 Comments - J - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 5:36 pm: This must be because Jason is so excited about the new Star Wars movies! - The Captain - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 5:43 pm: Prediction, this press release will be covered, some Enyart quote refuting the allegations will be printed well down into the story and the press will refuse to play referee. I’m skeptical that Plummer will pay any sort of price for these misstatements outside of this website. - MrJM - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 5:49 pm: #PlummerButt – MrJM - Sherlock - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 5:59 pm: Where are YOUR tax records Jason? When you piont a finger there are usually 3 pointing back at you. Pretty cheap of you! - Sideliner - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:02 pm: Wow. Who does Plummer’s research? Plummer? It’s not even close to reality. - ArchPundit - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:11 pm: That can’t be his usual press person writing this and the last one. It reads like me blogging on several beers. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:19 pm: This dude claims to do work in Naval Intelligence? Hopefully that’s limited to navel-gazing. ==Much of Illinois’ dire financial situation is due to pension abuse, and Enyart’s insider dealings show how Illinois’pension system has been corrupted. Two of the pensions that he collects come from positions that lasted a total of 14 and 19 months, respectively.– Except, that, he’s not collecting on any Illinois pension. It’s a particularly low blow to equate collecting on a parent’s death benefit as some kind of pension abuse. I and my siblings each got about $250 in death benefits from SURS from my mother’s years of making breakfast and lunch for the kids. I guess she and we abused the pension system, big time, too. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:29 pm: I have a family event I MUST and want to attend and I am leaving now… I hope … hope … PLEASE …Rich keep this up for a bit. Respectfully, Oswego Willy - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:34 pm: word, troops in other branches will tell you “Naval Intelligence” is an oxymoron. Certainly seems to apply here. Also, only an idiot would consider a lump-sum death benefit a “pension.” - Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:44 pm: I think this is more appropriately called “tantrum mode”. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:57 pm: You may be right, STL. - The Captain - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 6:59 pm: BND proved me somewhat wrong, I give them credit for that. - amalia - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 7:05 pm: hope voters get the finer points of this cause it’s big mud and can distract. - OneMan - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 7:42 pm: I did a number on my lower back this weekend and am now on some medications, please tell me this is the medications…. It’s the meds right, this isn’t really happening… - Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 7:48 pm: This has to be killing Oswego Willy . . . all this JP commenting going on without him. Big third-party TV spending going on here in SO IL on Jason’s behalf. What did Perot call it? That “giant sucking sound”? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 7:55 pm: This is an embarassment of proprtions, that Jason Plummer will not know until everyone… and I mean everyone shuns him and he won’t understand why. When you …go after a family. A Family. And you go after a family with “Shoddy” (I have to stop just for 1 second, I wanted to make all of this ‘allegedly’, but dear goodness gracious, a 5 second ‘Google-Type’ search refutes these charges!) research, leading to a smear…SMEAR … of a Man’s Family … how can you call yourself worthy for a seat in Congress. In the military, Lt. (jg) Plummer, you make an accusation of a Superior Officer, and it is found to be unfounded, you could face charges. You want to attack anything on Gen. Enyart, attack away. Take him to task. You make a charge, Lt. (jg) Plummer about a decorated Officer’s family … what veteran, what service member … what MEMBER OF YOUR OWN UNIT, LT. (jg) PLUMMER can look you in the eye and say, “Yes, Lt. Plummer, I am proud to vote for you.” Deb Detmers … How can you let this go out. At what point do you look at the spolied child and say, “Jason, that is enough. You know this is wrong.” Your credibility is now in question, Deb. If you want to disavow yourself from this, I will then apologize, but goodneess, gracious, are you sitting there and letting the tantrum implode? I will wait and watch, Deb. Jason… This is sad and pathetic. You are everything I mock of you and them some. You have proven that being a spoild child IS your job, and your Dad makes sure to keep you fed and clothed, not unlike a child in grade school. You are qute the Sad Soul and I feel so bad that this is all you have. A wife of your opponent. The. Wife. of. Your. Opponent. I am asking the media, the television stations, the newspapers, any and everyone covering this race to look very deep at Jason Plummer. Look how his funding is coming, look at every nook and cranny that Jason is evasive about, and you still won’t have enough time to find who Jason really is … But I know … I know he is a spoiled brat, begging to be seen as a relevent ADULT, using family money and fake resumes to be something he is clearly not … and attacking the Wife … THE wife … with Shoddy research to calm his childish temper, in hopes Jason will not cry himself to slee if Jason doesn’t “Win Congress” Usually when you tell a child you are disappointed in them, they straighten out. But, this child, this “real Veruca Salt” deserves all the mocking, the laughter and all the irrelevency that will be placed upon him I would feel bad about this post, but Jason’s child-like tantrum reminds me that he wants to be part of something so special, that men and women have given their lives so we chan have it … our government. I am sickened … and everyone else should be sickened too. Congrats, Jason. - Ray del Camino - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 8:00 pm: That was me, Anon at 7:48. Sorry. And Willy did not disappoint. - The Captain - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 8:08 pm: Note to self, re: Oswego Willy, Step 1) find his good side, Step 2) stay there. - 1776 - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 10:36 pm: This is the final nail in the coffin of any future political aspirations that he may have after losing this seat. Even his family money won’t be able to put him back into play. Although, Enyart did open the topic to some degree earlier by taking shots at the family business. - Bemused - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 11:10 pm: This is bad but all of the political stuff is getting out of hand. The way these guys play connect the dots anymore is enough to make you dizzy. It’s like you have one dot in Bejing and another dot in Paris and from the line between the two you have a drawing of a sea monkey. I think I may have shaken Rod’s hand one time so I guess that makes me a Blago insider. And yes both sides do it. - 2012 - Tuesday, Oct 30, 12 @ 11:55 pm: Granted, 1776, Plummer did claim his business experience as part of his credentials as a claim to being capable for being the next representative of the 12th District. Thus it is perfectly acceptable to take shots at the business that Plummer was a vice president for since he claims it on his resume since he had direct control over their policies. Furthermore, how dare a candidate attack the family of a candidate. It’t not the family that decided to run for public office, it’s the candidate! How dare Plummer! - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 7:03 am: - Ray del Camino -, Glad I didn’t disappoint … - The Captain -, you have nothing to fear. “That is all” - Oh Yeah - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:05 am: Very unfortunately, I think Jason’s race to the bottom has just begun rather than ended. Anyone who knows the General’s wife, Annette Eckert, knows what a wonderful lady she is. She was the first woman in Southwestern Illinois to be elected circuit judge. She was overwhelmingly re-elected on retention. Her service on the bench was without equal. She was fair, conscientious, and intelligent. I think she also helped create the first courts in the metro east to deal with drug-addicted offenders. In short, she was one of the best judges in the area’s history and a true trail-blazer. For her and her son to now be subjected to such baseless attacks from a kid who petulantly tells voters to “get lost” when they ask to see any part of his tax returns is revolting. Jason and his amateur staff must have some internal polling numbers which are scaring them to death for them to go into such a panic mode. Call everyone you know in the 12th C.D. and ask them to vote against Plummer becoming a member of Congress. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:23 am: Willy, don’t taze me bro. - Seth - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:36 am: Its pretty bad when both right and left are laughing at you and your hot trannny mess that is your campaign. Dear Jason, time to go out and get a real job son. - OurMagician - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:47 am: Is “Jason Plummer” Southern Illinois speak for “Jim Oberweis”? - Madison - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:52 am: Low class. Read that…No Class. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 8:55 am: - Arthur Andersen -, You’re all good, Bro - Madison - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:08 am: A point from an unexpected direction: One of the big losers in this race could be Oswego Willy. Who will we blog about with Jason back at the yard Willy? - Madison - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:10 am: Rich might even have to raise the subscription rate just to make ends meet! LOL - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:21 am: ===A point from an unexpected direction: One of the big losers in this race could be Oswego Willy. Who will we blog about with Jason back at the yard Willy?=== I will be fine, Illinois wiil be fine …and Illinois always has someone ready to be the “next” Jason Plummer, actual or figuratively … and I have some ideas …so I win no matter how the 12CD goes. Don’t worry, I’m not. - x ace - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:21 am: Jason Plummer is a disgrace to the legacy of his paternal grandfather , who was a fine, honorable and humble man who worked hard well into his advanced years. The kid is not only attacking his opponent’s family , he is dishonoring his own family. - Jaded - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:23 am: If he loses do you think he will just go away and spend Daddy’s money? I sure hope so, but I doubt it. If he is like Oberweis, he will just keep working his way down the ballot until he finds a race he can win. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:35 am: ===If he loses do you think he will just go away…=== Like the 8 year old whose soccer team loses every game, Jason Plummer is looking for his “particiaption trophy”. However, Jason’s “participation trophy” seems to be elected offices, and unlike most 8 year olds who play soccer, Jason doesn’t get a trophy because his Dad is successful and Jason won the “genetic Lotto”. Jason will be around if and when he loses. The people around Jason, while getting paid very well by Jason’s Dad, will be fewer, nastier, more partisan, less cordial, less factual, more fanatical … of Jason Plummer, cause Dad says so! - Joe Bidenopoulous - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 9:40 am: ==This is the final nail in the coffin of any future political aspirations == Not sure about that, politicians (and wannabes) come back from the dead all the time. May not be easy…. ==Enyart did open the topic to some degree earlier by taking shots at the family business== Let’s be clear - that’s not out of bounds at all. This “family” business forms the basis of JP’s alleged business experience that he’s touting on the trail. It’s fair game. - Jim - Wednesday, Oct 31, 12 @ 5:00 pm: Enyart’s wife is a retired St. Clair County judge. That ought to disqualify him right there, not that Plummer is much better. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.