* 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.
* The SJ-R endorsed a Republican House candidate today, and the reason appears to be Democratic candidate Sue Scherer’s position on House Speaker Michael Madigan…
Scherer, a Decatur teacher who’s taking the school year off to campaign, has taken at least $248,000 from campaign committees controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, whose staff drew this district to elect a Democrat. The contributions alone raise serious questions about her independence.
But the mailers Scherer has allowed to be sent out on her behalf raise more than questions. They point to a person who has allowed her campaign to be dictated by Madigan campaign strategists — “the program,” as they like to call it.
Like every candidate this time of year, she talks about working with Republicans. But the mailers and the money strongly indicate that she would be a backbench legislator, casting votes to ensure Madigan is speaker for years to come.
Who will she vote for for speaker after getting all that Madigan money? The people of her district, she said, dodging the question.
If she’s a member of the House, Scherer will be asked to vote whether to pass rules that prevent the minority party from having its bills heard. She’ll be asked to vote whether to allow Madigan to bury such legislation. Democratic legislators, particularly those whose campaigns received aid from the speaker, seem to forget they were going to reach across the aisle when those votes are called. […]
Scherer seems well intentioned and talks passionately about education, a subject she knows well. But we cannot endorse someone who seems to think voters are stupid.
Give the Republicans credit, they’ve managed to inject the “Fire Madigan” theme into the race this year in a pretty big way. It’s effecting coverage of legislative races…
In the campaign for the 84th state House seat, the name Michael Madigan keeps coming up.
The Republican running for the open seat in the newly drawn district, Pat Fee of Aurora, says Madigan must be replaced as speaker of the House before Illinois legislators from both parties will be able to work together on solutions to the state’s biggest problems. […]
“There will be no working together. He (Madigan) rules it the way he wants it ruled and this is where we are today,” Fee said. “What Michael Madigan wants to do is shift it (pension costs) over to the schools. Guess where that’s going? To the taxpayers. This can’t be. You’re a Michael Madigan-backed candidate, and are you going to vote for Michael Madigan to be speaker?”
In an endorsement interview and candidate questionnaire for the Daily Herald, Kifowit, 40, did not indicate if she would vote for Madigan as speaker. She said she is being supported by the Democratic Party, and campaign finance records submitted to the Illinois State Board of Elections show she has received donations from the Democratic Majority, the Democratic Party of Illinois and a $40,000 contribution from Friends of Michael J. Madigan.
* The Daily Herald’s editorial board appears to have bought almost all the way in to the GOP/Tribune’s anti-Madigan war. From its endorsement of David McSweeney over Dee Beaubien…
Beaubien has been criticized for accepting money from House Speaker Michael Madigan and thereby beholding herself to him and Democrats. She responds that she has received money from independent Republicans as well. But the larger issue for us is her unwillingness to reveal which caucus she would align herself with in Springfield. Voters cannot know what they would get when she keeps her cards so close the vest.
* And Rep. Sid Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) has a new TV ad which reminds voters that a vote for his opponent is a vote for Mike Madigan…
