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* Finke…
Democratic Illinois House candidate Mike Mathis said a Republican Party mailer linking him to a convicted child sex offender is “slanderous lies intended only to scare voters about a frightening issue.”
The state Republican Party in turn accused the state Democratic Party of sending mail into the district that misrepresents Mathis’ opponent Rep. Avery Bourne’s record, including that she supports cuts to Social Security and Medicare, which are federal programs not considered by the General Assembly.
We’ve talked about both of these issues before. Dan Proft’s Liberty Princples PAC is even running a TV ad in a different district whacking the Democrats for using Social Security and Medicare in a state campaign by quoting this site’s explanation about why they do it. Click here to watch it.
* But that GOP ad tying Democrats to imprisoned former Rep. Keith Farnham is really causing a stir…
“I am shocked and saddened by my opponent’s shameless, lying mailers, attempting to scare people without any regard for the truth,” Mathis said in a statement. “I have never met or done business with the criminal she mentions.”
It’s actually an Illinois Republican Party mailer, and GOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot defended it…
“Mathis for a period of time was chairman of the Illinois Democratic County Chairman’s Association and fundraised for Mike Madigan and Madigan’s candidates,” DeGroot said. “He spoke about Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn publicly and supported them. So that’s the connection there.”
Kinda weak, but, as the headline says, you use what works and they think this works.
* Plus, as I wrote about the other day, this is payback for similar Democratic mailers, including in that district…
Another mailer said Bourne voted to allow “dangerous sex offenders” and other criminals to be released from prison earlier, “permitting felons to get into our neighborhoods and endanger our families.” That was in reference to Bourne voting in favor of a bill that gave prison inmates 30 additional days of sentence credit if they completed a high school equivalency degree in prison. The bill passed the House on a vote of 95-19. Republican Reps. Tim Butler of Springfield, C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville and then-Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, also voted for the bill.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 2:25 am
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this is hilarious. First Bradley cries, then Mathis….let’s get these little babies some diapers. If you don’t like negative campaigns built on incredibly weak and pathetic connections, don’t start one. So typical of a Democrat….attack using the most despicable means possible and when you get a taste of your own medicine, cry like you’re the victim of a slanderous plot. Puhhleassse. Mathis ought to change his name to Mike Clinton
Comment by hot chocolate Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 7:06 am
Awfully rich of Mathis to complain about this after the mailers I’ve seen the Democrats put out this cycle, making 10 leaps to tie GOP candidates to an alleged wife beater (without naming him…it’s Dunkin). It’s disgusting from both sides, but laughable that Mathis would complain about this now.
Comment by downstater Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 8:24 am
Who is every republican linked to?
Comment by David Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 8:36 am
I live in the 112 Representative District and received a similar mailer against Katie Stuart.
Comment by Robert E Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 8:45 am
Heaven forbid these campaigns be about the issues facing the State.
Comment by Not It Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 8:48 am
Can we expect a lot handshake photos with Dennis Hastert soon? I imagine there are many.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:00 am
The ILDP umbrage is a bit difficult to take, they hardly hold the moral high ground on this one.
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:14 am
David - seriously?! In 2002 every Republican was tied to George Ryan. In 2006 every Republican was tied to George Ryan and George Bush. Now every Republican is tied to Donald Trump. I saw a story the other day about Dan McConchie’s opponent calling on Senator McConchie to “denounce Donald Trump”. Um, okay. What does Donald Trump have to do with a suburban state senate race/campaign?!
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:15 am
Ha! The Dems don’t like being served a bit of what they’ve been dishing out for the last decade. Ask Munger from 2014.
Comment by Reme Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:16 am
I posted the other day about how friends and family back home are up in arms about the anti-Mathis ads. I have told them that this is par for the course when DPI gets involved. Mike Mathis has “run” mailers claiming that Avery Bourne would cut Social Security and Medicare and that she does not support rape victims or victims of violence. The anti-Bourne ads are apparently okay but they clutch their pearls when Mike Mathis is slammed.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:18 am
Real Politik people-”The strong will do as they will and the weak will suffer what they must.”
Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:19 am
It’s kinda the twisted Golden Rule of politics. Do unto others, and you can be sure they will do unto you.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:19 am
David - and Word is right about Denny Hastert could/will be an albatross. But, like we noticed yesterday with Tammy Duckworth having no pics with Speaker Madigan, how many GOP candidates would have pics with him? I have a couple of pics with Denny Hastert when he was Speaker, but how many younger reps/candidates or people who were not involved back then (like Brandi McGuire or Dave Severin) would actually have even met the man? Who knows.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:26 am
A mailing cannot be “slanderous.” Defamatory statements that are printed or broadcast by mechanical means are “libelous.” To be “slanderous” the defamatory statements must be delivered verbally.
Comment by Legalities Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:31 am
I don’t believe this six degrees of Kevin Bacon game will work unless there is something there there. Most voters are smarter than to hold it against a candidate because they supported somebody who supported somebody who supported somebody who was odious.
Comment by Michael Westen Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 9:34 am
Unrelated but interesting email about the Illinois primary in the Wikileaks Podesta email dump today. https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/7252
Comment by Chicagonk Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 10:20 am
Let’s face it, neither party has demonstrated much regard for the truth in their campaign mailers over the years. Consequently, neither party has credibility now complaining about the other side’s distortions, half-truths and lies.
Comment by anon Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 11:07 am
This is incredibly icky no matter who does it.
Comment by A guy Thursday, Oct 13, 16 @ 12:06 pm