Sep
13
Schweikert Caught In Attack Ad Coverup on 9/11
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It turns out that John McCain isn’t the only Federal candidate from Arizona having some major issues with the truth.
Republican David Schweikert unleashed the first negative ad of the general election for Arizona’s Fifth on … you guessed it, September 11th. Schweikert took this classless step despite nearly every other candidate for office, including the McCain and Obama campaigns, swearing off campaigning and attacks on 9/11 as a sign of national unity and to honor the lives lost seven years ago.
Pretty sleazy huh? But as they say in only the best infomercials, “wait, there’s more!”
When his opponent, Freshman Democrat Rep. Harry Mitchell, called Schweikert out for the break in protocol - the Republican ironically running on a platform of honesty and government reform showed his true colors.
Instead of apologizing for the poor timing of his bad ad buy - or heck even trying to pass the blame … Schweikert just decided to lie and pretend he didn’t launch the attack ad on 9/11.
The method used? Well I’ll let a Mitchell press release tell the story.
TEMPE — Less than 24 hours after he was called out for launching a negative attack ad on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, perennial congressional candidate David Schweikert tried to cover it up by switching the dates on press releases posted on his campaign web site. Schweikert’s cover up demonstrates the lengths he and his campaign are willing to go to hide the truth during remaining 53 days of his campaign.
Earlier today, a press release titled “Schweikert Releases New Television Ad” was posted on Schweikert’s campaign Web with the date Sept. 11. Later in the day, after the Mitchell Campaign pointed out that Schweikert stood alone in using the anniversary to launch negative attack ads, the date on the same document had been altered to Sept. 12.
Ummm … WOOPS!
This actually might have been a good strategy if … well, you know … he wasn’t caught immediately in the lie by the Mitchell campaign.
Here is a screen shot from September 11th BEFORE the Mitchell campaign criticized Schweikert for going negative on the day of mourning.
Here is a screen shot the Mitchell campaign took of Schweikert’s webpage after they called him out.
Pretty despicable huh?
Congressman Mitchell’s response pretty much sums it up:
“Disrespecting the victims of 9/11 wasn’t enough for David Schweikert,” said Mitchell campaign manager Seth Scott. “He had to go and try to cover it up too. Voters have to ask themselves, ‘If David Schweikert is willing to mislead us about this, what else will he lie about?’”
Let’s join together and help ensure this bum isn’t elected.
Make a contribution to Harry’s campaign, volunteer to turn out your neighbors, or write a letter to the editor of your local paper letting them now how pitiful Schweikert and his childish attempt to cover up his actions shows he doesn’t’ have the character to serve us in Washington.
Sep
10
Pretty hilarious. I love Triumph.
Anderson Coopers note in the second video is the best part.
Sep
9
New Congressman Mitchell Ads
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I love Harry Mitchell. The man was my State Senator, my boss at the Arizona Democratic Party when he was Chairman, and now is my Congressman. I really really feel lucky to have someone like him representing me in DC.
I just got an email highlighting a new ad they are running - I wanted to post it here.
I love it.
Sep
7
Do it for the boys at Walter Reed … Middle School (and other stock photography follies from the RNCC)
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One day campaigns will start to realize that using stock photography or video footage is hardly ever a good idea. You never know if the person in the video or photo will come out against you, as the 3am girl did against Hillary. You can’t be sure that the photo used actually depicts something ironically beyond what you intended, like JD Hayworth’s local projects mailer that showed an L.A. freeway. You also don’t want to be caught, embarrassingly, needing to use stock photos of “supporters” because … well … you don’t have any real ones.
Enter the Republican National Committee Convention of 2008. Also known as, the biggest collection of stock photography/footage fuckups in EVER.
In my live blog last night I spend some time talking about how weird the backdrops were for McCain’s speech. Well it turns out that the photo I said looked like a “plantation” actually was just a school! This alone, is pretty embarrassing. Why a random photo of a school when there was no discussion of education? Odd. But it gets better.
It turns out, the name of the school in the photo is Walter Reed Middle School in Hollywood, CA. Now, I know what you are thinking. That is weird isn’t it? Walter Reed Middle School sounds a lot like … yup, Walter Reed Army Medical Center - the place our seriously injured troops and their families go after suffering serious injuries. To beat you over the head with this, the GOP said “let’s highlight our troops” but couldn’t figure out even how to do this in the empty symbolic (and awkward) way there were planning.
Of course, that isn’t the end of it. Earlier in the week the Republicans used the convention to unveil the winner of an essay contest about the American Flag. The winning essay was read with a video in the background that not only showed footage of the towers collapsing (which isn’t the only time they used graphic footage) but compelling footage of a military funeral. Oh wait, I mean - of a fake military funeral.
From CBS News:
But CBS News found that the footage of the ‘funeral’ and soldiers is what is called ‘stock’ footage. The soldiers were actors and the funeral scene was from a one-day film shoot, produced in June. No real soldiers were used during production.
The footage, sold by stock-film house Getty Images was produced by a commercial filmmaker in Chicago. Both Getty and the production company, Mr. Big Films, confirmed that the footage was shot on spec and sold to the Republican National Committee.
Yikes. If you want to watch this Casio Keyboard scored masterpiece of a video - click here.
Oh but friends, there is more.
The McCain introduction video included some footage of supporters. Well, not really supporters. Stock photos of supporters. Turns out someone must have done a stock photo search of “African Americans” to add a little color to the video - the easy way … by faking it.
Some smart googlers found the photos and posted them in all their stock photo glory. Sad.
Pretty embarrassing huh.
These people can’t even run their convention. They can’t even run an essay contest. They can’t even run what amounts to a PowerPoint program that puts photos behind the man they want to be President.
Please, tell me again, if they can’t even get these tiny little itty-bitty things right … how the hell are they going to get our country back on track again.
Maybe I am being a little dramatic here - but my dear friend Capt. Zappy Scallydootle (I put a photo I took of him below) is desperate for high quality and affordable medical (and let’s be clear, dental) care. So please John, Sarah, Republicans - can you get your shit together for Zappy? He needs us, more now than ever.
Sep
4
My Live Blog of McCain’s Speech
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Sep
4
Why do we only see coverage like this from a “fake news” outlet.
Just watch the video, I don’t need to say a thing.
Sep
2
Whoop-Ass Can Status: OPENED
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Watch this video. CNN destroys this poor McCain hack who is unable to answer simple questions about Governor Palin …
Aug
30
My Photos from the 2008 DNCC
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Be sure to check out my favorite picture. Click on it to see more sizes.
Aug
22
Heading to Denver
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So I am sitting on an airplane waiting to fly to my first National Dem Convention that doesn’t have the word “young” in it.
Most people on this flight from DC to
Aug
20
Many Democratic activists (and wactivists) in Arizona were angry when Democrat Phil Gordon endorsed John McCain for President. The Phoenix Mayor, who is rumored to be seriously considering a run for the Democratic nomination for Governor, says his endorsement was for the primary only — a claim many dispute. Now, as the DNCC approaches, he basically says he won’t support Obama.
From KTAR
With the Democratic National convention coming up next week, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon still won’t say who he supports for president.
Gordon is a Democrat, but he said both Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican hopeful John McCain are friends of his.
“I supported Senator McCain in the primary because of our close personal friendship,” he said. “But, I do have two friends now and I always said that I would probably have to remain neutral if it became Senator Obama and Senator McCain, and I wouldn’t work against either of them because they are close friends.”
So here is my question … will Phil Gordon have the “audacity” to show up to the DNCC in Denver next week even though he won’t support his party’s nominee?
To activists, the DNCC is about the speeches, and the delegates, and the parties, and the fun. But to party elites like Gordon, especially those mulling a run for higher office, the DNCC is an opportunity to meet with national labor leaders, large national donors, important leaders of party committee’s (say, such as the Democratic Governor’s Association) to build relationships and gather support.