Tierney’s attack ads show panic
Tierney’s attack ads show panic
By Holly Robinchaud
Boston Herald
June 11, 2012
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1061138063
What does a Democratic politician do when he or she is behind in the polls? The hack abuses taxpayer dollars and launches bogus negative ads.
U.S. Rep. John Tierney has hit the official panic button.
We are supposed to believe that it is purely coincidental that the incumbent has been feverishly spending our tax dollars on town hall teleconference calls and unsolicited letters to “constituents.” It has nothing to do with challenger Richard Tisei’s internal poll showing he has a 7 point lead over Tierney.
These taxpayer funded expenditures are legal, but it doesn’t make it ethical.
Speaking of unethical, Tierney also has launched negative ads deploying a guilt-by-association strategy against Tisei.
Isn’t that hypocritical coming from the congressman whose wife, Patrice, was convicted of aiding and abetting in the filing of false tax returns for the family’s illegal gambling ring?
Instead of outlining the differences between the two candidates, Tierney is criticizing Tisei for being part of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program, which helps GOP candidates run for office, just like the Democrat Congressional Committee assists Democrats.
The ad says, “If we vote for Tisei we vote for them all,” with a screen shot of Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy and Paul Ryan. In Tierney’s alternative reality, Tisei — who is gay, pro-choice and refuses to sign the “No New Taxes” pledge — is in the back pocket of these Republican leaders. Normal people call Tisei a moderate.
Not only are Tierney’s attempts to imply Tisei is a right-wing radical doomed to fail, but the guilt-by-association strategy also will boomerang. Tierney repeatedly has proclaimed that his wife’s conviction should not be part of the political debate. However, if Tisei is being held accountable for Cantor and Ryan, then Tierney is far more accountable for his wife and his own failures to disclose about the scandal.
Here a few questions for Tierney:
• Will you release your tax returns so we can verify whether or not taxes were paid on your wife’s income?
• Why did your wife claim spousal privilege on the witness stand? If you didn’t know anything, then why did she refuse to answer questions?
• Why didn’t you inquire how your wife paid for the new car?
• Do you think it is fair that your wife received only a 30-day sentence while Chuck Turner, Dianne Wilkerson and Sal DiMasi got years?
Tierney believes spending our tax dollars and running misleading campaign ads are going to stop Tisei’s momentum.
It actually reinforces why the incumbent needs to go.