NRCC not helping
And apparently not listening, either. When the GOP candidate says an NRCC ad is "over the line", someone there should pay attention:
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A Democratic congressional candidate accused in a political ad of billing taxpayers for a call to a phone-sex line suggested he may have misdialed the number while trying to reach a state agency.The ad that began airing Friday shows Democrat Michael Arcuri leering at the silhouette of a dancing woman who says, "Hi, sexy. You've reached the live, one-on-one fantasy line."
But Arcuri's campaign released records showing the call two years ago from his New York City hotel room to the 800-number sex line was followed the next minute by a call to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. The last seven digits of the two numbers are the same.
Arcuri, the district attorney in Oneida County, said the ad was "clearly libelous" and threatened to file a lawsuit. His GOP opponent, state Sen. Ray Meier, described it as "way over the line."
At least seven television stations in Syracuse, Utica and Binghamton refused to run the ad, Arcuri said.
The ad's sponsor, the National Republican Congressional Committee, stood by the 30-second message. Spokesman Ed Patru insisted it was "totally true" and said Meier was not consulted.
The two candidates, who say they are friends, are running to fill the seat left open by the retirement of Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (news, bio, voting record). Political analysts have said the race is among the nation's most competitive.
Arcuri said he had "never seen such an unfair commercial. I have a 12-year-old daughter. She's going to have to go to school and hear other kids talk about this."
I have to agree with Arcuri on this. A single call, 2 years ago, to a sex line that was immediately followed in records by a similar number belonging to a government department? It's not enough to base an ad on, and Rebublicans should be more responsible than this. We have enough trouble this election season without having to defend our own employing the same tactics we've been complaining about from the left.
NRCC, please let it go and stick to the issues - something the Dems can't compete against.
The National Republican Congressional Committee needs to pull the ad and issue an apology. Period.
