Monday, November 06, 2006

 

Democratic Party leaders decry Haring ad, voice support for Boland

Election Eve Story - link to the Argus/Dispatch story by Jenny Lee that's copied here . . .

ROCK ISLAND --Area Democratic politicians stood alongside Mike Boland Sunday, decrying his opponent's ad that portrays some party members as having a negative opinion of Mr. Boland.
But GOP challenger Steve Haring said Sunday he stands by his ad.


More than 20 Democratic leaders showed their support for Mr. Boland, of East Moline, at a press conference at the Rock Island County Democractic Party headquarters.

The television ad from Mr. Haring, and its twin mailer, uses photos of several former and current Democratic officials and uses quotes published in The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus.
During their highly contested race for the state 71st House District seat, both candidates have lambasted each other about negative ads.

Last week, Mr. Haring, of Savanna, was outraged that Mr. Boland and his supporters ran a television ad that said voting for Mr. Haring would lead to jobs being outsourced overseas.

When asked if he had negative ads, Mr. Boland said, "Our ads point out the differences between myself and my opponent."

Mr. Haring said Sunday that the quotes used in his ads were not made up. "I'm not going to get into any finger-pointing or name-calling. My intent is to focus on the issues," he said.

Rock Island County board member John Malvik was appalled that Mr. Haring's political mailer used Mr. Malvik's photo and a quote without his permission.

In a 2001 article, Mr. Malvik said, "I'm shocked. I don't think there's any place for that type of behavior in politics," according to a press release from Mr. Haring.

Mr. Malvik said the quote was taken out of context. "In my judgment, the literature was dishonest, deceptive and misleading," he said. "In 10 years on the Rock Island County board, I have supported Mike Boland's past re-election campaigns and today continue to support Mike Boland in his current bid for re-election."

Mr. Haring said he had no response to Mr. Malvik's comments.
The 2001 article refers to Rock Island County board members being upset with Mr. Boland for choosing not to go to a spring 2000 meeting that members hosted. At the time, Mr. Boland said he attended meetings based on how much support he's received from that group. That remark made some county board members angry.

Quotes from board members Bill Armstrong and Don Jacobs from the same 2001 article were also used in political ads.

Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Jacobs both said Sunday that they support Mr. Boland.

A television ad, mailer and press release from Mr. Haring's campaign also feature quotes from former state Sen. Denny Jacobs, former state Rep. Joel Brunsvold, D-Milan, former Democratic legislator Don Wooten and Rep. Boland's chief of staff Mike Huntoon.

Mr. Wooten said Sunday night that he'd spotted the television ad that evening, in which he was "quoted as saying something to the effect that (Mr. Boland) was 'not very substantive in state government.' "

"That is simply not true. I never said such a thing," Mr. Wooten said in a written statement to The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus. "The only time I have spoken to a reporter about Mike was for a background story, in which I commented that he was considered an "odd man out" by some local Democrats. But that's because he is independent, a quality I have never disparaged.
"I was misquoted and lied about when I last ran for the Illinois Senate," he said, "but thought I was safely out of such garbage."

Mr. Haring said he believes voters want a change. "There's definitely a riff between (Mr. Boland) and his constituents regardless of party," he said.

Rock Island County Democratic Party chairman John Gianulis and state Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan, also voiced their support for Mr. Boland Sunday.


Comments:
It is great to see Jacobs and Boland working together. The mail piece with Jacobs and Boland was great and showed a great relationship between the two. Congratulations Mike Boland you deserve the victory. The democrats came through for you strong and loud.
 
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