Massa reply to D&C letter o’ lies
Today, the D&C, to its credit published a letter to the editor by Eric Massa responding to the inaccurate letter that the D&C ran on Sunday:
On Sunday, I was quite surprised to see a letter to the editor stating that my campaign was responsible for releasing sealed court documents with the intention of embarrassing my opponent, Randy Kuhl. For the record, the incident in question occurred during the 2004 election, a whole two years before my election date in 2006. My campaign had absolutely nothing to do with this, and I’m sure Congressman Kuhl would agree if asked. During my last campaign I ran no negative advertisements, only factual statements on Kuhl’s voting record. I firmly believe that elected officials should be held accountable for their voting record; however I will never attack my opponent personally. I have never engaged in dirty politics and never will. Karl Rove engages in nothing but negative campaign slander, and I don’t support Karl Rove or his ideology.
I’d like to thank the Democrat and Chronicle for running a correction to this accusation in Tuesday’s paper, and for the opportunity for me to respond.
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Good letter from Massa.
I disagree, however, that it is “dirty” politics to discuss the character of those running for office. I’m willing to accept that fact that Randy Kuhl has a drinking problem, but I will not look past the fact that he has chosen to drive drunk multiple times and put other people at risk. I will not look past the fact that he emotionally abused his family and once pulled out a shotgun and threated to kill her at a dinner party.
These things matter when deciding who will represent us in Congress and who will be making decisions of conscious, such as when to send our troops into a war.
It is not dirty politics when its true.
This race needs to be about how Randy Kuhl rubberstamps George Bush. Anything else is a distractor.
When a government leader pulls a gun on another person it is a ‘distractor’? Don’t think so. Goes to show mental stability. We don’t demand perfection from our leaders, at least we shouldn’t because that is unattainable, but we certainly should have at least some pause for turning up the crazy.
I agree that the 2008 election it needs to be all about Rundy Kuhl and George Bush. The people in this district already know of Kuhl’s character flaws.
I just disagree with the idea that any discussion of an opponents person character is deemed dirty campaigning. Kuhl is a bad guy and there is no reason that should be swept under the rug.
Randy Kuhl’s character and mental stability most certainly are valid discussion points in a campaign because they speak to his suitability to represent his constituents appropriately. While I disagree with Eric on this, I commend him for a gracious and well thought out letter.
Speaking of letters, I’m sure there were hundreds on this matter. Since the D&C isn’t publishing them, we should put them here. Mine follows as it speaks to the point I made above.
“I am extremely disappointed in your editorial page for printing a terribly misleading and highly damaging factual error in a letter to the editor Sunday. I hope that is was an oversight on your part (albeit a serious one bordering on journalistic negligence) rather than a deliberate attempt to aid in the defamation of Eric Massa. The writer referenced an incident that occurred in the 2004 campaign not the 2006 campaign. It involved another candidate, not Eric Massa.
Randy Kuhl threatened his ex-wife at gunpoint, That is a fact. Eric Massa NEVER used that information in his campaign. He refused to do so. He remained positive through the entirety of the 2006 race. The D&C owes Eric Massa an apology.
By the way,the media circus in 2004 about the release of the court documents precluded a serious examination of the problem. Should a person who threatens another human being with a gun represent us in Congress? I think not.”