Yesterday, incumbent MS-01 Rep. Travis Childers (D) put out a new ad with what is most likely the sketchiest sourcing for a political ad that I have seen (and that’s saying something) in the six years of running YallPolitics.
Majority in MS picked up on it yesterday. They follow up today.
In the ad, Childers attempts to suggest Nunnelee supports the ‘fair tax’. In the freeze frame (courtesy of Majority), Childers cites 3 ‘sources’.
Here’s the Columbus Dispatch piece. Look for yourself. There’s absolutely nothing about a flat tax in the article. In fact, it’s all about Childers. However under the reader comments, we see this.
raymond comments:
6/5/2010 8:02:00 PM
. . . Now on the other hand , Mr. Nunnelee wasted no time answering my email question about the Fair Tax which he is all for passing the bill when he gets to DC. Mr. Nunnelee has my support and vote for that reason. Mr. Childers had his chance to win over other independents like me but has probably figured we don’t “pose a unique challenge” either, just like he said about Mr. Nunnelee.
Who’s ‘Raymond’? That’d be a nice tidbit to run down. Surely that must be an aberration, you say. Not really.
Here’s the HuckPACblog cite. Again, nothing about ‘fair tax’ anywhere in the profile until this shows up in the user comments.
Mathis, Philip
11/10/2009 11:49 AM
Sen. Nunnelle supports the Fair Tax (it’s not listed on his official campaign website, but he said so on his facebook page).
The Nunnelee camp, through a release, basically laughed off the ad.
Travis Childers campaign advisor Brad Morris did not respond to a written request for clarification.
This smacks of serious desperation in an attempt to find something to turn the tide. It’s awfully early to be reaching like this, especially for an incumbent. I would have to believe that if the Childers camp believed their own poll released last week (that said they were +5), an ad of this type is just unimaginable – especially one that’s done by the candidate. We will see how/if the Mississippi press, particularly in MS-01, handles this. For fact checking, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
As has been noted on multiple occasions, the author has made a reportable contribution in this race.
Magnolia Tribune
