AP – Childers spokesman defends using anonymous comments – it’s “a reputable news source”
Some top Democrats, including President Barack Obama, have said they favor extending most of the tax cuts, but not those for the wealthiest.
Childers’ statement came shortly after his Republican challenger in the Nov. 2 election, Alan Nunnelee, intensified criticism of a new Childers campaign ad. The 30-second TV commercial cites three sources to back up Childers’ claim that Nunnelee supports increasing taxes.
One of the sources is an anonymous reader’s comment posted to The Commercial Dispatch website in June, after an article about Childers appearing in Columbus.
“I think this is a new low in Mississippi politics that a campaign would run an ad based on anonymous blog posts,” Nunnelee told The Associated Press.
Childers campaign spokeswoman Dana Edelstein on Wednesday defended the ad’s citation of the anonymous comment by saying the Columbus newspaper itself is “a reputable news source.”
As far back as November, Nunnelee has listed “FairTax.org” among his interests on Facebook. Edelstein said that means Nunnelee supports the group and its goals.
“They’re running a really highly watched, highly contested congressional race,” Edelstein said. “You don’t put stuff on your Facebook page unless you mean it.”
AP
9/15/10
