Democracy Has Prevailed.

April 25, 2008

Missy Hart Goes Negative Early!

Many thanks to Bob Mayo for letting us know. Here's what he wrote:
Republicans are spotlighting Melissa Hart's anti-Barack Obama web-only ad for the national media, but Hart is not calling media attention to it locally.
Then there's this quote from the Washington Post:
Republican party committees and candidates have launched a series of ads this week linking Democratic candidates for lower offices to controversies surrounding Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, signaling that a racially tinged campaign may lie ahead, should the senator from Illinois secure the Democratic nomination.
And then:

In western Pennsylvania, a GOP challenger unveiled an ad on the campaign web site accusing freshman Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) of defending Obama after he told donors in San Francisco that white working class voters "cling to" gun rights and religion because they are "bitter".

"Barack Obama said our bitterness makes us cling to our religion, and our guns. This was simply an insult. But maybe the biggest insult of all is how Jason Altmire continues to defend Barack Obama," says Melissa Hart, the former representative who was ousted by Altmire in 2006 and faces a rematch this fall.

Here's the ad in all it's tinged racial-ness:

And the transcript:

HART: I'm Melissa Hart and I approve this message.

ANNC: Barack Obama described small town, hardworking, God fearing, Second Amendment-respecting families of western Pennsylvania as bitter. Barack Obama said our bitterness makes us cling to our religion, and our guns. This was simply an insult. But maybe the biggest insult of all is how Jason Altmire continues to defend Barack Obama. Jason Altmire. Just how much of the liberal Kool-Aid did he drink?

For someone voted out of office for (among other things) voting too closely with dubya, I don't think Missy Hart should be accusing anyone else of "drinking the cool-aid."

11 comments:

Social Justice NPC Anti-Paladin™ said...

tinged racial-ness
Nice to see the Nation reading Independent has adopted the progressive talking point that all criticism of Obama is racist.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, how is this possibly racist? I remember Altmire saying he would vote as his district votes. His district overwhelmingly voted for Clinton, so why won't he deliver on his promise?

Anonymous said...

Melissa Hart's new ad is as classy as she is smart. It contained a glaring omission, however, which prompts me to wonder . . .

Melissa's ad emphasizes Republicans' anti-elite theme and follows the right-wing checklist on social issues -- God, guns . . .

Wait a second. Guns, God . . . God, guns . . . there's something missing. Guns . . . god . . .gays!! That's it, gays! (They're out to destroy our marriages, you know.) Surely a Bible-thumping, small-town-hugging, six-shooting, outdoorsy Republican woman like Melissa Hart knows that defense of marriage is one of the most important issues confronting our nation . . . and a big issue to her base.

With her Tom Delay and George Bush problems, Ms. Hart is going to need to pull out all stops if she wishes to reclaim her position from Cong. Altmire. Yet Ms. Hart omits an essential element of right-wingers' Holy Trinity of Politics in a nasty attack ad?

Does anyone know why Melissa Hart would avoid that tried-and-true wingnut button?

Does anyone know her well enough to explain this?

If Ms. Hart is uncomfortable with bedrock right-wing political dogma, I think the public deserves to know why.

Anonymous said...

Classic. The left howls and accuses something as being "tinged racial-ness" yet the previous poster blantantly argues Melissa Hart is not a good candidate by insinuating she is gay. Infinoymous should people not vote for her because she is gay? Why is that? Do you hate gays? I'm sorry to blunt your hate-speech, but in fact Melissa Hart is not gay. Furthermore, I think this time around your side has a lot more to worry about regarding skeletons in the closet.

Anonymous said...

I don't care whether someone is gay, straight or down the middle.

An issue develops with someone like Larry Craig, however . . . who bashes gays as "anti-family" for cynical political purposes when not being arrested (harassed, one could argue) for trolling in restrooms.

It has little to do with whether one is gay. I dislike everyone who bashes gays . . . but I also can't help disliking with special intensity those who do so hypocritically.

It is much more similar to the Sen. Vitters of our political world . . . who club many Americans with their intolerant, sanctimonious "pro family" rhetoric by day, then slink into whorehouses by night (or, in Mr. Vitter's case, by day, too). Or, as is the case with Sen. McCain, prowl for 20-year-younger women at the expense of their wives. Or, a la Newt Gingrich . . . you get the idea.

By the way, unless you are volunteering that you nailed Missy Hart on a somewhat regular basis . . . what is the basis for your assertion of "fact?"

On a less personal level, what is the rational explanation for the omission, from this ad or any other for Missy Hart -- who obviously will sink to any slimy depth in an attack ad -- of the Republicans' standard, classic gay-bashing?

Anonymous said...

This type of hypocrisy -- which includes supporting and defending bigots and crooks -- is not exclusively the domain of Republicans or conservatives, of course.

The Democrat or liberal who complains about mistreatment of the poor while skimming from programs designed to help the poor, or runs on a "good government" platform and then conceals information from the public, or panders to gun-unfriendly audiences while carrying a firearm for "personal protection" occupies the same boat.

Anonymous said...

Leave it to mein herr to use a column from a Conservative website to "prove" that "not everything is about race."

Nice going.

And if he were to read carefully (a problem for mein herr, I know) he would see that it was the Washington Post that used the phrase "racially tinged."

So mein herr's problem is not with dayvoe, The Nation, or even Barack Obama. It's with the Washington Post.

So why complain here?

Anonymous said...

Retired Millhunk says:
Now here you have Missy Hart from day one attacking her opponent. She held this office before you would think she could bring up something that she did for her district but evidently she couldn't so she attacks Altmire. Obama was spot on, I know many people who base there vote for a candidates views on guns or what religion he or she is. For years they have been shafted by this government Repubic or Democratic they've given up hope on resposible government.

Mike Usman said...

Can anyone explain why the "woman of integrity", Melissa Hart, accepted a $2300 donation for the primary election cycle from the Chickasaw Nation of Ada, Okalahoma? (http://www.campaignmoney.com/committee.asp?candidateid=H0PA04154&cycle=08&cnt=47&amt=84419&cname=Melissa+A+Hart) Of course, 98.6% of Chickasaw revenue is from Chickasaw businesses (i.e., casinos)(http://www.chickasawtimes.com/april08/general/ct-20080401-009-tribalnetincome-32422.html) Why should they care so much about a former Republican representative from SW PA?

Mike McNally said...

For Altmire supporters, Melissa's ad is actually a good sign. It shows that on the issues, she feels like the strongest weapon she's got is Congressman Altmire's association, albeit a distant one, with Senator Obama. It's a very weak position, but one that makes sense.

Melissa Hart's position on the issues is weak for a number of reasons. First, Melissa Hart is NOT a fiscal conservative, having increased the size of government to all time highs when she was in office. Strike one.

Second, her opponent, Congressman ALtmire, IS conservative, supporting Pro-Life legislation and being endorsed by groups that care about guns and the 2nd amendment http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pennsylvania-10/21824-just-received-e-mail-christopher-p-carney.html , being described as a centrist by non-partisan think-tanks http://www.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/pdf/08centrists.pdf
Strike two.
Finally, while Melissa Hart talks about integrity, Jason Altmire and the Democratically controlled House passed the toughest ethics bill in our history while Melissa Hart's Republican Senate blocked its passage.
Ironically, while Melissa Hart's ad implies that Congressman Altmire's ties to Democrats are his weakness, it is Melissa's own connections to corruption like Jack Abramoff and her affiliation with the philosophically bankrupt Republican party do-nothing's on the ethics, the economy, national security, and healthcare that show why she chooses Barack Obama as her strongest weapon in the argument on issues.

Mike McNally said...

Melissa Hart has a very weak or non-existent conservative record.
Conversely, Melissa Hart's opponent, Congressman Altmire, is strong on guns, spending, ethics, and other socially conservative issues.
Melissa Hart and the Republican party, on the other hand, have a terrible record on ethics, government corruption, the economy and most other critical issues in our nation.
That is why, despite six years as a Congresswoman, Melissa Hart cannot run on what she HAS DONE, she runs on promises. And it is why, in her first chance to take a stand on issues, her strongest conviction appears to be that superdelegates in the Democratic party need to be more vocal about their displeasure with Senator Obama's "bitter" remarks.

1. Melissa Hart can't run as a conservative.
2. Melissa Hart can't run on her record in Congress.
3. Melissa's opponent, Jason Altmire, on the other hand, IS strong on the issues and WILL run on his record.

For Melissa Hart, these three strikes appear to leave her OUT of effective campaign rhetoric and have resulted in this weak attempt at negative campaigning.