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Sims-Josephs campaign goes negative
Take a break from school voucher attack ads. It's space robot time.
Sims-Josephs campaign goes negative
Take a break from school voucher attack ads. It's space robot time. The campaign between longtime Philly state Rep. Babette Josephs and her former campaign treasurer Brian Sims just took a turn for the extraterrestrial, with a new mailer from the Josephs campaign that declares "danger!" because Sims (with Gov. Tom Corbett) is "Lost in Compromise." The inspiration, presumably, is that Sims has promised to be more effective than Josephs largely by reaching across the aisle to get things done in Democrat-hostile Harrisburg.
It's kind of a reach, given that Sims is describing himself as a progressive, and wants to work with Republicans, he says, on stuff like bridges and transportation funding, not restricting abortion rights. But Josephs response is, "What vote is he going to give up?" To win a compromise, he'll have to do something distasteful to his Democratic base, she argues. In any case, Josephs gets points for creativity, right?
The Sims campaign, for its part, argues that Josephs is using "baseless smear tactics" and that her campaign is possibly unethically recycling language from her legislative website on her campaign site. The full Sims press release follows. But first, the mailer:
REP JOSEPHS: DESPERATION AND DECEIT
Resorting to baseless smear tactics and possibly violating ethics rules
(Philadelphia, Pa. – April 15, 2012) – Rep. Babette Josephs, in a desperate attempt to fight back the surging campaign of challenger Brian Sims and hold on to Center City’s House seat for a 14th term, has turned to baseless character attacks on Sims and actions that are potentially in violation of House ethics rules or worse.
“Rep. Josephs’ is getting desperate.” Sims campaign manager Matt Goldfine said. “Brian Sims’ vision for progressive change is obviously connecting with voters if Rep. Josephs is turning to last minute character attacks and possibly violating House ethics rules. These are the desperate acts of a desperate politician. It’s troubling times for a 27 year incumbent when she has to turn to dirty campaign mailers and possible ethics violations.”
In baseless and unattributed attacks in her first mailer of the campaign, Josephs attempted to tie progressive Sims to conservative Governor Corbett’s policies. Goldfine said he found the mailer laughable.
“Brian Sims is Tom Corbett’s nightmare: a progressive, gay, Philadelphian who fights for public education, a woman’s fundamental right to choice and minority rights,“ Goldfine said. “If Rep. Josephs wants to resort to Republican-like smear tactics while Brian Sims talks about creating jobs and protecting seniors from property tax increases, that’s fine. The voters don’t want a politician, they want a legislator.”
In another desperate attempt to win by any means necessary, language from a page on the legislative website of Rep. Josephs matches language on her campaign site, word for word in most cases. If the language originated from the legislative website, it could be considered using legislative resources for campaign activities like was the case in the multiple Bonusgate scandals. If the language originated from the campaign website, according to the Ethical Conduct Rules of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives it could be considered in breach of ethics rules. It looks as if Rep. Josephs may be in clear violation of the public trust.
Rep. Josephs’ actions come on the heels of campaign finance reports showing that in spite of over 60% of Josephs’ monetary contributions having come from PACs, Sims has outraised her in the race 3 to 1. Sims has received support from nearly 700 individual contributors and only 1% of the money donated to Sims’ campaign has come from PACs.
Josephs "warning" people that Sims would work across the aisle on issues that benefit the state and region is just as bad as tea partiers pledging to never raise taxes. You have to be open to compromise and working things out even if you disagree with some things people say or want. The horrid gridlock in congress with now is exactly BECAUSE nobody wants to work together or compromise. Thank you Josephs for proving even more why you should be voted out.— thegreengrass
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