Hmmm, looks like the Associated Press is reporting on signs of a bit of Republican duplicity regarding campaign mailings...
Kilgore Sends Disguised Mailer as Kaine is Fined for Same TacticRICHMOND, Va. Republicans just won a 100-dollar fine against Democrat Tim Kaine for mailing out misleading fliers.
Now it's coming to light that his Republican foe in the governor's race was doing exactly the same thing.
Slick brochures, complete with the trademarked Democratic donkey logo, began arriving at the homes of Democrat voters today.A comparison in the fliers between Kaine and independent candidate Russ Potts portrayed Potts as more preferable to liberals on such priorities as support for gay rights, the rights of gays to adopt and gun control.
We're glad the Kilgore campaign is taking such a positive stand suporting gay rights, the rights of gays to adopt and gun control. This is a dramatic turn around, now isn't it?
For a bit of perspective on the whole matter, I personally like Michael Shear's remarks on this point during his online chat session yesterday:
Michael D. Shear:
I'm not sure this will have much impact at this point. The Kaine campaign was fined $100, and the issue referred to prosecutors. This kind of thing happens frequently in elections and rarely affects the outcome.
[Update #1: I just received a copy of this mailpiece. It actually goes far beyond merely issuing truthful information and blatantly misrepresents the "official" recommendation of the Democrat[ic] party as well as the policies of Tim Kaine and Russ Potts. I somehow don't think the ruling authorities will consider this level of deception to be quite as inconsequential as finding the sponsor identification too small on Kaine's truthful (yet clever) mailpiece.]
[Update #2: Brian Patton writes, "The Kilgore campaign?s penalty will be at least as severe as that given to the Kaine campaign. However, Kilgore?s people sent their mailer out after filing complaints with the SBE for Tim Kaine doing the same thing....I have not been able to see the Kilgore mailer yet, but I hope it was worth what this is going to end up costing him."]
[Update #3: This is getting national attention from outraged Democrats, as well it should.]