In yet the latest Republican dirty trick, people in Northern Virginia -- myself included -- are getting calls purporting to be from the Kaine campaign. However, at the end of the message it says "Paid for by Honest Leadership for Virginia PAC." Wait a minute, what on earth is THAT? Well, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP):
Honest Leadership for Virginia supports the election of conservative Republican candidates in the state of Virginia, including 2005 gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore.
All told, this (ironically named) group has given $2,852,603 (100%) of its money to Jerry Kilgore this year, and $0.00 (0%) of its money to Democrats. It's also Jerry Kilgore's #1 donor - by FAR! Hmmm...doesn't sound like a bunch of Tim Kaine supporters to me. So how can this group be making robocalls that begin, "I'm Tim Kaine and I want you to know where I stand on the issues." Isn't that a bit strange, at the minimum? Illegal? That's up to the State Board of Elections to determine, along with possible civil and/or criminal penalties.
In the meantime, I would strongly urge everyone to be EXTREMELY skeptical about robocalls and mailers during the next 24-36 hours. Probably, the best bet is simply to ignore them, given all the smarmy, slimy tactics being employed by Scott Howell and Company. (Also, make sure you let everyone you know about the Kilgore campaign's gutter politics!)
By the way, contact information for this group is available here. In short, they're located in Alexandria, their phone # is 703-751-0612, and their Treasurer is Mary Clancy (mclancy@rga.org). The PAC is affiliated with the Republican Governor's Association, whose membership includes Florida Governor Jeb Bush and California Governor Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger, among others. Having done such a great job in THEIR states, these Governors now want to tell Virginians how to vote in OUR state. On Tuesday, let's tell Governor Bush and his friends, "that's o.k., we are perfectly able to think for ourselves here in Virginia!" In the meantime, why not contact this group and let them know what you think of them?
P.S. It should be an interesting day at the State Board of Elections on Monday. I certainly expect them to get right on this stuff, and penalize those responsible immediately and to the full extent of the law!