Posted on 09/22/2006 12:07:50 PM PDT by VU4G10
National Republicans are pulling advertising in Arizona for 8th District GOP nominee Randy Graf, who last week won his party’s primary but is trailing by nineteen points in a general election poll released Tuesday by his Democratic challenger.
A spokesman for the Tucson ABC affiliate, where ads were reserved, confirmed that the party committee was pulling them.
The Arizona Democratic Party on Wednesday accused Graf of "associating himself" with former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, citing a posting on Duke’s website but offering no evidence of an actual relationship.
On Thursday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) sent a letter to the media addressed to National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y). In it, he cited Graf’s "ties" to Duke and called on the NRCC to stop supporting Graf.
An NRCC spokesman said it has paid for ads on behalf of Graf that are scheduled to run through Oct. 3, but declined to say what it would do beyond that date, citing a policy against discussing campaign strategy. The spokesman reiterated the NRCC’s full support for Graf.
Reynolds responded to Emanuel in a letter arguing that Duke’s posting didn’t amount to an endorsement and detailing several Democratic donors and candidates with criminal pasts or "radical views."
The posting on Duke’s website is titled "Minuteman’s Tough Border Stance Wins Primary!" and links to a U.S. News & World Report article, as well as Graf’s campaign website.
Arizona Democratic Party spokesman Peter Jackson said the posting was on a publicly available site and that the party assumed Graf’s campaign had seen it as well. He said by not asking Duke to remove the posting, Graf is showing he has no problem with Duke promoting his candidacy.
Graf campaign spokesman R.T. Gregg denounced Duke and his views but said the campaign wouldn’t let Democrats dictate its actions. He also said the Graf campaign can’t be responsible for policing the Internet.
Graf won a five-way primary even though the NRCC had supported his GOP opponent Steve Huffman and retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) had criticized him for being too extreme for the district.
Graf and the other three candidates publicly denounced the NRCC one week before the primary for reneging on its promise to abstain getting involved in the primary. But after winning his party’s nomination Sept. 12, Graf flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with national party leaders and proclaimed their "wide support."
The race has long been projected as one of the most competitive in the country.
A spokesman for the Tucson FOX and UPN affiliates said early Thursday evening that the NRCC’s ad purchase was still on the books as running through the general election. The NBC affiliate declined to relay advertising information over the phone, and the CBS affiliate didn’t return calls by press time.
Graf’s campaign said the NRCC hadn’t notified them of any ads being removed.
"The NRCC does what the NRCC does, and quite honestly, in this campaign, it doesn’t make an awful lot of rhyme or reason and hasn’t from the very beginning," Graf spokesman R.T. Gregg said.
Democratic nominee Gabrielle Giffords’s poll showed her leading 54-35, with 5 percent voting for independent candidates and 6 percent undecided.
"The Republicans have recognized that Gabrielle Giffords has broad bipartisan support across southern Arizona," Giffords spokesman Jonathan Neal said.
Graf needed to tell David Duke where to go, and what to do when he got there.
I am not a big fan of Graf, but the nutter Duke endorsing him was beyond Graf's control, and to tar Graf with Duke is defamatory. I don't agree with Graf on some issues, but to suggest he is some kind of closet racist is garbage. Enough already! If Graf wins this race, that means the GOP will have a very fantastic night for it on election day indeed. Let it be.
Why do you assume that Graf has the slightest clue as to what Duke is doing? Who checks out Duke's website anyway?
In an age of Google, only a fool of a candidate doesn't look at what's being said about him, and by who.
Who checks out Duke's website anyway?
Anyone looking up "Randy Graf."
Are you going to deny that david duke is not attracted to Graf.
And why would david duke be attracted to Graf's campaign. Obviously it seems that david duke likes Randy Graf's political positions.
I am confident that in due course if this gets any traction, Graf will comment. There is no reason to assume that Graf is a racist - none, nada. His views on illegal immigration have nothing to do with racial or ethnic prejudice, absent other evidence, of which I am aware of none.
The John Birch society was attracted to Ronald Reagan. The Dems tried to make hay of it. Reagan said that if some outfit was attracted to him, that did not mean that he was attracted to them. That was the end of it. The Dem ploy just didn't work. Graf has plenty of problems, but this slur I hope will not affect the result. As I said, it's garbage.
He already has--very weakly, and he has not told Duke to pull the link. Maybe he figures he can't do much worse than he is at present, and that he needs every dime he can scare up.
is no reason to assume that Graf is a racist - none, nada.
There also is no reason to assume that he has judgement on a level that one would expect from a Congressman, and THAT is the problem.
OK, fair enough. He should.
What was Graf's comment by the way? Is it on this thread?
Well they sure attract the david duke element.
Below is a link to a video called "The Amazing Racist".
JMO, Graf and tancredo supporters would find it very amusing. I found it childish and akin to what would be a MTV "Jackass" type of clip for the tancredo/Graf crowd.
Try here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706696/posts
In summary, ""We have no ties nor have we ever had ties with David Duke or any of his racist crazies," said Graf campaign manager R.T. Gregg.
Basically, "We don't have ties to Duke," but no demand to pull the link.
If that is the case, all GOP incumbents should hold their seats in November.
What does that disgusting video have to do with anything about the topic of hand? I am desirous of reducing the number of illegals coming into this country. Do you think I am some kind of Dukie? When it comes to the effectiveness of persuasion, I have to say, I find you singularly ineffective. JMO. Maybe it is idiosyncratic.
That's the way to bet. Incumbency is hard to overcome, and when it is overcome, it's worthy of a lot of commentary afterward.
That doesn't sound weak to me. "Racist crazies," sounds simply accurate.
Torie this is all about Jim Kolbe. He hates Graf for his anti Gay commments and is sabatoging his campaign. He is working with the Giffords staff to bring down Graf.
Uh that that video conveys the general sense of tancredo/Graf supporters.
Do you actually read any of the replies on the immigration threads?
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