A new low?

Here's something fascinating: according to a story I'm so far unable to confirm, Tennessee Republican congressional candidate Dave Dahl has complained that Republicans are being compared to Special Olympics children:

Dahl says the flyers have been distributed for at least two weeks from Fitzhugh’s campaign office in Ripley, Tennessee. It also serves as the Kerry-Edwards headquarters. “At first, I really did not believe that Fitzhugh and the Democrats would stoop to such gutter politics, but then people started bringing the flyer to me at the end of last week. I was shocked and disgusted.”

Here's the flyer:

BushOlympics.JPG

Again, I cannot confirm this, and because past experience has given me cause to doubt the reliability of the reporting web site, I emailed the candidate Dave Dahl himself, and will post any reply I receive.

I'll say this, though. If the story is true, it's yet another example of outrageous bigotry by Democrats, and it needs to be reported more widely.

UPDATE: The story has been confirmed in a press release at TeamGOP (Tennessee's official Republican news and commentary site).

MORE: Tom Maguire discusses the possibility that this may have been a hoax. Look, as soon as I saw the TVC was involved, my antennae were up, which is why I cautioned readers accordingly.

Still no word from anyone at the Dahl campaign.....

I'm having trouble loading the teamgop.com site, so here is the text of Dave Dahl's press release:

Below is a news release from State
House candidate Dave Dahl District 82.


(FULL DISCLOSURE: Dave serves on the Board of Directors of TeamGOP
and TeamGOP is supporting his candidacy) Dave Dahl condemned the
outragious flyer that is included below. Craig Fitzhugh and the
Democrats have gone beyond the scope of even their own hatred by
accusing Bush voters of being less intelligent and in their words "retarded," but
more importantly using mentally challenged kids as political fodder.


This kind of sleazy propaganda should
be beneath any politician or party, even Craig Fitzhugh and
the Tennessee Democrat Party.



News Release



For Immediate Release: Contact: Dave Dahl Campaign

731-287-8166


October 11, 2004 www.VoteDahl.com


Dave Dahl denounces Fitzhugh’s attack of Republican voters



Dyersburg, TN- Today, Republican nominee for State House District
82, Dave Dahl, denounced a flyer distributed by Democrat State
Representative Craig Fitzhugh that attacks Bush voters and mocks
those who are mentally challenged (flyer included). “Hard-ball
politics is one thing and everyone expects tough battles, but using
those who are born with mental disabilities for political fodder
is disgusting,” said Dave Dahl on Monday from his campaign
office in Dyersburg.


The flyers have been distributed for at least 2 weeks from State
Representative Craig Fitzhugh’s campaign office on the town
square in downtown Ripley, which also serves as the Kerry-Edwards
campaign headquarters. Dahl said, “At first I really did
not believe that Fitzhugh and the Democrats would stoop to such
gutter politics, but then people started bringing the flyer to
me at the end of last week. I was shocked and disgusted.”



Dahl said, “In my first campaign against Mr. Fitzhugh two
years ago, the Democrats conducted a negative telephone poll on
my then five year old adopted daughter because she was born in
Texas and not in Tennessee. I guess I should not be surprised that
Mr. Fitzhugh and his crowd would attack Bush voters and call them ‘retarded.’ This
is how the Democrats do business.” Dave Dahl continued, “The
single minded plan for Mr. Fitzhugh and the Democrats in Tennessee
is to attack Republican voters, attack those supporting Republican
candidates and to ignore the real issues of the day: jobs, prescriptions
drugs costs, education, security at home and taxes.”


“This kind of reckless disregard for those who suffer from
mental disabilities is much larger than any state representative
race. This act is so atrocious and indecent that my campaign will
be sending a copy of the Fitzhugh flyer to the United States Special
Olympics Committee, the Special Olympics International Group and
state and national advocacy groups who work with and support special
needs children and adults,” said Dahl.



Dahl concluded, “My heart goes out to the millions of families
who have children and loved ones with special needs. To have their
family members mocked in this manner is inexcusable and wrong from
any perspective. These kinds of issues cross all political and
social boundaries. I call on Mr. Fitzhugh to issue a public apology.”


###

posted by Eric on 10.13.04 at 01:42 PM





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Comments

Well, if true (which would not surprise me), it's hardly original.

It's an old, old internet thing, and someone pasted Bush's head on it.

Which is, well, usually about all such folks are capable of.

Sigivald   ·  October 13, 2004 03:01 PM

Contemptible. Probably somebody did do this because political discourse has been so degraded this year that I would not put anything past certain people. I'm not going to blame Kerry for it, just some retard who thinks he's doing Kerry a favor.

I looked at Dave Dahl's site and I didn't see anything attacking homosexuals, which surprised me since that's what Lou Sheldon's so-called "Traditional Values Coalition" is all about. Lou Sheldon is a particularly despicable character who, after 9/11/2001, tried to get the government not to compensate homosexuals for the loss of their loved ones in that atrocity.

It's been independently confirmed (and is now linked on Drudge) so it appears that the TVC report was accurate.

Eric Scheie   ·  October 13, 2004 04:10 PM

I think it is funny. Bush is kind of a retard. And it isn't degrading kids with special needs, it is saying 'hey, even you could be president some day.'

Nick   ·  October 15, 2004 01:05 PM


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