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.
Kolbe has more problems with Graf than that. This is just one of those cases where the moderate Pubbies and Conservative Pubbies don't get along, fueled by Graf's challenge to Kolbe in 2004 no doubt. Add to that, that the district is marginal and this will be a tough year for Pubbies, and thus you get the pundit projections as to how this contest is going.
I am still offended that you think Graf would find any pleasure in that revolting and disgusting video.
He didn't demand that the link get pulled.
His reply was not "weak." But yes, I already said, Graf should request the link be pulled.
From what I heard is that when Kolbe won the 2004 GOP primary, Graf refused to endorse him and now Kolbe is returning the "favor" so to speak.
I am not a big fan of Jim Kolbe either, and it seems Graf has done his own damage.
Weak in that it was late, and insufficiently strong on the critical part--namely, demanding that the link get pulled.
Any time someone like Duke tries to grab ahold of the edge of your campaign, you take a sledgehammer and smash his knuckles.
Again I guess you don't read the comments by some of the Tancredo/Graf supporters on FR.
Randy Graf has no ties to David Duke, and you have shown no proof of your allegations.
How can he help it if some racist from yesteryear likes him?
He can't, and it's not his responsibility, and it's not a black mark on him.
Your accusations are totally unfounded and ignorant.
The NRCC is doing a great job of impersonating France.
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