Posted on 09/10/2002 3:01:26 PM PDT by dstalley
WASHINGTON — As a contentious primary between a moderate incumbent and a conservative unknown neared its end Tuesday, one camp accused the other of sponsoring a series of "dirty" and "disgusting" phone calls to voters in the waning days of the campaign.
David Fischer, a Republican attorney who has launched a formidable campaign against moderate Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, said he has received 200 to 300 complaints from voters in Maryland's 1st District who say they have received phone calls in the last few days accusing Fischer of defending child pornographers and molesters in his law practice.
"It is the kind of message that a mother would not want their child to hear," complained David Talley, spokesman for the Fischer campaign, noting that several concerned mothers said they were calling the police about the calls because their young children had picked up the phone and had heard taped messages.
"Everyone is very angry at Gilchrest for doing this," he said.
But members of the Gilchrest campaign say they have no idea where the supposed calls came from and that the congressman spent the better part of the day Monday -- one day before the Maryland primary -- trying to track their origins, to no avail.
"I don’t know, it’s very odd, very odd," said Cathy Bassett, a Gilchrest spokeswoman. "You can’t track them."
She said both Verizon phone company and the Federal Communication Commission have been notified and are investigating the calls.
Gilchrest campaign spokesman Tony Caliguiri said, "something smells funny" because no one on the campaign who is on the regular Republican calling lists for that district, including the congressman, have received the call. They also find it strange that one of the automated calls ends with the Gilchrest campaign office number.
"We don’t believe they’re coming from someone who is out to help us," he said.
The Fischer campaign forwarded two transcripts, one described a man's voice talking about Fischer's defense of "a man who pled guilty of molesting a 14-year-old girl," and leaves Gilchrest's number as a way to encourage him to keep fighting against sexual predators "and the sleazy lawyers who represent them."
The other message is the voice of a woman accusing Fischer's law office of advertising its services directly to sex offenders. This one leaves Fischer's number behind for people to call with complaints.
Tommy Hopper, general consultant for the Fischer campaign, confirmed that the phone company was looking into the matter because it too had received enough complaints about the call to warrant an inquiry. But he believes that contrary to what Gilchrest’s office is saying, the calls are coming from someone or some group connected to his campaign.
"It’s an underhanded tactic," he said, noting that Gilchrest’s campaign, buckling under the pressure of what became an unexpectedly close race for the six-term congressman, has gone "negative" in recent weeks -- a charge the congressman’s people flatly deny.
"I think that all of his last TV and radio ads have been very positive -- I don’t know what he is talking about," said Bassett.
Fischer’s record as a defense attorney has indeed been raised before, specifically regarding his defense of suspects accused of child molestation and child pornography. Hopper said out of the 3,000 cases Fischer’s firm has tackled in the last several years, six were related to those issues, and three were referred to his firm from an overburdened public defender’s office. One of the remaining defendants was acquitted of all charges after one hour of jury deliberation, he added.
"This just reflects badly on a congressman whose duty it is to uphold the Constitution," said Hopper.
Gilchrest's campaign said they do not attack the role of the defense attorney in handing out cases, but said Fischer is guilty of "hypocrisy" because he has called for stricter laws, but has in the past defended people's right to stay off the registry and child porn suspects.
Gilchrest has until now enjoyed relatively easy re-election bids. But with the addition of new conservative Republican voters after re-districting, he has been the target of groups like the National Rifle Association and the anti-tax Club for Growth, who say a more conservative representative is in order. The latter has infused at least $180,000 into the Fischer coffers.
After the introduction of those two groups into what had been a quiet race, moderate Republicans like the Main Street Partnership weighed in, spending thousands on direct mail solicitations and television ads for Gilchrest, who enjoys the support of President Bush and fellow congressman Rep. Bob Ehrlich, R-Md., also a Maryland gubernatorial candidate.
The last independent poll done by the National Republican Campaign Committee found Gilchrest with a sizable lead in early August, before the outside groups began weighing in. Since then, Fischer’s folks say their own independent polls have their candidate behind just eight points.
Because this is a predominantly Republican district, the winner of today's primary is likely to win the Nov. 5 election.
I hope, She nervously thought to herself.
BTW, Mr. Fischer has run the best campaign I have seen in a long while against that RINO Gilchrest. The final straw for me was when Gilchrest slipped into this year's Farm Bill Wildlands Project associated stuff about buffer zones and greenways.
Fischer got my interest early on because I heard him state he was pro-property rights. I have never, ever heard a MD pol even hint that there was such a thing.
Unfortunately, Ehrlich endorsed Gilchrest. But then again, Ehrlich is another RINO IMO. I tried writing to him with respect to CARA and how bad it was. He sent a form letter back about how it improved private property rights protections (which it does not). That proved to me that he had not read the bill. A bill that bequeathed 45 BILLION dollars on the eco-fascists, of which this state has many.
Let FReedom Ring. Sauropod
How does she know that? Did she make sure?
Calling Dr. Freud, Dr. Freud to admitting... Dr. Freud.
Let us not forget that the Rats have a history of causing trouble. Regardless of who wins, if this isn't solved there will be bad blood in November, and a divided Republican party cannot win.
Myself, I vote for the Rats as the perpetrators.
Paging the esteemed Mr. Pod.
I hope you are wrong. I got one of these calls, and a really sleazy underhanded mailing from Gilchrest on the same topic. Had to vote for Fischer based on Gilchrest's liberal leanings and hatred of my guns, but I would also like to think Fischer is above this kind of dirty trick.
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