Just when you thought Illinois politics couldn’t get any dirtier. Illinois Republican candidate for comptroller, William J. Kelly, is calling out his opponents who are even attacking his deceased dad. The candidate says he is taking action with a TV commercial spot, which actually targets attack ads themselves. The campaign says that the ads will be launched on Fox News Channel and other TV outlets next week.
The most recent smear involves an attack on Kelly’s deceased father who died a number of years ago from prostate cancer and heart difficulties. Dodge and Topinka agents are “investigating” the former Chicago public school principal on how a teacher could have amassed any money. Kelly’s response: “Because he saved it. That is what middle class people do.”
Given America’s debt to Communist China and Illinois dancing on the edge of insolvency, saving money may seem like a foreign concept to political insiders in 2010. ”My opponents have crossed the line now. The voters are rejecting these vicious smear campaigns and the candidates that are behind them,” saysKelly. “In the end, the truth wins out.”
On Tuesday, Scott Brown was spurred to Senate victory when Massachusetts voters rejected his opponent’s dirty campaign on him. Fox News contributor, Frank Luntz, has said that voters are having a negative reaction to personal attacks, which helped create a groundswell for Brown. Kelly says the TV attack spots are in response to an unprecedented smear campaign against him by his opponents, Jim Dodge and former state treasurer Judy Barr Topinka. Topinka is famously known for her huge loss to Rod Blagojevich in the race for governor even when Illinois voters were aware that Blago was under investigation.
Kelly says that his opponents’ smears are provably false and that they “haven’t even done good research. ” If they can’t get their facts straight and like to peddle in smears, how could we possibly entrust them with elected them to public office?” The GOP candidate says that a lawsuit will be filed against some members of Jim Dodge’s campaign staff next week. Although he is running as a Republican, Jim Dodge has a history of financial contributions to Topinka and thousands to Democrats.
William J. Kelly’s website is www.friendsofwilliamjkelly.com
