Thursday, October 27, 2011

Republicans attacking Democrats for voting with Haley Barbour

You're seeing it in your mailboxes and on your televisions all over Mississippi: Republican challengers in legislative races attacking Democratic legislators for "voting for tax increases."  Well, that's interesting, seeing as they get several things horribly wrong.

The Republican smear is always the same: "So-and-so voted to increase your taxes!"  Well, let's look at what they're talking about.  First, they mean to say that an incumbent voted to raise the hospital bed tax.  Well, there was indeed a vote on a proposal to change the assessments on hospitals as a way to finance health care programs.  Anyone care to guess whose plan that was?  Gov. Haley Barbour.  You got it, they're attacking Democrats for voting with their Fearless Leader.

Second, they try to say that the nefarious, job-hating, Cawmniss, Soshaliss, libruhl Democrat incumbent voted to raise your taxes by increasing fees and assessments on things like CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS.  Yeah, you read that right.  Republicans must be assuming that you're a criminal when they say that the Democrat voted to raise your taxes.  And, by the way, guess who signed into law every last one of those increases in fees and assessments?  You got it, Gov. Haley Barbour.

Folks, the tone and tenor of Republican attack ads this year has been shockingly bad.  The "damn-the-truth" attitude started back in the Longwitz-Barbour race, and it's carried right on through to the general election.  In fact, I remember predicting exactly this two months ago.  So good work, MSGOP.  You're running an operation Theodore Bilbo would be proud of.

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