Thread: AZ: District 8: ALIPAC endorsement flap continues

Congressional District 8: ALIPAC endorsement flap continues
Posted: Oct 26, 2010 2:03 PM PDT

Video: Giffords criticizes Kelly's ALIPAC endorsement


Reporters: Claire Doan and Forrest Carr

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A question of endorsements continued to flavor the District 8 congressional race on Monday. The news and politics website Salon.com ran a story naming what it called "The 10 most terrifying would-be congressmen." Number one on its list was Republican challenger Jesse Kelly.

In making that pronouncement, Salon cited an endorsement of Kelly by ALIPAC, a political action group advocating a crackdown on illegal immigration. The Anti-Defamation League and fellow Republican Senator John McCain have labeled the group as having ties to racists.

On Monday the Democratic incumbent, Gabrielle Giffords, kept up the pressure. "Senator McCain's campaign, when his opponent received this endorsement, talked about the connection to neo-Nazis and extremist organizations," Giffords told KGUN9 News. "I would not accept the endorsement as someone who is Jewish, but as someone also who realizes that some endorsements you just don't want. This is one of them."

Giffords was referencing comments from Senator McCain earlier this year criticizing his Republican primary opponent, J.D. Hayworth, for accepting an ALIPAC endorsement. When KGUN9 News asked the senator last week how he felt about Kelly receiving the same endorsement, he pointed out that a group's decision to endorse a candidate does not mean the candidate endorses or agrees with that group.

However, in this case ALIPAC's website displayed documents showing that Kelly sought the endorsement.

Last week Kelly deflected questions from KGUN9 News about the endorsement. When contacted for a follow-up interview on Monday, a member of Kelly's campaign staff accused KGUN9 News of having aired a "gotcha piece," then said that Kelly was "too busy" for an interview.

However, it's by no means clear that the flap has hurt Kelly. The Sierra Vista Herald reported on Monday that when he mentioned during a campaign stop that Salon.com, which is generally considered to be a liberal website, found him to be "terrifying," the crowd roared its approval.

The story has also sparked a passionate debate among KGUN9 viewers,
( http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=13376510 ) many of whom dispute the allegations that ALIPAC is an extreme or racist group.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=13391766

Claire Doan and KGUN are so obviously on a crusade to try to influence that election against Jesse Kelly. I can't believe they are even putting that BS into a legitimate media report.

W