I’m sorry I missed the Markell presser. From the release it sounds like it Carney’s miscalculation is going to cost him.
Brian Selander, former Communications Director for Senator Tom Carper, member of the Progressive Democrats of Delaware, and Democratic Committeeman began the press conference demanding that the Carney campaign pay back the full cost of the radio commercials.
“Delaware Democrats deserve more than these underhanded campaign tactics,” Selander said. “It’s just plain wrong. With so many Democratic campaigns that need help against Republicans – campaigns that we can all agree are a priority – why would John Carney allow them to spend thousands of dollars running his ads? His actions are disappointing.”
It is a great point. The underhanded campaign tactics show that Carney is either desperate or lacking in judgement.
“I was the first state-wide elected official in Delaware to endorse Barack Obama,” said Markell. “I recognized that the country needs real change and new ideas,” Markell continued. “And after eight years of the failures of the Bush administration we should all be doing everything we can to help make sure that change comes about. It is disappointing that Lieutenant Governor Carney is using the State Party to pay for ads for his own campaign with funds that should be used to support Barack Obama, or my friend Matt Denn, or a great legislator like Terry Schooley, or our entire slate of Democratic candidates in the fall.”
This Democratic party debacle puts Jack on the side of good Democrats like Denn, Schooley and Obama – and Carney on the side of the corrupt status quo.
Dr. William W. Boyer, Emeritus Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Delaware, put the ads into context, stating, “The State Treasurer is one of the six constitutional officers along with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner and Auditor. Jack Markell is one of the leading Democrats in the state, and received over 70% of the vote in his last election. I’ve never heard of this before. That the State Democratic Party would spend money supporting these ads in a primary is unheard of. I can’t remember anything like this ever happening.”
Unprecedented maladministration by the state party. Carney needs to do the right thing and return the money.