1. The Utah Democratic Party didn’t talk to Paul Rolly about Speaker Curtis. Opposition research is just that: Research. When Speaker Curtis got caught double billing in the Guzzlegate Scandal, Democrats had nothing to do with it. He did. When we put in the GRAMA request to double check some promises the Speaker made, we didn’t tell anyone. Who did? Funny how Rolly’s story only provided Curtis’ side of the story. A similar thing happened when we asked the Office of Special Counsel about whether certain Republican candidates were covered by the Hatch Act. An ‘anonymous’ tipster called the press. It is interesting how threatened people become when Utah Democrats start asking questions of public institutions.
2. Mr. Webb must have missed Rolly’s blog post about how well negative campaigning has worked for Republicans in the past. Take a look, LaVarr, at the Democratic Party Code of Fair Campaign Practices. I can’t seem to find something like this anywhere on the GOP website. Curious, no?
Mr. Webb said, “It’s OK to make substantive criticisms and show contrasts, pointing out an opponent’s voting record or differences on policy issues or ideology, but there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.” Does he draw the line at holding public officials accountable for their public actions, or does he draw the line at asking questions (without talking to the press) about guys over on his fringe?
It appears that many in the Utah news media do draw that line. For instance, is any member of the news media going to ask Republican legislators, leaders and Congressmen about conflicts of interest, attachment to, involvment in, and proximity to scandal? And, if they do, will certain “colomnists” and “radio hosts” tip toe through the apologist tulips, guiding lawmakers through the giddy dance of foot-from-mouth-extraction?
Rest easy, LaVarr, dirty campaign tactics don’t work for Utah Democrats because Utah Democrats don’t use them. Holding public officials accountable for their public actions, however, is a duty that we share with the members of the Fourth Estate.