Marathon Pundit: McKenna in 2006: Denounced Republican for attack ad

Andy McKenna, the phony outsider running for governor--he's a former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, has chosen to go negative against the frontrunner in the race, Jim Ryan, whom this blog has endorsed.

The Ryan campaign has issued a press release regarding McKenna's hypocrisy:

For those who ever wondered about the sincerity of Andy McKenna, consider the letter below that he wrote four years ago. It chastises Republican Rod Gidwitz for airing a negative TV ad against Judy Baar Topinka.

Four years later, McKenna is doing exactly what he told Gidwitz should never be done—attack fellow Republicans in a primary.

February 16, 2006

Dear Ron:

On behalf of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, I am writing to express our collective disappointment with your decision this week to air a negative television advertisement about a fellow Republican. Instead of attacking our own candidates, we as a Party should focus our attention on the failures of the Democrats and the fiscally reckless and ethically challenged record of Governor Rod Blagojevich.

As you know, the Committee adopted a Code of Conduct last December that asks all Republican candidates for elective office to abide by certain guidelines during the course of their campaigns, including a promise to avoid any "misrepresentations" or "distortions" regarding fellow primary candidates and their records. Unfortunately, you chose not to sign the Code, so I have included a copy for your further review.

Our goal as Republicans is to earn back the trust of voters, and in doing so, we have a responsibility to encourage all candidates to present their campaign messages in an accurate and straight-forward manner. That is why it is so important for all of us to avoid misrepresentations and distortions. A vigorous debate about issues and ideas strengthens our Party; distorted negative attacks weaken our credibility.

In our opinion, questions exist about the accuracy of the charges in your current advertisement that need to be resolved. Therefore, we believe you should present the public with appropriate and specific documentation to defend your charges. Otherwise, we respectfully request that you edit the content of the message to accurately and truthfully reflect your opponent's record.

We have a great opportunity to win back the governor's office this year. Let's keep our eye on the ball. By turning our attacks on each other, we provide aid and comfort to our Democratic opponents who will eagerly exploit our internal differences, divide our ranks and help us defeat ourselves.

Sincerely,

Andy McKenna

Chairman