James Wensits has an article in the South Bend Tribune entitled “Congressional race explodes.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched ads accusing Chocola of being in the pocket of “Big Oil” and voting against legislation that theoretically would have cracked down on “price gouging” by oil companies.
Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a press release stating that in 2001 the IRS placed a lien against a Donnelly family business based in LaPorte for unpaid payroll taxes. Donnelly says, and his brother who runs the business confirms, that Donnelly did not have any active role in the business after 1997.
Are both claims misleading? Probably. Life is nuanced. Political campaigns can’t afford to be. But notice the difference in the attack strategies. The DCCC is going after Chocola over policy differences and his role as a public servant, specifically Chocola’s political relationship to the oil industry. Meanwhile, the NRCC is trying to go after Donnelly for things that have nothing to do with public policy. They dredge up late paid property taxes, and now a family business Donnelly has little to do with.
All is fair in love, war, and politics, I suppose; but I don’t think this is wise strategy by the Chocola campaign. I think the public is going to identify with a guy like Donnelly who gets his bills paid even if he has to juggle a little and pay things late on occasion, particularly if those bills are something like the much-hated property tax. Certainly, those sorts of every day struggles are more familiar to voters than the lifestyle of the ultra-rich Chocola who is worth 10s of millions of dollars, according to public records.
Amen to that. I have been working the Democrat’s booth at the St. Joe County 4-H fair this week and every person has told me that the property tax thing was a dumb move by the Republicans because people blame the Republicans for the property tax situation, the attack makes R’s seem out of touch and petty, and the fact that someone like Joe has trouble with it too makes him seem more like an “average Joe”.
Notice that these charges, especially the family business charges, are more than two years old. If these are such scandalous situations, why didn’t they come out in 2004? Because Chocola was not behind in 2004; he is now. Can the Republicans be any more transparent? The RNCC conducted their own poll of IN-2 and obviously the results didn’t thrill them because they have released the poll results for everyone but the incumbents that are in trouble, including Chocola. Therefore, they resort to innuendo and personal attacks. Today I received another piece of franked mail from Chocola’s “Congressional” office touting his money saving intitiatives. This after the Republicans blew the Clinton surplus and have racked up an incredible amount of debt. Give me a break!
You switch mid-post from talking about unpaid payroll taxes to unpaid property taxes. Which was not paid? I suspect it was payroll taxes, as the IRS would not file a lien for unpaid property taxes. Not paying your payroll taxes is a very serious crime; you are stealing from your employees when you do that.
By the way, tonight at the 4-H fair the R’s had a blown up copy of Joe’s Laporte County property tax statement with the title, “Politics over taxpayers”. Sad. This from the party that leased the toll road…over taxpayers wishes. Changed the time zone…over taxpayers wishes. Privatized and outsourced numerous state agencies and services…over taxpayers wishes.
Will they never learn?
D T, your post popped up just as I submitted my second. It was payroll taxes that were not paid. I do not know the explaination, but Joe Donnelly was not involved with the company at that time, his brother Jack was. If and when Jack decides to run for public office, then this is a legitimate concern. Are the Republicans saying that Jack Donnelly is the 2006 version of Billy Carter?
Sorry about the confusion. The latest attacks have to do with unpaid payroll taxes by a company run by Joe’s brother in which Joe apparently hasn’t had an active role since before the payroll tax issue came up. The property tax matter was last week’s attack having to do with Joe’s late payment of property taxes.
This is petty stuff from the Chocola campaign. Though this gives Donnelly a perfect opportunity to hammer the Congressman for Congress’ failure to discuss simplifying the tax code. Joe can make people relate, asking them if they ever feel like theyre one easy mis-step from mis-filing. It contines to go to the heart of the fiscal irresponsibility of this Congress. A lack of bold vision from conservatives. And clarity from Democratic Congressional candidates about middle class issues.