by Andrew Walden
RELATED: Fact Checking anti-Djou attack ad: “Simply false”
“They bought time from everybody.”
That’s the message from Honolulu TV insiders regarding a major media buy paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Starting tonight, the National Democrat commercials will run through the end of this week. According to one Honolulu TV advertising sales exec interviewed by Hawai’i Free Press, the commercials will target Republican Congressional candidate Charles Djou. Djou is the only Republican facing off against Democrats Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case in the May 1 –22 mail in special election. The same source tells Hawai’i Free Press the DCCC message will be anti-Djou—and will not make reference to either Ed Case or Colleen Hanabusa.
The DCCC has released the commercial on Youtube (see video, below). In it they accuse Djou of protecting "big corporations that would export our future." Elaborating on their commercial, at www.DjouFacts.com the DCCC bases its accusation on Djou having signed the Americans for Tax Reform "no new taxes" pledge in 2009. In essence, the DCCC is trying to redefine opposition to tax increases as favoritism toward "big corporations"--and they do this based on a 2007 memo reflecting the ATR position on a single Congressional vote. Pretty weak stuff considering that the old-boy favorite, Colleen Hanabusa, is tied to the Broken Trust Gang, Ko Olina, and the Honolulu Raceway debacle. We at Hawai'i Free Press are still waiting for a single other media outlet to cover any of those three stories.
In an email to campaign supporters this afternoon, Djou campaign manager Dylan Nonaka writes:
"Democrats are scrambling as Charles' message of fiscal responsibility and government accountability continues to spread throughout Hawaii.
"A national publication, Politico, is reporting that, 'the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already assembled teams of top party operatives' including 'media strategist David Dixon, who signed on to work the Hawaii race to oversee what are expected to be large and expensive independent expenditure operations' against Charles and our campaign."
According to sources in Washington, DC, the DCCC has become increasingly worried about a Djou victory. Speculation has focused on the possibility of National Democrats’ breaking their official neutrality, bucking the Inouye machine, and openly campaigning on behalf of Ed Case.
POLITICO reports:
Determined to avert that result, the two sources said the DCCC is providing under-the-radar organizational support to former Rep. Ed Case against Democratic state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, including assistance from DCCC Western Regional Political Director Adam Sullivan.
Those efforts have coincided with the circulation of opposition research within Washington advancing the notion that Hanabusa is a longtime insider who received significant legislative pay raises at a time when the state has suffered through economic hard times — an emerging storyline that led Hanabusa to pull down her first campaign ad touting a vote to cut state legislative salaries and concede that the spot was misleading.
Several formidable obstacles still confront Democrats, however. The low-profile efforts on Case’s behalf has set up a potential showdown with Hawaii’s two senators, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, and a state Democratic establishment that harbors deep resentment toward Case for waging a 2006 primary bid against Akaka.
In recent weeks, the DCCC reached out to Inouye and Akaka, both of whom have endorsed Hanabusa, to inform them the committee is considering lining up behind Case, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversations.
On KITV, the DCCC commercials should hit the airwaves during “Dancing with the Stars” tonight between 7M and 8m HST.
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RELATED:
This is the DCCC Commercial and associated content from the DCCC's newly created "Djou Facts" Youtube channel:
Too Good - Jobs
From: DjouFacts | April 06, 2010 |
In the race for Congress, you've heard a lot about Charles Djou, so it's important to check his record on issues like jobs and the economy and what it will mean for people in Hawaii.
Djou's record on jobs is troubling. Djou pledged to a special interest group in Washington D.C. that he will protect tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Even though more than 43,000 people in Hawaii are looking for work, Djou still supports tax breaks for big corporations who would export our future.
Paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.