CINCINNATI (TDB) -- In Ohio, Republican State Rep. Bob Latta has filed a formal complaint with the state elections commission claiming the Club for Growth has distorted his record about raising taxes. In Virginia, the Club for Growth filed a formal complaint the same day alleging "malicious falsification in political advertisements" against a Democratic legislative candidate and the state party.
What ignited that spat? A Democrat's contention the Club for Growth's goal of major tax reforms will eventually lead to a national sales tax of 34%, causing "higher taxes on everything."
Ohio's Latta is being attacked by the Club for Growth, which is backing State Sen. Steve Buehrer in the Nov. 6 GOP primary for the vacant 5th Congressional District, which covers the NW portion of the state. In Virginia, Democrat Chris Brown has recently mailed out two political fliers that contend the Club for Growth is backing an incumbent Republican, Jeff Frederick, who favors the 34% sales tax.
The state Democratic Party financed the mailings. It has the Club for Growth howling that it has been hit with a low blow.
Phillip Rodokanakis, president of the Virginia Club for Growth PAC, filed formal legal complaints Oct. 9 with Virginia's attorney general and the state board of elections, along with local prosecutors in two counties. The full-text of the complaints, plus the fliers that triggered the controversy, are available here. Rodokanakis says:
"Every person who is active in political or grassroots circles knows that the Virginia Club for Growth PAC only promotes and endorses candidates that have taken a pledge in support or lower taxes and smaller government. To suggest otherwise is such an exaggerated folly and no knowledgeable and reasonable person can take it seriously -- it's akin to suggesting that the Pope isn't Catholic.
"The fact that these political mailings were funded by the Democratic Party of Virginia is particularly injurious . . . In other words, this is the second attempt by the Democratic Party of Virginia to malign our PAC and falsify or misrepresent our espoused and well known positions, in an attempt to deceive the voters. This sort of fraudulent campaign activity cannot be permitted to continue if the sanctity of the voting process is to be maintained."
In Ohio, Latta says the Club for Growth is maligning and misrepresenting his well known positions. In Virginia, the Club for Growth says its a victim of the Democrats doing the same thing.
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