Gibson addresses HRCC's "flat-out lies" in attack on snailmail slimings.

Shane Gibson held a press conference on Friday to rebut recent slime mailings generated by the House Republican Campaign Committee. Chris Morris covered the press conference for the Tribune, which includes incumbent Ed Clere's response the rebuttal. According to Gibson, education in the general sense, local school closings more specifically, jobs, and "potential tolls" on bridges are the main issues in the House 72 race.

Heck, anyone can churn out one of those.

Today I received the third snail-mailer attack on Shane Gibson in ten days, courtesy of the House Republican Campaign Committee. It occurred to me to protest, and I went to Facebook ... well, you know the rest of the story.


Rep. Clere has deleted this comment. And deleted it. And deleted it.

As the hate mail floods in from Indianapolis, apparently now on a daily basis, and while Ed Clere's Facebook page remains off-limits for legitimate questions from taxpaying voters, here's the question for Rep. Clere, yet again:

"Can you explain your position on tolls for the Ohio River Bridges Project? Thanks."

Can't avoid deleting legitimate questions, can't disavow illegitimate attack ads.

It's the second of two autonomous Republican attack committee ads to arrive via snail mail in a week's time, and it isn't even September. In a perfect world, we could delete scurrilous offal like this, but perfection apparently exists on one's Facebook site only.

Taking a cue from the mailing: From where I'm seated just now, Rep. Clere lacks the commitment to principles of free speech needed to serve as state representative.

Can Ed Clere explain his position on tolls for the Ohio River Bridges Project?

Thanks.

Why am I suddenly reminded of Bill Cochran?

Well, well. It's deja vu, all over again, in the form of a nice, glossy piece in the snail mail today.

Says that, "Shane Gibson put criminals on our streets" and "has been irresponsible and left our families in harm's way." Accuses him of cutting deals while serving as a deputy prosecutor. Doesn't mention whether current prosecutor Keith Henderson's ever cut deals, although given the burgeoning number of citizens imprisoned for jaywalking, Henderson might indeed be a virgin when it comes to such deals.

But I digress. More boilerplate attack-dog negativism, from the (wait for it) House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) in Indianapolis.

Perhaps Gibson's incumbent opponent can issue his denials and expressions of HRCC impotence now, and avoid the post-Labor Day rush.

Conversely, perhaps both candidates can jointly proclaim: "We shall run pristine campaigns on the issues, and the issues alone, absent anything negative spewing from our own mouths, while of course leaving the mudslinging to mercenary surrogates up north."

That would make me feel much better.

I think.