Monday, July 10, 2006

Negative enough for you, Governor Dukakis?

Barbara Anderson, the grassroots activist who heads Citizens for Limited Taxation, is absolutely merciless in skewering the Michael Dukakis-led committee that plans to police campaign advertising by Democratic candidates in the gubernatorial race this year. "Democrat Party Babysits its Candidates," Anderson’s press release is headed, and since it doesn’t seem to be posted on the CLT website, I offer it here for your enjoyment:

"We of course are loving the sight of the Democrat Party making a complete fool of itself by publicly stating that its own candidates don’t have the maturity or judgment to create their own ads.

"If this is true, and I for one don’t think it is, then the last person who should be in charge of maturity/judgment issues is former Governor Mike Dukakis.

"We have watched in amazement as he criticizes Republican governors for leaving after one term or running for another office. This is the governor who ran for president for a year around the country while still hanging around and taking his paycheck as governor! The Dukakis administration, which included Phil Johnston, faked revenues and hid bills in order to create the mirage of the "Massachusetts Miracle" that he ran on. When he finally left office our economy was in the toilet, and the state fiscal crisis (when the true revenue numbers could no longer be hidden) caused two major tax increases. The income tax rate is still not returned to its pre-'Massachusetts Miracle' 5 percent."

Then comes an interesting revelation into the history of 1988’s most famous presidential campaign spot:

"Negative ads? I was the person who told Al Gore’s campaign to use the Willie Horton issue, when their opposition research people came to my office looking for tax issues. They called us back just before Super Tuesday and asked us to fax everything we had on the Horton issue, but it was too late for Al Gore. However, the Republicans knew what to do with it. They created the perfect ad, showing Dukakis’ arrogance and softness on crime, in time to warn the American people.

"I understand his sensitivity on the issue of negative ads, but I’m surprised, after what Dukakis did to the Commonwealth, that he shows his face in public here."

Truly, hell hath no rage like a taxpayer-warrior scorned! Do you think Dukakis still views Anderson as one of the "gutless wonders" of Massachusetts politics?

Posted by Jeff Jacoby at 04:19 PM

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