Thursday,
October 26, 2006
Is Kean a Bigot?
The ANNOTICO
Report
A group
supporting Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. aired a political attack ad
showcasing a "Soprano" type on the phone complaining that his
"boy down in Washington, Bob Menendez," (US Senator )is in trouble
with the feds.
The Sons of Italy
and the Italian American One Voice organizations are justifiably livid!!!!
Especially since McKean's response to the Italian Communities objections have been so Very LAME.
If Kean had
any sense, instead of wining that he can't control his
"friends", he should INSTRUCT his"friends"
to IMMEDIATELY pull the Ad, and he should APOLOGIZE to
the Italian Community for the "Insensitive Conduct" of his
"friends".
IF those
"friends" did not pull the ad, he should do just as you would do
if Klu Klux Klan Bigots were to run a
"support" ad.
He
should DISAVOW them!!!!!!!!
Mr. Kean ARE you a BIGOT?????? Are your
"friends" Bigots, or your associates Bigots??? If NOT, then
show us !!!!!
Kean
Campaign: info@tomkean.com
The
By
Joe Donohue and Mark Mueller
Star-Ledger
Staff
Wednesday,
October 25, 2006
It's a political
attack ad with attitude, showcasing a black-clad mobster type on the phone as
he complains his "boy down in Washington, Bob Menendez," is in
trouble with the feds.
"Bada bing, we're in it -- but
deep," the actor exclaims in a not-quite-right
The 30-second
spot, a "Sopranos" takeoff created by a conservative political action
committee, is intended to rip U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) as he enters
the final weeks of a tight, nasty campaign against Republican state Sen. Tom
Kean Jr.
But since the ad
began running last week, it has had another, unintended effect: infuriating
Italian-Americans, who make up the state's largest ethnic voting bloc, not to
mention the Democratic establishment. They said the spot plays on ethnic
stereotypes and perpetuates the idea that
Kean disavowed
the commercial in a statement but has not called on the group that produced it
-- the Free Enterprise Fund Committee -- to stop running it.
"We have no
control over what these groups do," Kean campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said. "We put out a statement. I'm sure
they saw that."
The ad, scheduled
to run on cable television channels in northern and central
"Our phones
started ringing off the hook," said Robert Bianchi, a
Bianchi's office
received 30 to 40 calls the first day, he said. About 20 more angry residents
called or e-mailed Emanuele Alfano, director of the Bloomfield-based
Italian-American One Voice Committee.
"This ad is
like a twofer," Alfano said. "'Oh, you're an Italian and you're from
The ad touches on
what has become a Kean campaign theme, hammering at Menendez over a federal
investigation into a rental deal he had with a nonprofit agency in
He has denied any
wrongdoing.
In the new attack
ad, the would-be mobster opens with, "We got a problem," then laments
the federal investigation into Menendez as he paces around what appears to be
an alley.
"And worse,
this guy Tom Kean, he wants to clean things up, even cut taxes," the actor
adds. "Hey, where's our take in that? We need to get the bosses to fix
this."
An announcer
concludes with, "Tell Bob Menendez his high-tax record is a crime."
Matt Miller, a
spokesman for Menendez, called the ad "offensive" and
"disgusting."
"Instead of
offering half-hearted criticisms, Tom Kean Jr. should get serious about telling
his supporters to pull it," Miller said.
In his statement,
Kean condemned the ad as "insulting to the Italian-American community and
to
For many
Democrats, that wasn't enough.
"This shows
Tom Kean Jr. will smear everyone and anyone," party spokesman Richard
McGrath said. "He's trying to attack others, but he's really dragging his
own name through the mud."
Senate President
Richard Codey (D-Essex) brought up the topic last
night while addressing the Essex County Democratic Organization in
"So
despicable and so low," Codey said. "I
mean, do they have no honor and no dignity?"
The Free
Enterprise Fund Committee, based in
According to the
Federal Election Commission, the ad buy against Menendez cost $200,015.
Todd Schorle, the committee's spokesman, acknowledged the group
has received "some complaints." But he said he's glad people are
noticing it and that the group has no plans to pull the spot.
"It's a
creative way to highlight the senator and his shady past as a politician,"
he said.
Staff
writers Deborah Howlett and Josh Margolin
contributed to this report.
The
ANNOTICO Reports
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