What not to do in an election

At the risk of also being sued, and being added to the list of people including Bil Browning (Bilerico), Sheila Kennedy (American Values ALliance), The Orentlicher campaign, and Tyrion Lannister, Woody Myers is using his substantial warchest to send his lawyers after the political world. 

Yes, that's not a joke, Woody Myers is threatening to sue a bunch of people over the Orentlicher ad calling Dr. Myers an HMO Front man.  His lawyer says "Dr. Myers has an impeccable, exemplary reputation which we will not allow to be tarnished by defamatory statements."  Though I can't tell you the difference between libel and defamatory comments and their criteria, I think that anyone involved in politics or who has ever voted can tell you that you really can't sue your opponent for a negative ad, especially when your reasoning is because you have "an exemplary reputation."  Regardless, the war has started.

In case you missed the ads to start with, you will have no choice but to notice them now.

Seventh Congressional District candidate David Orentlicher today refused a call from opponent Woody Myers to take down a campaign commercial that Myers says contains false information.

Orentlicher said he stands by the ad and that Myers in 1999 testified before Congress on behalf of HMOs and insurance companies against a Democratic version of the Patient's Bill of Rights, which was defeated that year. Orentlicher said he is the only candidate who has refused to take special interest donations.

Myers said earlier that Orentlicher's ad accusing him of working with Republicans to defeat the bill is false and threatened legal action if it isn't removed. He held a press conference this morning at his Downtown campaign office to discuss the issue.

“I’ve taken care of patients my entire career and fought for them in every job I’ve had," Myers said in a press release.

Here is why this is so bad:

1)  Woody Myers has already put $1.6 Million of his own money into his campaign and runs the risk of looking like he is trying to buy his way into Congress.  Now that someone upset him, he is sending his lawyers out after them, making it appear even more like he is using his money to intimidate his opponents.

2)  This story has now made it to multiple blogs and news outlets.  A lot of people have not seen the ad yet, and chances are that the majority of people would not have seen it before Election Day since it's only 3 days away.  Throwing a fit over these ads and threatening to sue makes it one of the top stories on every local news channel, and when they report it, they will show the ad that went with it, making it so that everyone then sees the ad.  So, instead of half of the people seeing the ad and thinking that you are an HMO front man, now everyone will see the ad and think you are an HMO frontman.  Plus, this is all very free advertising for the Orentlicher campaign.

Andre Carson was also mentioned in this ad, but so far he has been smart about it and not said a thing.  He knows that to lay low was the best thing to do so as not to draw even more attention to it.

Now, I will sit here and wait for my letter from Woody's lawyers...

Posted by tdwblog@gmail.com

Comments

[Go west, young man]

I think I saw moving vans at the Conrad Hotel loading Woody Myers belongins in a van headed back to California where he and his wife really live. He is finding out that even in Indiana that you can not buy a seat in Congress.

[Petty Cash]

tdwblog: Jen will be back Wednesday. Unless she's part of that "healing" meeting between the two campaigns.

"I thought TDW was about keeping Daniels and the GOP in check while providing the occasional random post of fun. At least old TDW was."

"My interest is the news and what is going on in this historic election, be it Republican drama or Democrat infighting. Pretending that infighting doesn't exist does no one any good and it does not build a better party or electorate. Though I am a hardcore Democrat, party is not my primary goal, an informed electorate is."

For some reason, certain Democrats seemed to believe the old TDW when it was claimed that it was separate from work. While everything about it might have been done with personal money, on personal time, the simple fact is that if you work for the party, are you _really_ going to slam a candidate of the party? I honestly believe that had Jen not had a job with the party, we would have easily seen more negative posts about Democrats.

Well, at least you're not defensive about it.

[tdwblog@gmail.com]

When Jen took over TDW her goal was to hold Mitch's feet to the flame. I am not Jen.

My interest is the news and what is going on in this historic election, be it Republican drama or Democrat infighting. Pretending that infighting doesn't exist does no one any good and it does not build a better party or electorate. Though I am a hardcore Democrat, party is not my primary goal, an informed electorate is. I feel that people need to know what is going on, both in the press and behind the scenes, so that they feel more connected to the political process (both good and bad). I grew up in a town where people didn't like to mention the bad that was going on, but they sure liked to spread rumors about it, and the rumors did more damage than it did to confront the truth. There have been many times where misunderstandings have taken place, and the only way that they got taken care of was from someone posting about it and having the candidate clarify the record. (example: the Myers response about the false rumors that he wanted to quarantine AIDS patients)

Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending the world is perfect is what loses us elections, it doesn't grow a stronger party or a more educated electorate. Jen has entrusted myself and a few others with blogsitting while she is gone. I don't think she would have done so if she didn't trust our judgement, even if it strays from her exact mission on this blog. It is my hope that Jen doesn't return to the blog until November because she is busy on the campaign trail, but if that doesn't come to fruition she can come back at any time and take over the blog, and we'll welcome her back. Until then, I don't plan on changing my blog focus, denial is a friend to none of us.

Luckily, all of this primary fighting will be over in 2 days and we can get back to what is most important - holding Republicans accountable.

[Tyrion]

I'm the author of the original controversial post and I haven't taken a damn dime from David Orentlicher. All of it is true.

“Of course I am writing about the Democrat primaries”

I thought TDW was about keeping Daniels and the GOP in check while providing the occasional random post of fun. At least old TDW was.

New TDW lacks the humored and skilled writing of its predecessor. And it seems that you all just take turns posting random attacks against Democratic candidates that you don’t support.

I’d like to remind everyone that Bil Browning was paid by the Orentlicher campaign to do online outreach (or something like that), so please take anything he posts with a grain of salt. He has a vested interest in seeing Orentlicher win.

"raises virtually no outside money"

I thought I read someone on Advance Indiana a few weeks ago about him raising over $80,000 from individuals. I know I donated to him.

[Switzerland]

This is silly, displays an incredible ignorance of the law and the political process . . . and reminds me a lot of Schellinger's move conerning photographs of the taxpayers' property which he happened to design.

Thank goodness someone finally spoke truth to power. Orentlicher's right to point out that Myers has been in the pocket of insurance companies. David O stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field, and his record is consistent with his positions.

[IndyDan]

Woody will be on the first plane to California to return to his home and wife...wait a minute, though...there is the matter of the sealed criminal indictments against top execs of the insurance company that he was the medical director. I have no idea if he is one of the indicted execs or not but it would make me nervous.

[IndyDan]

Woody will be on the first plane to California to return to his home and wife...wait a minute, though...there is the matter of the sealed criminal indictments against top execs of the insurance company that he was the medical director. I have no idea if he is one of the indicted execs or not but it would make me nervous.

[Petty Cash]

So, again, let me get this straight:

An Indiana doctor, former state and NYC health commish, gets a hugely cushy job with one of the nations largest health insurers. As their supreme medical director. And when the company sells out, he goes to the bank to the tune of ten mil or so.

Nothing illegal there, but...when he moves back to Indiana, and decides to run for Congress, and raises virtually no outside money, and spends, already, $1.6 mil on the race....

We're supposed to be loyal subjects, not question the grand Oz, and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain?

In what unreal world does Dr. Myers live, that he expects this kind of hands-off treatment of his (nearly only)campaign funding source?

All of which sorta gives me a good giggle, when I read tdwblog's comment that Dr. Myers:

"...runs the risk of looking like he is trying to buy his way into Congress..."

In business terms, this would be called "acceptable risk" by Dr. Myers's standard.

The voters of the 7th will deliver him their verdict Tuesday. I'm betting it won't be pretty. All he will have done with those millions is keep David O from winning.

Wonder if he'll hang around if he loses?

[arnie]

Myers is a real piece of work. Is he ashamed of what he did for the Republicans? Damn he should be. After Tuesday he can go back to California.

Orentlicher. Voted for him once. What a mistake. Won't be doing THAT again!

[tdwblog@gmail.com]

Of course I am writing about the Democrat primaries, that's the only action going on these days. With the exception of Dan Burton's race, the Republicans have nothing to do right now but sit back and watch the paint dry as the Democrat momentum keeps building and building.

Some see it as infighting, I see it as the democratic process and it's going to bring us all together in the end, not destroy us like the Republicans are hoping.

I just love how the new TDW seems to only care about writing about the infighting among democrats. Finally, this blog is a true reflection of the party in Indiana!

[Bil Browning]

The best part is that they hired a lawyer so stupid. When I asked him what the Myers campaign found "disparaging," he just says "That's not relevant." ?!? So they wanted me to give them information because they found SOMETHING offensive - but they can't tell me what.

But what's with people wanting to sue Bilerico-Indiana these days? That's our 2nd lawsuit threat in a month and 3rd one since our launch. Geez.

At least we're teaching some of our local politicians what the 1st Amendment covers again...

[Capitol Insider]

Wait a minute. If the guy is pro HMO's, what's wrong with saying so?

[Welson]

I have switched my support to Myers because of these negative ads.

[Mrs. Practical]

Good report. I have dropped my support of Orenlicker because he has gone negative. Will be a last minute decision at the polls but not "O" (no matter how it is spelled or pronounced). What a jerk.