Cassis Rolls Out New TV Ad Accusing Bentivolio of Being 9/11 Conspiracy Theorist
Bentivolio campaign denounces "Krazy Kerry" references, saying the personal attacks deflect focus from Cassis record and the issues.
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Republican congressional candidate Nancy Cassis's campaign staff has been busy preparing for its upcoming elections for a U.S. House of Representatives seat representing Michigan's 11th District.
The Novi resident seeks to replace Thaddeus McCotter who resigned suddenly earlier this month. She will participate in the special primary election in September to temporarily fill his seat until it ends in January 2013. She will be running against four other Republicans: Steve King, Kenneth Crider and Carolyn Cavanagh. There is one Democrat running: David Curson. In August, Cassis will run as a write-in candidate against Kerry Bentivolio - the only Republican on the ticket. They will face off in the November general election against the winner of the Democratic primary, which will either be Bill Roberts or Syed Taj of Canton.
Today, the campaign debuted a new TV attack ad that accuses her opponent Bentivolio of Milford, the only Republican to appear on the ballot for the 11th Congressional District seat, of being a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. It's a charge that Bentivolio's campaign manager finds upsetting.
The Cassis ad narrator says, "The Free Press reports Kerry Bentivolio starred in a movie accusing President Bush and Vice President Cheney of ordering the 9/11 terrorist attack on America. It's sickening. Bentivolio's movie accuses America of plotting the murder of thousands."
The Cassis campaign has dubbed him "Krazy Kerry."
"I am disturbed that my opponent would have the poor judgment to involve himself with a liberal film that seeks to cast the blame for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the President and Vice President of the United States,” said Cassis in a press release about the ad. “We need a principled conservative in Congress that we can trust to fight the liberal agenda, not lock arms with extremists.”
Cassis campaign manager David Mroz added, “Krazy Kerry’s astonishing lack of judgment is why he cannot be trusted to fight for us in Congress. We already know that he supports amnesty and bankrupted his business, but now we learn he took a starring role in an extremist independent film, what is Krazy Kerry thinking?”
Bob Dindoffer, Bentivoilio's camapign manager, said the ad is outrageous.
"It’s not true and how dare she. The man went to war in 2007. How dare she," he said. "He’s a patriotic veteran of two foreign wars. He’s one of the more highly decorated members of the Michigan Army National Guard."
When asked about the video Bentivolio appeared in, which Cassis's ad draws attention to, Dindoffer said it was a spoof video taken out of context by her campaign. He also said the personal attacks deflect the focus from her record and the issues.
"It’s been a constant barrage of attacks," Dindoffer said of Cassis's campaign. "This is the dirtiest campaign I’ve ever seen."
New jingle says vote for Cassis
In addition to the TV ad announced today, the Cassis campaign has also unveiled a new jingle to remind voters of how to spell her name as a write-in candidate.
"Nothing fancy, write in Nancy. Nancy Cassis," the narrator says. The 16-second ad posted to YouTube spells out her name.
Mroz said the campaign plans to run the ad on television and radio.
Dindoffer added of the jingle, which also recently debuted, "I'm glad she's running an ad that’s not negative about our candidate."
The most recent campaign to use a widely publicized jingle for a write in candidate was successful for current Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski, also a Republican.
Michigan Voter
6:05 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
It is a shame that the party of fiscal responsibility could not agree to put forth just one candidate in the September special primary. If the party of fiscal responsibility had been responsible, we could have skipped the expense of the special primary. Thanks for further wasting my tax dollars.
Norm Q. Proflic
9:55 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I'm sick of dirty tricks and misrepresentations. I'm NOT writing in Nancy.
Peggy Miller
12:27 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
What is SHE thinking??!!??!! She didn't get 'chosen' as the write-in candidate because she would better serve her constituents... she was 'chosen' for 2 reasons... 1) She had the deepest pockets of those interested in being the write-in candidate, and 2) She is, and always has been, an easy mark for the republican party - she is their puppet! Kerry, on the other hand, is exactly what we have been hoping for - He's an average citizen (well, not really... he is also a decorated veteran, which most of us are not), and he is NOT someone who will give in to the pressures of either party to keep the games going in D.C. He's a CONSTITUTIONAL conservative whose principles and understanding of our constitution will guide his votes - not the good ol' boy method of politics!!! VOTE for KERRY BENTIVOLIO!!!
Kat
7:19 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Sorry, but she has already represented us a Senator. Her time is done. We need fresh views in Lansing...not a repeat of someone who just follows the caucus. She instigated a shut down of the film industry here in MI before it even had a chance to grow and help our state. She served the public and should be done now.
AC
10:51 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Nancy Cassis is an establishment piece of garbage! If we don't make sure Kerry Bentivolio wins, we all deserve everything we get when she votes just like Thaddeus McCotter did. Kerry is the ONLY choice here!
During his tenure, the legislation and appropriations McCotter voted for (and passed) has cost this country $1.2 trillion. That was just his 2008-2009 voting record. All number came from the congressional budget office of our federal government. Check it out: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=38986
Rick
11:04 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
It is terrible we need to bear the cost of a special election because a couple republicans didn't like the candidate and pulled Nancy out of retirement to try and force her into the seat. The process gets trumped again by a few in power. Democracy?
AC
11:07 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
I couldn't agree more. Nice use of tax payer money, Nancy! She's the epitome of, "it's not my money, so who cares?"
Michigan Voter
8:48 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
She's the epitome of, "it's not my money, so who cares?"
Isn't that every Republican?
Laura Vogel
1:00 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Besides Ms. Cassis, Steve King, Kenneth Crider and Carolyn Cavanagh have also filed to run as Republicans in this special election. I am personally puzzled why this is so. Setting aside that it's an utter waste of taxpayer dollars, I am truly scratching my head over why anyone would go to the personal trouble and expense of campaigning for an elected position that will last all of (approximately) two-or-three months. At least the Democrat Party had the decency to put forth only one special election candidate rather than several.
Dogpiling on the Republican Party, however, ignores the fact that BOTH parties could have saved us all by simply not putting forth ANY candidates. There would be no election to be held, because there would be no one to vote upon. Then the Governor could indeed appoint someone to serve that abbreviated seat. I can understand how the Democrat Party might not want to give Governor Synder that power, but why is his own party denying him that power? And, frankly, who the heck cares if a Democrat serves for two or three months? Are we that blinded by party labels that the Republican Party can't see past that?
EHM
2:53 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Laura, the September election is a primary, it does not decide who serves out McCotter's term. McCotter quit too late for their primary to be able to be on the August 6th ballot.
Democrats only have one candidate up for the special election, so his name will be on the November ballot whether or not we have a September primary.
However,SIX Republicans are running. The September primary is only needed so ONE Republican name goes on the November ballot.
Laura Vogel
3:23 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thanks for clarifying. Ouch, my head hurts... that, and my wallet hurts, too
KK
9:16 pm on Friday, July 27, 2012
She didn't need to hire a PR firm to come up with a jingle to help people remember her name. I think "Nasty Nancy" will stick.
Dave
9:41 pm on Friday, July 27, 2012
What sickens me is any type of attack add made by ANY politician!! It is like 2 young children who did a bad deed and each one pointing at the other and trying to drown out the other one as if that will decide who is correct. If you cant run on your own record and personality then your a loser no matter who you are. I dont care what the other guy may or may not have done, if your trying to get me on your side tell me what you did or WILL do!
Dave
9:42 pm on Friday, July 27, 2012
to add, I tend to vote republican but consider myself just barely republican side of stick.
Makua Kea
12:14 am on Saturday, July 28, 2012
hmmmm ... what if Bentivolio had taken an acting part playing a poor disadvantaged person.... would he be accused of being a bum by his opponents ? HE PLAYED A ROLE !!! USE SOME LOGIC !!!!!
C. R. Mudgeon
5:46 am on Saturday, July 28, 2012
We desperately need a Veteran in the hollowed halls of gummamint. There are too many already seated who, because of their lasck of Military service experience, find it dreadfully easy to vote "Yea" on issues that ultimately hurt of serving Military men and women.