NYT: GOP often tries to tar Democrats as soft on crime, child protection

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats See a Chance to Turn the Tables
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: October 2, 2006

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 — In their efforts to keep their party in power, Republican leaders have not hesitated to hit the Democrats hard when it comes to the issue of protecting children.

The strategy was on display in Indiana, where the National Republican Congressional Committee recently ran a series of television spots showing a man accused of child molesting who was inadvertently released under the watch of Brad Ellsworth, a county sheriff and a Democratic candidate for Congress....

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In 2004, protecting children against lurking threats was a theme with the Republican House committee running advertisements against several Democratic candidates in Texas, Kansas and Indiana, accusing them of being out of step with “family values” because the candidates would “allow the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games and movies to our children.”

That theme has resurfaced this year. In the contest for Nevada’s Third Congressional District seat, the Republican incumbent, Representative Jon Porter, is running a spot that notes his work to crack down on pedophiles....

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And in mailings sent in recent months to voters in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District, the Republican incumbent, Representative Michael G. Fitzpatrick, criticized the Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy, who had raised objections to legislation seeking to protect children from online predators that Mr. Fitzpatrick proposed. Democrats said Mr. Fitzpatrick distorted the position of Mr. Murphy, who they said did not believe Mr. Fitzpatrick’s measure went far enough....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/us/politics/02child.html

[indepat]

1. GOP doesn't tar: GOP oxymoronically slimes others for what the slime

shoes best fit their own feet.