To avenge Cunningham's fall, RW in San Diego targets Filner for smear.

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The RW radio stations, right-leaning TV news stations, and local newspaper are making a big deal out of the fact that U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) pays his wife for working for his campaigns. This is clearly another in a long line of RW smear campaigns (Thomas Eagleton, Rose Bird, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Kevin Shelley, on and on). Don't fall for it. Filner has not broken any laws, and he is an honest and sincere Congressman. He has stood at my doorstep (back when he was running for San Diego City Council) and after talking with him I think he is one of the "good guys." It's disgusting that the RW and local media has suddenly set their crosshairs on him, probably because they are still sore over Duke Cunningham's dramatic fall.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20051204-9999-1m4filner.html

[skids]

1. I think our immediate response to anything like this...

...should be simply to say "well, maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but compared to (insert Republican Congresscritter here) that's pretty tame."

The repugs really have no foot to stand on.

[sui generis]

2. well even if he technically can pay his wife

he shouldn't.

The appearance of impropriety is the same thing as impropriety if you are serious about ethics. I can't personally give him a free pass.

Arguing against RW smear campaigns is like arguing against lions liking meat. They just do; that's why we don't keep them for pets.

We just don't need to make ourselves available to them as prey, and even though we're slipping through some loophole in the law, it is the appearance of impropriety that's making the news. If we play on DeLay's "appearance" of impropriety we can't exercise a double standard ourselves.

[Yollam]

3. Filner's a good guy.

I remember him when I lived in SD.

[Old and In the Way]

4. If he's following the rules, no problem.

We shouldn't support corrupt Democratic politicians. OTOH, we shouldn't fold on our Congresspeople just because the Republicans are turning up the heat on some. We need to be informed and stop the lies before they can take hold. If it's legal, we need to push back. If Cunningham's only transgression was that his wife was a paid consultant on his campaign, would there be any issues? I doubt it.

Lets not lose our backbone when we demand that our Democrats retain theirs...

[snippy]

5. Lots of members of Congress do this, including Tom DeLay.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-campaign14apr14,1,2347989.story?coll=la-headlines-politics

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/pfeiffer200504140933.asp

It is perfectly legal.