It's pretty clear that Andy McKenna's campaign is not yet in the holiday spirit.
McKenna, a Republican candidate for governor, has put out a new ad with the same apocalyptic music and burly voice as in his "hair" spot, and Gov. Pat Quinn's people have quickly fired back.
The ad features some Quinn quotables, and it paints McKenna as the only responsible choice versus the incumbent Democrat.
Hours after McKenna's campaign released the ad yesterday, Quinn's campaign quoted a report from the Chicago Tribune that undercuts a key "quote" in the ad. It was "completely fabricated" by the McKenna campaign, according to the Quinn statement.
Our colleagues at the Tribune agree. From the paper's Clout Street blog:
Republican governor candidate Andy McKenna has launched a new television ad that accuses Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn of hiding the truth and lists the Chicago Tribune as attribution, though the Tribune never reported the words.
The ad uses the words "Quinn hides truth" and “Chicago Tribune, 11/18/09” beneath the accusation, superimposed over a black-and-white photo of the governor, making it appear that the Tribune used the words.
Campaigns have long used references to newspaper articles to lend credence to the contents of their television advertising. But in the case of McKenna’s ad, the Tribune never used the phrase about Quinn or in its coverage.
Apparently, the McKenna campaign has ignored this rebuttal — or more appropriately, this reality. It sent an e-mail to supporters less than an hour ago, linking to the ad again.
Windy Citizen 