Here we go again: Another case of our opponent saying do as I say not as I do

This is just one more example of Mr. Ward doing something he says he is against and then he goes out and does it. Voters in Genoa Township - where we know of for sure so far- were greeted with the voice of Mr. Ward extolling the virtues of his favorite candidate for governor. That’s fine, but then don’t say you “…opposes the use of the typically 30-second ads that are being telephoned to residents and left on answering machines throughout the county, state and country.” That’s called both a lie and hypocrisy.

We have seen this before from Mr. Ward. Last month he agreed with his favorite candidate for governor that all travel paid for by lobbyists should be banned (See our posts on 10/2 and 10/4), and then he goes on an all-expenses paid junket by lobbyists to Taiwan. This robo call episode is just one more example in a pattern of Mr. Ward saying do as I say not as I do. Unfortunately for him, adults don’t buy into that argument, and not many kids do either. How do you not call it a campaign call when Mr. Ward clearly identifies himself and his office? We are fighting for name recognition on a shoestring budget, and he has someone’s millions and the taxpayers doing it for him.

Mike is not against robo calls. He would have told you his position if the newspaper had asked him. Why they did not ask any of the non-incumbents for comments I don’t really know, but I have my suspicions. The calls should not be banned or placed on a Do Not Call List because the 1st Amendment is very important to Mike. However, the calls should not exceed a certain length, and they should clearly state who paid for the call just like a TV, radio or print ad. Whether we would actually use them if we had the money is another question, and we are not sure we would use them. For the many of you who have met Mike at the door you know he prefers personal contact. At this point we are spending our limited funds locally, taking an ad out in today’s local daily newspaper and local radio station.

By Kristofer Karol DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
The recent blitz of recorded political messages, or "robo-calls" as they are called, are "ripe for a lot of dirty tricks," according to one local legislator.
State Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton Township, opposes the use of the typically 30-second ads that are being telephoned to residents and left on answering machines throughout the county, state and country.
"It's an environment that's ripe for a lot of dirty tricks, people calling and saying things that aren't true or are unsubstantiated," Ward said, adding there is no law requiring a tag line of who paid for the messages.
State Rep. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg Township, recently recorded a robo-call in support of Republican gubernatorial challenger Dick DeVos.
"I think that they work if you can't get out and meet the voters yourself," Hune said. "I should apologize because everyone opens their mailbox (and) it's full of literature. Every time they answer the phone, it's a politician. But soon it will be all over."
Neither Ward nor Hune are using robo-calls for their own re-election campaigns, with the latter saying he has received a "couple of anecdotal things" about robo-calls from people he's met while out in the field.
Both have said they wouldn't be opposed to adding robo-calls to the list of prohibited calls on the National Do Not Call Registry.
Joe Carney, chairman of the Livingston County Democrats, said he was unaware of any county Democratic candidates using robo-calls.
"(Republicans) probably have more money than all of us put together, so that has something to do with it, and they believe that they work," Carney said.
Several local politicians have been approached by DeVos' camp asking them to record messages in support of his candidacy.
State Sen. Valde Garcia, R-Marion Township, said he declined to do so because of scheduling conflicts. Garcia is not doing any robo-calls for his own campaign.
Ward said he recorded a message, but wasn't told if it would be used for a robo-call.
Meanwhile, Ward said politicians will continue to use robo-calls until everyone agrees to stop using them, which he hopes will one day happen.
"It's kind of like the Wild West of campaign-ing — anything goes" Ward said. "Our system is built on some level of accountability, and robo-calls have none."