CHRISTIE TICKET PICKS MEMORIAL DAY TO SMEAR ARMY VETERAN WITH THREE SONS IN UNIFORM
For Immediate Release: Sunday May 24, 2009
LONEGAN CALLS ON CHRISTIE, KYRILLOS AND KEAN JR. TO CONDEMN ATTACK ON DOHERTY’S PATRIOTISM
PARSIPPANY -- Speaking in front of Christie Campaign Headquarters in Parsippany, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan called on opponent Chris Christie - as well as Christie's campaign chairman and co-chairman - to distance themselves from a direct mailer and robo-call that attacks the patriotism of a fellow Republican.
Conservative Assemblyman Mike Doherty is challenging Marcia Karrow for the 23rd District State Senate seat in New Jersey. Doherty is running with Steve Lonegan. Karrow is on Chris Christie's ticket.
The Christie-Karrow ticket chose Memorial Day weekend to put out a mail piece that accused Mike Doherty of supporting "Surrender in Iraq". Yesterday, a recorded telephone message was sent to households telling voters that Mike Doherty supports "Surrender in Iraq".
Mike Doherty is a West Point graduate who served for eight years in the United States Army. Mike and his wife, Linda, have three grown sons in military service. Their son Ryan just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. Their son Matt is set to be deployed to Iraq with the United States Army. Their son Jared is stationed on remote duty in South Korea with the U.S. Air Force.
"There isn't a single Republican official in all New Jersey with more at stake when it comes to the defense of America," Lonegan said.
The author of this attack on an American veteran is Chris Christie's political consultant, Jamestown Associates. Christie campaign chairman Joe Kyrillos and co-chairman Tom Kean Jr. are Karrow's top supporters.
Neither Mr. Christie or Senator Kean or Senator Kyrillos have ever served in the United States military. Karrow has not served.
"These people are shameless," Lonegan said. "They have no right to question the patriotism of Mike Doherty or his family."
"Today I'm asking Chris Christie, his campaign chairman, and co-chairman to speak up about this outrage and distance themselves both from Marcia Karrow and her consultants immediately," Lonegan added. "It's one thing to see Barack Obama, Jon Corzine and their leftist allies attacking our military. It's another thing to see someone who claims to be a Republican say the same thing."
"Mike Doherty is an Army veteran with three sons serving in harm's way," Lonegan pointed out. "Marcia Karrow's attacks on Mike Doherty's patriotism, as well as his three sons, are just about the lowest thing I've seen in politics in a long, long time. It's just another reason why Republicans need to sweep out-of-power the Christie-Karrow liberals who have made us the minority party and led us to defeat. They're just more of the same."
"It's time for a change, time for a conservative change, and I look forward to working with Senator Mike Doherty to take our state back from the kind of people who engage in these smears. Republicans shouldn't question the patriotism of veterans who have served and who have family members serving. It mocks the work they do to protect the freedoms all of us enjoy. The integrity of the entire Republican party is at stake with this disturbing attack on a military family."
http://www.lonegan.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22400&mname=Article&rpid=5955
