Neff mailing compares Bell to bad hubby
Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, is the subject of a negative campaign mailing that compares him to a “cheating husband.”
The mail piece — sent out by the campaign of Democrat Cynthia Neff, Bell’s challenger in the Nov. 3 election — features a bundle of roses and says: “Rob Bell is just like a cheating husband who gets away with it … He acts like a nice guy at home. But he cheats on us in Richmond.”
In a fundraising e-mail sent Monday morning, Bell noted that the mailing was the first attack ad of the campaign and called it a “doozy.”
“I have been around numerous campaigns, and expect hard debate on the issues,” Bell wrote. “However, we can all remember how negative mailings filled with innuendo and personal attacks helped defeat Virgil Goode in 2008.”
Neff’s campaign manager, Michael McCall, said that the idea behind the mailing is that Bell often sends out letters of congratulations to constituents on occasions such as high school graduations, but is less willing to highlight some parts of his record as a legislator.
“He’s not telling them that he’s voting against teacher pay raises and to cut money from early childhood education,” McCall said.
Neff’s mailing goes on to accuse Bell of voting to “take over $500 million out of Virginia schools” and “against school breakfasts for hungry children.”
Bell, in an interview, disputed the mailing’s assertion. “We’ve voted to increase school funding even in these difficult economic times,” he said.
Virginia’s education funding, he pointed out, has jumped 23.4 percent over the last two state budgets. Moreover, Bell added, he voted in support of the state budgets that increased Virginia’s school breakfast program from $1.4 million in 2008 to $1.7 million in 2009 and $2 million in 2010.
Neff’s mailing also criticizes Bell for voting “to prevent rape victims from getting emergency contraception in the emergency room.”
Neff’s assertion comes from Bell’s vote in favor of HB 563 in 2002 that would have extended Virginia’s “conscience clause” to any “pharmacist or any other medical or health care professional” who refuses to dispense medications for the purpose of performing abortions. Under Virginia law, medical facilities and physicians are allowed to decline to perform abortions based on personal, ethical, moral or religious grounds.
“It was intended to enable health care providers who consider these medications to be immoral to be protected from losing their jobs,” Bell said.
McCall pointed out that Bell did not mention in his fundraising message any of the specific votes cited in the mailing, only attaching a scanned image of the front cover that does not include details.
“He kind of left out the part with all the substance,” McCall said. “But if I were Del. Bell, I wouldn’t want anyone to see the other side of it either.”
Bell said Neff’s attack ad is a sign of desperation.
“This is the kind of thing that losing campaigns do,” he said. “I’ve been a prosecutor. I’ve certainly had people say worse things about me.”
Bell added that he has sought to keep his campaign focused on the issues that most concern Virginians, including the economy, taxes and education.
Bell quoted U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner’s recent statement in support of Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor, for understanding that “keeping taxes low and controlling spending is the right way to keep Virginia ‘the best place to do business.’”
Bell said he agrees with the sentiment and has long sought to keep Virginia’s taxes low, thereby attracting businesses to the state and creating jobs.
“That why I’m seeking re-election,” he said. “I want to preserve that.”
Reader Reactions
Gordie thanks for that but it seems Neff’s status is ambiguous and you state Tom is an eligible batchelor. I think your statement proves my point.
I guess that’s just me…
Duh. Has anyone heard of Tom Perriello. One of the must eligible bachelors in congress!
Pals I want to get back to the case at hand. The bad hubby comment. Ms. Neff’s biography seems a bit light on personal details. Men are not really allowed to run without a pretty spouse or girlfreind in tow. Cynthia seems to be able to want us to ignore this aspect of her life. Why? If she is a bad husband expert she needs to inform the voters. Furthermore, if she is a lesbian this should be clear. There are many fine lesbians in our community and one as smart and purposeful as Neff would rock Virgina in a very powerful way.
antiboyd this is not a black/white; red/blue issue. It has more to do with just where is another article from Brian McNeill about the rest of the lies, distortions and out of this world type of remarks.
If you do not want to help clean up politics and bash all the candidates for their over the top out of context remarks, well that is your privilege.
You seem to write I sound holier then thou. Have you re-read your own comments to me.
In case you are not aware of it, Deeds has a stuttering problem and sounds like he does not know the subject.
Since I am looking for Deeds, not words, I will stick with what sounds like solutions.
I will not go along with off shore drilling as a means to get finances for transportation. For that money to start coming in it is 15 years down the road. I do not think Virginia should or can wait another 15 years to fix the transportation problem.
All I can say is that she should be ashamed!
Unortunately, the real world is not so black and white, or is it red and blue, as you say, Gordie. That is the problem with ALL of you idealogues who feel as though one party line or the other is all that matters. Frankly, there is no “magic pol” to solve your issues, somehow magically solving all of your petty gripes without costing anyone “just like you” a dime, yet sticking it to somebody else—whatever boogeyman you need to invent.
I’ve seen a half dozen times where Deeds has ducked the issue of taxes, or stumbled badly. I’d have much more respect for him if he were direct, honest, and put forth his ideas strongly, than try to guess what the media, or his supporters, or independent voters, might want to hear. It’s a sign of weakness, and it may cost my vote. But I am just one.
The Neff ad was over the top, whether you like Bell or not, whether you agree with him or not, whether you take offense to other candidate’s political plays or not. Crying “double standard” all the time—both sides do it—is tiresome.
There will come a day when a candidate figures out that they can stand on their own record, and their own vision, and don’t need to spend an unconscionable amount of money to run a campaign. I know nobody believes that, but there will be one radical-minded person who has the integrity and the charisma to pull it off.
In the meantime, what a lot of junk a voter must slog through to vote for a lot of miscreants.
sign
antiboyd although I agree with your reasoning about negative ads, I could accept that if the same people who are crying the blues about the Neff ad would be using that same voice to disown McDonell and his lies and distortion of Deeds statements.
Cripes in the debates Deeds promised he would not raise taxes. The next word out of McDonell’s mouth is Deeds will raise your taxes. In every story I read about the debates, there was not word written about McDonell calling Deeds a liar in the Debates. Yet when Creigh does it he is dirty campaigning.
Give me a break with these double standards.
As far as Bell, he is just another yes man of the Republican party.
Where is his voice in the transportation problem for the last 6 years. Where were his suggestions?
Where was his voice as the House of Delegates continued to unfund mandates and now the local taxes are going out of sight
All that ever comes out of the mouths of Republican’s is no new taxes.
Okay I can accept that but the state still needs to pay the bills. Where is his plan to spread the costs over all the citizens of the state, plus the people who travel thru our state damaging the roads. Where is his plan to locate the abusers of the tax codes, etc.
Yeh I know what Bell’s voice was. Increase the fines on motorists. Ad another expense when selling ones’ home. Money that is needed by plenty of people just so they can retire.
Where is Bell’s voice. With McDonell. Get the transportation money from off shore drilling. Even if the Goverment allowed off shore drilling, it would take 15 years to see any income from that suggestion. Money that was needed 4 years ago and wait another 15 years.
Yeh, Bell is a good legislator, Bull.
The only good legislator is one who solves problems today, rather then one who is kicking it down the road 15 years.
Of course on these type of opinion columns, I read where people want to return to the 15th century and before. So I guess it does fit into some people’s thinking.
Gordie,
Here’s the shoe on the other foot: If you truly believed that lies and distortions were a bad thing, you’d repudiate Neff’s ad. Defending on the basis of politics as usual, or the end justifies the means, is just wrong. And, I think, fundamentally, you know that (or, am I giving you too much credit?).
The Neff ad showed very poor judgment, and will prove to have sealed her fate as a candidate. This won’t be anybody’s loss. Bell is a capable, responsible representative.
Alinsky spoke at great length of the power of using personal attack to achieve means. The problem I have with that approach, is that it presumes that any and all means are acceptable—which I reject, personally, as though there is only one choice, or only bad choices, necessary to work good—I just don’t believe that. It also presumes that one knows with certainty what ends are in fact good. And here, Alinsky and I actually agree—he specifically warns against such an attitude.
That is one of the reasons Alinksy never allied himself with a political party. Perhaps he foretold this day, when the DNC and the RNC, as well as the majority of their local expression, would wreck such havoc on the social fabric of what was once a good and prosperous nation.
As an aside,I want to take my usual shot at the Schilling ‘blurb’. That site is junk. The radio show is good stuff. What a contrast. I don’t get it. Who needs more litter in the blogosphere?
What is inflamatory is when I just received 2 fliers in the US Mail that had all kinds of lies and distortion about Deeds and was endorsed by Bob McDonald.
McDonald,the Republican Party and friends of Bob McDonald are broadcasting lies and distortions all day long on the radio, TV and now in Giant postcards that came to my house.
The people writing here about Neff’s mailer are the ones promoting inflamatory comments and worthless lack of substance.
So give us a break about being holier then thou.
gordo - your comments are inflammatory and lack substance. Spare us.
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