More On The Negative Campaign Against Christine Scales

Today, I received three (yes, three) pieces in the mail from the Indiana Republican Party on Melina Kennedy, the Democratic nominee for mayor.

I first thought about what a waste it was to send three negative direct mail pieces to the same address on the same day addressed to the same person. I mean sure, they were about different subjects (one about crime, the other jobs, and the final one on crime, jobs, and taxes), but I digress.

But then I turned my thoughts back to the negative campaign being waged by Democrats against Councilor Christine Scales, a Republican running in the 4th district of Indianapolis for re-election to the City-County Council. Her opponent, Kostas Poulakidas, is one of the most well financed campaigns for council in Indianapolis history. And that money can buy a lot of direct mail pieces.

Poulakidas and the Democrats, aided by the Indiana Democratic State Central Committee (and perhaps aided by a $5,000 contribution Poulakidas gave the Indiana Democratic Party), first sent out this postcard-like mailer and later sent out a follow up. The postcard reads "Paid for and authorized by the Indiana Democratic State Central Committee."

In these several GOP pieces on Kennedy, the disclaimer reads "Paid for by the Indiana Republican Party. www.indgop.org Authorized by Greg Ballard for Mayor"

I'm not intimately familiar with campaign finance law or what types of disclaimers are required on mailers, television ads, and so on. But I find it interesting that the disclosures are different and, in my opinion, more honest on the GOP side.

UPDATE: Terry Burns and Kip Tew, both Democrat insiders, are taking the stance that THEIR negative mailers in district 4 are just "lighthearted" and "a joke." Nevermind that their mailers lied about Scales' council attendance record and distorted the Capital Improvement Board bailout vote, a vote which a majority of their Democrat councilors voted against.