Claudia Peschiutta
GLENDALE -- Campaign officials for incumbent Rep. James Rogan
(R-Glendale) aren't happy with some of the political advertising that has
recently been released -- by the congressma's own party.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has been using a
News-Press editorial to attack 27th District challenger, state Sen. Adam
Schiff (D-Glendale), in pieces the Rogan campaign called "misleading."
An NRCC mailer, sent to local voters this month, claims Schiff
"deceives senior citizens about where Congressman Rogan stands on saving
Social Security and reforming health care."
The News-Press said it best ... Schiff is 'malicious, misleading' and
'shows a lack of integrity,' " the piece goes on to say.
The Sept. 16 editorial quoted refers to a Schiff mailer that accused
Rogan of taking "no interest or initiative on the issues important to his
Armenian-American constituents" until this election year. The News-Press
item called the piece a "malicious, misleading missive" and said it
"shows a integrity" within the Schiff campaign.
The GOP mailer "is misleading and I regret that the NRCC chose to send
it out," said Jason Roe, manager of the Rogan campaign. "I don't think
it's necessary to mislead voters."
Roe said Rogan planned to talk to NRCC leaders about the piece. The
congressman did not return more than five calls for comment.
"It's really going to be up to the NRCC for what they do to correct
the record," Roe said. "We can't take responsibility for what everybody
else does ... but we can certainly encourage the Republican Party to
focus on Adam Schiff's record."
NRCC officials said they stand by the mailer.
"I've read the editorial and it was referring to Schiff misleading
voters on the Armenian issue, but, I think the point is Adam Schiff has
mislead voters on several issues," said Marit Babin, an NRCC spokeswoman.
When asked if she thought constituents might be led to believe the
editorial's comments refer to claims made about Schiff in the piece,
Babin reponded, "I can't see into the minds of voters."
Obviously, they're using an editorial out of context," said Parke
Skelton, a Schiff campaign consultant. "It dealt with one line in one
Armenian mailing that went to 8,000 households and they're using it to
imply Adam Schiff is dishonest on issues unrelated to that."
The editorial has also been used in an NRCC broadcast-television ad
that claims Schiff has "made a fortune investing in drug stocks."
"When drug companies rack up big profits, so does Adam Schiff. No
wonder the Glendale News-Press said Schiff's campaign 'shows a lack of
integrity,' " the ad reads.
The NRCC mailer claims Schiff owns "up to $1.5 million in drug company
stock" and says the state senator "has his hands in our pockets ... just
making a fortune off of his drug stocks."
Schiff's wife, Eve, inherited stock in a pharmaceutical company that
amounts to "substantially less" than $1.5 million, Skelton said.
