Rob Andrews: Put Up or Shut Up
Lautenberg Campaign Tells Andrews to Pull Down His False and Misleading 'Swift Boat' Ad Since He Has Zero Evidence to Back Up Its Scurrilous Claims
 
Throughout a seven week campaign based on false personal attacks, Rep. Rob Andrews has failed to address the issues and has fallen short in defending his record of siding with Republicans against the people of New Jersey.  Instead, he has launched a blatantly false ad that accuses Senator Lautenberg of mocking his opponent in 1982 because she was a female senior citizen.  Because Andrews has failed to produce any evidence to back up this scurrilous attack since his ad started running almost two weeks ago, the Lautenberg for Senate campaign is demanding he pull it from the airwaves since Andrews' campaign admits it essentially made up the false and misleading charge.

Almost one week ago, Andrews' own campaign chairman admitted the ad was misleading during an interview with Talking Points Memo, which wrote: "Asked to cite a specific example of Lautenberg attacking Fenwick's gender, Andrews campaign manager Michael Murphy told Election Central, "I would not be able to say that he said, 'This person is incompetent to serve because she's a woman.''"  These comments came shortly after Andrews himself promised to run a positive campaign that would not address Senator Lautenberg's age.

In fact, Andrews' ad outraged so many women across the state and the nation that it drew immediate criticism from fellow Democratic elected officials almost immediately.  Maryland U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski said of his false commercial that it "looks more like the work of a Bush Republican than a 2008 Democratic candidate for Senate."

"As his numbers sink lower and lower and his campaign becomes more and more desperate, Rob Andrews has decided to 'Swift Boat' Senator Lautenberg with a blatantly false television commercial.  As a Democrat, he should be ashamed to use these divisive Republican tactics deserving of Karl Rove.  He should take down this commercial and apologize to the women of our state for insulting their intelligence," said Lautenberg for Senate spokeswoman Julie Roginsky.

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