GRIMES DEFENDS NEGATIVE PUSH-POLL
Hubbard calls on Opponent to release entire text of poll and results
MONTGOMERY -- Last week, Joe Hubbard, the Democratic nominee for Alabama House District 73, called on his Republican opponent to repudiate a misleading push-poll conducted about Hubbard. Instead of distancing himself from it, Grimes, a two-term incumbent, defended the push-poll, which was conducted by the Alabama Republican party.
On Saturday, Grimes confirmed that the Republican party faxed him a copy of the push-poll. "I read the questions," said Grimes, "and I don't find anything personally offensive." Hubbard responded that he has not seen the questions, and he called on Grimes to release the entire text of the push-poll and the results, if there were any.
Grimes has released one question from the push-poll that reads, "How do you feel to know that Joe Hubbard is a lawyer who has sued local businesses and has defended many corrupt Montgomery politicians?" Grimes stated that Hubbard is a lawyer and that's what he does. Hubbard responded that it is true that he is an attorney, but the rest of the question has no basis in reality.
"When county sheriffs around the State are sued by convicted criminals, I represent them," Hubbard said. "I don't represent Sheriff Marshall, and I've never represented any elected official in Montgomery County. I've certainly never sued any businesses, here." Hubbard said Grimes may not find these kinds of questions "personally offensive," but they are not factual and need to be repudiated under the "clean campaign" pledge.
"These are the kind of campaign tactics that David and I promised to refrain from and repudiate," says Hubbard. "Instead of distancing himself from these false attacks, David has chosen to defend them and now says that I need to get used to them because it's politics." Hubbard says Grimes' support of the push-poll shows that he's bought into the political game and is more concerned with standing up for his party than standing up for what's right.
Even a local conservative talk-show host has condemned the push-poll. Dan Morris told listeners on his morning talk-show, "Viewpoint," that his family had received the push-poll. Morris questioned Grimes' judgment in defending the negative attacks, especially in light of the divisive June primary and the clean campaign pledge.
Below is Grimes' statements on the push-poll from WSFA's website:
For more information please visit www.hubbardforhouse.com.
