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There is nothing more pitiful than a desperate politician.  And, David Grimes' desperation is more apparent now than ever before.  In my mailbox today, I found an attack mailer from my opponent.  It calls me a liar for bringing up Grimes' voting record on PACT, a record he's obviously not proud of.

 

And, why would he be proud?  The first bill that came up, he didn't bother to show up to vote, even though he promised PACT parents in the district that he would fight for the program.  The second time it came up, he voted against it while all the PACT parents watched from the balcony.  By the time it came up a third time,, he saw it was going to pass, so he finally voted for it to clear his record.

 

What's more, his attack mailer accuses me of breaking the Clean Campaign Pledge we signed back in June!  How quickly he's forgotten the misleading and false questions he authorized for the push-poll he ran back in August.  And, perhaps the whisper campaigns he's pushed for the past few months don't count either.  And now, this attack mailer. 

 

I guess some people will say anything to win, especially when the race tightens.  And, that's a shame.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, I received a call from my opponent, Rep. David Grimes.  He wanted to offer me an explanation on the push-poll that has cast doubt on the "Clean Campaign Pledge" we both made to the people of our district on June 10, 2010 on the steps of the Alabama Statehouse. 

Representative Grimes told me that the push-poll was, in fact, authorized by his campaign, and funded by the Republican Party.  He also told me that he had signed off on the questions before they were sent to the polling firm in New York. 

These concessions were surprising in light of his adamant denial of knowing anything about the poll to WSFA.  Rep. Grimes told WSFA he was not behind the push-polls and found out about them only after they were run.  Grimes also told WSFA that one of the questions read, "How do you feel to know that Joe Hubbard is a lawyer who has sued local businesses and has defended many corrupt Montgomery politicians?"

I will readily admit that I am an attorney, but I've never represented any Montgomery public officials or sued any local business.  The only public officials I represent are the county sheriffs around this State who keep our families safe and our jails secure.  If those are the "politicians" I'm accused of representing, I will accept this push-poll as a badge of honor.

I am tired of the back-and-forth.  The peopel of my district deserve more than political double-speak.  David and I made them a promise in June that we would rise above "politics as usual," and I intend to keep that promise.

Grimes' statements to WSFA can be found on their website:

JOINT CAMPAIGN PLEDGE

With our State and city facing the highest unemployment rates in recent memory, our leaders must unify the people they represent and restore trust and integrity to our public offices. We have seen how the divisive politics of personal attacks and petty accusations undermine confidence in our elected officials, as well as candidates for public office. That is why I pledge that, as a candidate for Alabama House District 73, I will:


ABIDE by the principles of my faith: to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbor as myself;

ABIDE by the requirements of the Alabama Fair Campaign Practices Act and all other campaign laws and procedures;

CONDUCT my campaign with honesty and integrity, and always be truthful about the positions I take and the statements I make;

CONDUCT myself in a way that promotes trust and accountability in our political process;

REFUSE TO defame the character of my opponent, his supporters, his political party affiliation, or to condone the actions of those who do;

REFUSE TO defame the character of our President, our Governor, or the members of our State Legislature;

CONDEMN the use of whisper and smear campaigns, libel and slander, or attacks on any member of my opponent's family;

CONDEMN the use of any campaign material that misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies facts regarding my opponent, his political party, or another elected official;

DISAVOW PUBLICLY any material or advertising that is not factually accurate;

MAKE EVERY EFFORT to prevent the use of such negative and hurtful campaign tactics, and, if I learn of such tactics, to bring them to a end;

WORK to build honest and meaningful consensus between myself and my opponent and between our respective political parties to address the challenges that face District 73 and the State; and,

HOLD ACCOUNTABLE to these commitments all members of my campaign staff, volunteers, and public supporters when acting on my behalf.


This the ______ day of June, 2010.



____________________________________
JOE HUBBARD


____________________________________
DAVID GRIMES

Throughout the Republican primary in this race, I was increasingly disappointed in the negative tone the two candidates took in vying for their party's nomination. That negative tone polarized our community over the airwaves and through our mailboxes. It may have cost Jeremy the Republican nomination, just as it almost cost David his chance at re-election. I respect both Jeremy and David, but I deeply regret the negative tone their campaigns took during their primary.

Sometimes, political ambition clouds better judgment. This community is my home, and the people that live here are my friends, family, and neighbors. We see each other at church or in the grocery store, and a negative tone in a political race alienate almost everyone in the community. That is why I am pledging to run a clean and positive campaign on my plan to address the challenges that face our community. There will be no place in my campaign for personal attacks.

I've spoken with David about my pledge to run a clean campaign with a substantive debate on the issues, and I've urged him to do the same. David has agreed to join me in signing a pledge to run a clean campaign through the general election in November. We will be meeting at 10:30 am June 10, 2010, on the steps of the Statehouse to sign this pledge, and I invite all of you to join us.

Join the discussion on the importance of running a clean campaign, here.

A special message from the desk of Joe Hubbard:

My great-grandfather and namesake, Joseph Lister Hill, was an Alabama Congressman and Senator for nearly half a century.  Alabama Public Television is airing a documentary on his service to Alabama and his country in the coming weeks.  Please visit the APT website for local listings, or view the video online.
 
Senator Hill's legacy of public service is still with us today in Alabama.  Every Alabamian who received an education through the GI Bill has Lister Hill to thank; every Alabamian who has been employed with or has received electricity from the TVA has Lister Hill to thank; every Alabamian who has rural telephone service or rural housing assistance has Lister Hill to thank; and, every Alabamian who has received medical treatment in a county health clinic has Lister Hill to thank.
 
My great-grandfather understood that public service is not about political parties; it's about people, and good government is responsive to the needs of all people of all parties.  His bipartisan record reflects his belief that public service is the highest of callings.  I am humbled to carry on his legacy, and I will work to bring to our Statehouse that same spirit of cooperation and statesmanship that will put our government to work for each and every one of us.
 

On April 6, 2010, the House enrolled the Reemployment Act of 2010 after it passed the Senate.  This bill, sponsored by Rep. Robert Bentley, creates an incentive for employers to hire unemployed Alabamians.  For each employee hired off the unemployment rolls, an employer would receive an income tax deduction of up to 50%. This bill is estimated to create 5,000 stable jobs for Alabamians, all while reducing State spending.
 
This bill is sitting on the Governor's desk, waiting to be enacted. HB260 would benefit the small businesses and workers of District 73 by putting people back to work and spurring growth in our local economy.  Please contact the Governor's office, and let him know that we want this bill signed into law.

Click here to view HB260

Joe wants to know what issues are important to you in 2010!

Please join the Facebook group to share and discuss each issue and idea that you think Joe should address. As the campaign progresses, we will unveil the "Top Ten for 2010" and make your ideas a part of this campaign.

Join the discussion here: http://bit.ly/612o8j