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Peduto Negative Ad: Wagner Sided with GOP (With Video)

http://youtu.be/xY2cisCnaeU

City Councilman Bill Peduto paints his opponent with a Republican brush in the latest television ad of the Pittsburgh mayoral primary. It criticizes Jack Wagner for speaking approvingly of GOP policies and highlights past votes to increase his pay and pension.

Peduto negative ad“What kind of leader is Jack Wagner? He sided with Republicans when they cut Meals on Wheels for seniors. Wagner wanted to cut health care for 100,000 people, even including children,” says a narrator.

“Meanwhile, Jack Wagner voted for automatic pay raises that increased his salary more than $17,000. Then, voted to raise his pension 50%.”

H/t: Early Returns

It’s the fourth ad of the race and follows positive, introductory spots from both candidates and a second positive ad from Wagner. This commercial and Peduto’s first spot were produced by DC-area Putnam Partners.

The ad’s points about Wagner and the GOP stem from the former Auditor’s support for several of the premises behind the Republican state budget in 2011.

That he would elect to go negative reinforces the narrative that Peduto is looking to catch up with Wagner. Most polls of the race have shown the former state Auditor General in the lead among likely Democratic voters, owing in part to his high name ID.

Wagner spokesman JJ Abbott did not address the content of the ad and instead criticized Peduto for airing a negative commercial.

“It is unfortunate for the people of Pittsburgh that Bill Peduto has dragged this campaign into the mud. But it’s really no surprise given Bill Peduto’s past. Bill began his career running a dirty campaign and clearly nothing has changed,” Abbott said.

“Councilman Peduto’s negative, divisive behavior has created a culture of dysfunction in City Hall. City Government is broken exactly because of Bill Peduto’s childish politics and his inability to play well with others. Pittsburgh desperately needs a change, but all we’ve seen from Bill Peduto is more of the same.”

State Rep. Jake Wheatley and activist AJ Richardson are also running in the Democratic primary, though neither has polled above single digits.

19 Responses

  1. So, JJ doesn’t address the content (cause the ad is true) and says talking about things Jack has actually said and done is getting “in the mud. Come on, JJ…you know better. And I guess weeks of calling someone childish petty and desperate isn’t muddy at all.

    Why don’t we talk about how the Auditor General’s office had no technological capability when Jack left…or would that splash your shoes?

    http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Department/Press/DePasqualeTellsSenateAppropriations.html

  2. This whole “who’s republican” conversation is crazy considering Peduto is the only candidate who was actually registered as a Republican even serving as President of the College GOP at PennState. When do the facts begin to get in the way of campaign rhetoric!?! #confusedintheSouthHills

  3. PAINDY1: Pgh Council members make about $60K, and I believe that is only-part time. So some might dabble in other stuff is well.

    frank: If Wagner was “so out of touch” with city residents, I doubt he would be polling ahead of the other three candidates combined. And I have to chuckle at the chest thumping over Sala Udin’s Black Convention vote. Peduto got 72 votes to Wagner’s 29. It will take about 30K votes to win this primary. A straw poll at a Friday night bingo hall would shed some more light than this Black Convention did.

  4. Can someone give me the skinny on Peduto? How does he earn a living? Is being a Councilperson in Pittsburgh now a well-paying full time job with benefits? Is he a trust fund baby? Did he divorce well? Is being Mayor his version of hitting the Powerball? I know he has 85 policy papers but how does he earn a living?

  5. it shows how wagner is so out of touch with city residents. take a look at the vote last weekend.wagner pulled 13% of the african american vote that should tell you something.peduto pulled 33% of the vote.wagner is way to conservative for the city of pittsburgh he should get his friend tom corbett to do a nice tv ad for him.

  6. As a guy who has burned bridges w/ everyone outside of his far-left base, Peduto’s best chance to win this race was by taking 30% of the vote in a crowded primary. The writing has been on the wall for him ever since the candidates began clearing the primary field for Wagner. If that wasn’t clear to the casual observer, one need only see how the same 7 or 8 Peduto enthusiasts have gotten increasingly aggressive in attacking Wagner in the comments section of EVERY site that runs a story on this mayoral race.

    First it was a lack of specifics in his platform. Then it was him being embraced by the Ravenstahl crowd (couldn’t POSSIBLY have been due to their anti-Peduto sentiments, could it?). And now, Wagner is somehow the closet Republican who pushed Corbett across the finish line. Yeah, Onorato had Corbett right where he wanted him before Wagner failed to deliver those extra 350,000 votes LOL!

    Anyone find it funny that Rich Fitzgerald, sworn enemy of the Wagners and Peduto’s most prominent early backer, is conspicuously absent all of a sudden? He knows it, I know it and you know it… Peduto is stuck at 30% and doesn’t have the spending advantage needed to close the gap.

  7. Because of Jack Wagner we are stuck with Corbett. Jack Wagner did not support Dan Onorato. We worked hard to get Jack elected Auditor General, when we asked for help, he would not help us – probably becasue we were Democrats. He should run as a Republican.

  8. There is good & bad in all of us! But the time and energy that is utilized, as well as wasted, in trying to exploit each other weaknesses… Isn’t helping the crisis our city is currently in! Jack is no saint…. Neither is bill, Jake or myself! But we have to show a more excellent way in striving to become men of integrity, faith and prayer. That’s why A.j. Richardson is sticking to the issues: Poverty, Unemployment, Drugs, Police Brutality and the list goes on and on and on! Maybe they need to spend some of that ad money to show how they are going to address the needs of ALL people… Not just throwing cheap shots at each other!!!

  9. There is good & bad in all of us! But the time and energy that is utilized, as well as wasted, in trying to exploit each other weaknesses… Isn’t helping the crisis our city is currently in! Jack is no saint…. Neither is bill, Jake or myself! But we have to show a more excellent way in striving to become men of integrity, faith and prayer. That’s why A.j. Richardson is sticking to the issues: Poverty, Unemployment, Drugs, Police Brutality and the list goes on and on and on! Maybe they need to spend some of that ad money to show how they are going to address the needs of ALL people… Not just throwing cheap at each other!!!

  10. I know Mr.Wagner is conservative but to side with the Republicans like Tom Corbett sorry Jack you lost my vote.

  11. jack wagner sided with republicans theres a shock. he supported tom corbett for governor after dan onorato crushed him in the primary.wagner should move to the suburbs and run for something as a republican cause thats exactly how he thinks.

  12. If Wagner thinks his record belongs in the “mud” that’s his own fault. He’s spent the entire campaign hiding away his record and only talking about slogans (“Leadership”.) Now Peduto comes out and actually shows his record which isn’t quite as great as Jack would like to make out and he gets all offended. Wagner is just sad.

  13. This ad should be titled “You know you are going to lose when…” Going negative like this, obvious Peduto is behind.

  14. Mr. Wagner faced death to serve his country. I don’t think a run of the milll attack ad from a run of the mill politiical figure is going to bother him. Character is what we do when no one can see us. Pretty clear what kind of character Mr. Peduto has from this and all his campaigns.

  15. What a sad little campaign by a sad little man. “We shape our tools and our tools shape us” (Mcluhan). From his first campaign rumoring and trashing Coyne for his personal life, the real Peduto has revealed himself. Let’s hope this is the end of his campaigns.

  16. Exactly one week ago: Wagner tells the Trib, “Peduto is so much a part of the problem it’s impossible to separate him from it.” And his surrogates have been going around calling Peduto egocentric and petty.

    Now he when Wagner’s actual record on issues gets examined, he grows all sensitive. Formulaic and hypocritical.

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