Running for office is never easy, especially when your name won’t even appear on the ballot.
Tea Party write-in candidate Lisa Esler is beginning to find that out it seems, as her campaign “reached a new level of desperation” when sending out a fake mailer meant to smear Paul Mullen, his campaign spokesman said.
Republican households in the 161st legislative district have been receiving fliers that laud Mullen’s work in helping Democrats get elected in PA. GOP candidate Mullen currently serves as the president of the Delaware County AFL-CIO, and picked up the support of the PA AFL-CIO – to his Democratic opponent’s dismay.
“Although listed as a ‘Republican’ on the ballot, Paul Mullen shares our Democratic values. As the head of the AFL-CIO, he’s worked tirelessly to elect Democrats including Senator Bob Casey, Governor Tom Wolf and our President, Barack Obama,” the mailer reads. “Now more than ever, we need representatives like Paul Mullen in Harrisburg to stop the Republican takeover of our state.”
The questionable campaign literature was distributed by Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, which is lining up behind Esler’s longshot campaign.
Mullen’s campaign spokesman Pete Peterson didn’t hold back, calling Esler “power hungry” and “frantic.”
“Lisa Esler and her supporters at Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania are clearly getting desperate, resorting to attempts to trick and mislead Republicans with a bogus mailer that was designed to look as if it was intended for Democrats,” Peterson said. “This shows Esler’s campaign has failed to attract the support they were hoping. It’s a sign of their desperation, and it’s going to backfire on them when voters realize they were tricked.”
Mullen will face off against Democratic nominee Leanne Krueger-Braneky – and Esler – in a special election on Aug. 4th, after State Rep. Joe Hackett resigned to return to law enforcement.
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14 Responses
Will the author of this fake headline ever fix it? Esler did not send those mailers.
Congratulations to Ms Esler! You thwarted the RINO!
SE PA Observer
“The party has lined up good people to support Mullen.” Yes, the party has lined them up. Nothing natural about it. “there is a name for it, a Delaware County Republican” OR democrat in a county where its economically and politically advantageous to register Republican. This whole thing stinks. Text book Democrat tapped in a special election where the lawyer laden local party can bypass voter will since there is no primary. If anyone still wonders why the national GOP struggles, take a look at some of its building blocks…
Bottom line …Mullen is in philosophy a Democrat….
Lisa Esler her own words from Facebook page
“Last seen Paul Mullen was running away from me in the Seventh Ward after he dodged questions on his abrupt & controversial resignation from the school board, his personal property tax delinquencies, his decision to avoid the debates & several basic issues such as liquor privatization.
It was also revealed this is a pattern with Mr Mullen, if he doesn’t like the question or more importantly the voters will not like the answer, he runs away. How can we trust him to stay in Harrisburg when he can’t even face the voters in his hometown.”
Republican DelCo chair can’t explain the rigged endorsement. and spins for Sestak supporting, anti-pension reform Paul Mullen, who advocates big government big spending policies. Paul Mullen is NOT a vote for smaller government and low taxes for all.
http://billlawrenceonline.com/andy-reilly-spins-for-mullen/
This headline is false. Lisa Esler did not send out this mailer. I believe it was by CAP.
The Esler campaign may not tell independent groups what to do and vice versa.
Funny how the article doesn’t quote Esler or her supporters. Does this count as an in-kind contribution to the Mullen campaign? Mullen is doing a reverse Limbaugh “Operation Chaos”: He’s not a Republican by any definition, but he’s registered as one to cloud up things. Unfortunately the PA GOP “leaders” can’t tell the difference any longer, and if someone is a spineless go-along-get-along, they’ll support him/her. All but one voter I spoke with told me they were voting for Esler. If anyone is desperate, it’s the Mullen + RINO crowd as they come to terms with once again over reaching and getting slapped by the actual voters.
It should be noted that no one has, or can, dispute the factual assertions in this mailer.
Disappointingly, Sy Snyder sends out a DelCo party establishment(and state GOP establishment) press release. I am very disappointed. This is the first time that Sy has been so blatantly partisan. The GOP Establishment is scared. The GOP has spent $150,000 to defeat Lisa Esler, an ordinary American. I am very disheartened that Jeff Jubelier, one of the co-owners of PoliticsPa would compromise journalistic integrity, which he has so far exhibited, for a state House election.
Paul Mullen is a Democrat masquerading as a Republican, a Trojan Horse to allow the unions to further infiltrate the Republican party.
Paul Mullen is a Democrat. He is the business manager of IBEW 654, being paid about $350,000 a year, affiliated with Philadelphia Democrat John Dougherty’s IBEW 98.
Paul Mullen opposes pension reform.
In a news article, She did add that Mullen does have Democratic values. “He does,” Esler said. “He worked for Sestak.”
Paul Mullen, the Republican-endorsed candidate for the vacant 161st District State House seat, is sending a flyer full of promises to the non-Republican houses in the district.http://billlawrenceonline.com/paul-mulllen-flyer-exposes-agenda/
In it he pledges he:
“Will support strong unions.” This means you union guys will continue to have your dues automatically deducted so Mullen can continue to get his$130,000 salary as business manager of IBEW Local 654, while the union continues to contribute to candidates who shut down refineries and open borders to cheap labor. It appears he is going to keep his union job as he collects his $85,356 legislative salary if he should win.
“Will protect pensions”. This means Gary “What Child Molestation?” Shultz will continue to collect his $330,699 pension as the pensions of police and secretaries become far more tenuous along with the home ownerships of those on the hook for covering them.
“Will Fight for Good, Local Work” This means he’s not going to quit his $130,000 per year job as business manager of IBEW Local 654.
You say the ‘gop’ easily but increasing state wide, good ‘gop’ members are getting fed up with this behavior. Look a chestereo Co and how precinct reps are being stymied by county leadetship. Gop is a federated system..not the other way around.
If you had to pick a word to describe Mullen based on how he’s run this race since the nomination, it would be “coward.”
Funny in that they didn’t dispute the substance of the mailing that he supported Obama and wolf
After this special election, the Delaware County Democrats should hire this “Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania” to print up pro-Democratic literature for actual Democrats. It seems to be much better than what the county party puts out. 🙂
Peterson is a pro and well respected in Delaware county. The party has lined up good people to support Mullen. And if you talk to ppl in the 161 it’s full of working-class union househoulds where men work in the trades and are Republicans and strong union members–there is a name for it, a Delaware County Republican–seems fitting that the party ran one in Mullen