Ed Fallon's Statement on Boswell Charges

Monday, March 31, 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008 (10:30 CDT) - Ed Fallon today released the following statement in response to Leonard Boswell’s most recent negative attacks against him, and in response to a mistaken impression circulated the past few days that Fallon considered running for Governor in 2006 as an independent.

“We need to set the record straight.

“First, in 2006, I absolutely never, ever considered running for Governor as an independent. In fact, I firmly pledged to support the winner of the Democratic primary. After losing that primary, I volunteered extensively with the Culver campaign. You might recall that I even wrote a song asking my supporters not to write me in.

“And, for the record, if I do not win this primary for Congress, I will not run as an independent. I will support Congressman Boswell.

“Second, I have never ‘attacked’ Congressman Boswell. Pointing out how we differ on issues and challenging the Congressman to explain and discuss those differences hardly constitute an attack. I will continue to point out such differences and will cite bill numbers and the date of votes taken on those bills. I will continue to base my critique on facts, avoiding innuendo and disparagement. And I will continue to praise the Congressman for his military and political service to our country, as I do at nearly every campaign event.

“Regrettably, Congressman Boswell is not willing to stick to the same high standard of positive, issues-based campaigning. Among a wide range of attacks, he has said that I am ‘no Democrat,’ that I voted to support sex offenders, and that I am unethical.

“That brings me to my third and final point. This weekend, news circulated widely about Congressman Boswell’s allegation that I have acted unethically in my work with I'M for Iowa. Yet if you read the coverage of this allegation it’s emphatically clear that the charge is without substance. As with most negative attacks in politics, the allegations are intended to create doubt, sow suspicion, and discredit an opponent on his strengths.

“It’s really very similar to what Republicans did to John Kerry in 2004. George Bush’s avoidance of military service was an embarrassment, a political weakness. John Kerry had an exemplary record of military service. So what does Karl Rove do? He has Bush attack Kerry on the latter’s strength, which of course, was also Bush’s weakness.

”Since 1992, running campaigns free of PAC and lobbyist money has been one of my strengths. It's one of Boswell's weaknesses, as evidenced by the fact that 74% of his donations last year came from PACs. The public is increasingly aware of the problem of money in politics. So, instead of engaging with me in a fact-based discussion of campaign finance reform, the Congressman says that I am the one acting unethically.

”So, let's set the record straight about I'M for Iowa. It's a business partnership, not a corporation, that Lynn Heuss and I created to allow us to use our skills, experience and resources to work on the issues we care about. Last year it allowed me to draw a small income – $1,250. This year, with any luck, I'll be able to draw a modest income of $3,000 per month, providing enough people value the work we're doing and want to invest in our business.

“And what is our business? I'M for Iowa consults and organizes primarily on state-level issues, including campaign finance reform, eminent domain, corporate hog confinements, and global climate change. We also consult with progressive Democratic candidates wanting to run for office. Since beginning my campaign for Congress, I have kept I’M for Iowa separate from the campaign, though it was important to tell I’M for Iowa supporters before I formally announced that I would be running for Congress and why.

”Congressman Boswell is running a campaign based on the politics of fear and division. It’s not too late for him to embrace a positive strategy, one that allows us to have a candid, fact-based discussion of the issues.

“My campaign is about bringing new, positive energy to politics. It’s about hope, change, and unity. These are challenging times, but I disagree with the Congressman when he says that they are perilous. We don't need to be afraid. We need to be engaged.

“I'm ready to take my energy and passion to Washington to address the challenges America faces. I'm ready to take on the issue of terrorism and global security. I'm ready to take on the issue of global climate change. I'm ready to take on the need for universal healthcare. I'm ready to take on our economic problems and our budget problems. And most important, I'm ready to take on big money and the corporate interests that dominate the political scene in Washington to the detriment of the vast majority of Americans.”

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