ASTROTURF! Billy Long, the True Political Outsider?: Billy Long is Part of the Establishment

I was in a discussion earlier this morning about the tea party influence on Tuesday primary. There seems to be little talk about the tea party turnout and what it means for candidates running for Roy Blunt's seat when the votes are tallied on Tuesday night. Then I came across this letter with the feel of astroturf written by a woman claiming to be a student from Springfield to the Joplin Globe. (Be sure to read the last paragraph.)

Alice Haseltine claims she is a politically conscious student; however, it appears she hasn't been too observant in this year's Republican primary for the Seventh District seat. She obviously doesn't know the person who she says she is voting for, or she does know the candidate very well and this could be a conscious attempt by the Long campaign to continue the lie that Billy Long isn't part of the political establishment.

Haseltine writes (as you read your letter, ask why a student from Springfield is writing letters to the Joplin Globe):

Alice HaseltineSpecial to The Globe

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — I’m a young, politically conscious student and a native of Springfield. I’ve watched the 7th District congressional primary election unfold with grave concern.

With countless Republican candidates claiming to be Washington “outsiders,” a recent ad attacking candidate Billy Long has left me skeptical and confused. I worry that I’m not the only young voter who feels this way.

On Monday, I watched as KY3 aired an advertisement attacking Billy Long’s stance on earmarks. While the ad began with a seemingly accurate statement, suggesting that “politicians and insiders are at the trough” of our nation’s economic deficit, the ad proceeded with confusing accusations, accusing Billy Long (who is anything but a Washington insider) of a vote he made while serving on the Springfield Airport Board.

This ad was apparently paid for by Americans for Job Security, an advocacy organization that protects the identity of its donors. The viewers of this ad are not at liberty to know the source of these claims. I can only deduce that this is an attempt by true Washington insiders and perhaps other 7th District candidates — some of whom are career politicians — to protect the exclusivity of Washington, with a false slam of Billy Long, the only front-running candidate who is not a career politician.

This propaganda, stemming from Washington D.C., was obviously intended to discredit Long. Instead, I think it frames the choice that faces the voters of Southwest Missouri on Tuesday. It’s a choice between business as usual and an earnest attempt for true change. My vote is going to the candidate who hasn’t spent the majority of his years in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. I want a congressman who has felt our nation’s hardship from the standpoint of a small-business owner. My vote is for Billy Long, the true Washington outsider.

Alice Haseltine

Springfield

Alice, you have been duped by a man who is hungry for power. So hungry for power, he promised to run a grassroots campaign when he announced his candidacy and then hired the insider team of Jeff Roe and James Harris, a career politician producing team known not to play a nice game of politics. So much for grassroots, eh Alice.

Not to mention, Billy talks tough on earmarks and wasteful government spending, however, the commercial you speak of Alice is truthful. In March, shortly after launching this site, I began looking at Billy Long's record which is detailed in the voting history of the Springfield Branson Airport board Long served on. Now you can claim Billy Long is the victim of a vicious attack if you want Alice, but the truth is Billy Long should be explaining to voters why he didn't stand up to the wasteful spending in the form of an earmark or grant that was given to the airport. Rather, he voted yea and agreed to accept the federal money and use it for a wasteful spending project. For being politically conscious Alice, you should be able to see the problem here, that is if you aren't part of an astroturf campaign designed to save Billy's fat political ass.

You claim Long is an DC outside, yet he made numerous trips to Washington DC begging for the approval of Washington interest and Washington insiders during his run leading up to this primary. Long also used a Washington DC political media machine sending over $100,000 outside our district rather than using local media companies to produce his campaign commercials.

Alice, it's not hard to point out the political contradictions of what Billy Long says and what Billy Long does. If you really believe you are going to get something different out of Billy Long, you are sadly mistaken. He has already sold his political soul to the highest bidders and the Washington machine. For someone who says they are politically conscious, I feel you have either been duped or pay to run a letter campaign for a disgraceful candidate who doesn't have your best interest in mind, but is going for his own interest and ego.

After I wrote this blog, I decided to call the the 88FEDUP number and find out if Alice Haseltine is part of a astroturf campaign. Once again, Emily answered the phone, and yes Alice Haseltine works at the Billy Long campaign headquarters. Alice wasn't in at the moment, but as usual, Emily was willing to take a message, just like she was for Andrew Bruner who filed an FEC ethics complaint against a 17 year old child for Billy Long.