Bellew Attacks MMM

The Bellew for State Senate campaign issued a press release this morning wherein they refer to MoreMonmouthMusings and its commenters as “a sympathetic band of faux journalists who could appear on campaign reports for in-kind contributions as paid communication staff.”

The Kyrillos campaign issued a childish response to a serious issue regarding the hypocrisy of Joe Kyrillos, Declan O’Scanlon, and Amy Handlin using a taxpayer funded website to praise a group in the face that they have been stabbing in the back politically.  Calling the Tea Party silly and outrageous, the Kyrillos continues to demonstrate a distain for citizen patriots fighting to make New Jersey and America stronger. He knows that the voters are not warming up to him as they learn about his liberal voting record. So instead of engaging them at a candidate event, he and his campaign have turned to a sympathetic band of faux journalists who could appear on campaign reports for in-kind contributions as paid communication staff.

MMM is the only media outlet that carried the Kyrillos campaign’s statement calling Bellew “silly and foolish” over her press release attacking Kyrillos, O’Scanlon and Handlin for their release condemning the IRS and the Obama Administration for their illegal targeting of Conservative and Tea Party groups.

What a difference seven weeks makes.

After MMM broke the news in late March that Bellew would challenge Kyrillos, she thanked publisher Art Gallagher for the best free media she had ever received.

Bellew desperately wanted MMM’s support for her primary challenge.  Gallagher told her that he likes Kyrillos and that he likes her. “I’ll cover the campaign as it unfolds and say a prayer before I vote,” Gallagher told Bellew.  “That’s all I can ask for, ” she responded.

It was only after MMM attempted to question Bellew over inconsistencies in her story about her educational credentials, she told Gallagher that she graduated from law school in Texas but never took the bar exam, that Bellew and her team stopped returning our phone calls.   As others have raised questions about Bellew’s legal education and whether or not she even has an undergraduate degree, MMM asked for documentation of her degrees and challenged Kyrillos to debate Bellew if she provided that documentation. She continues to avoid those questions.

Bellew’s attack today follows Bayshore Tea Party Group co-founder Barbara Gonzalez’s allegation on May 6 that the Republican incumbents in the Monmouth County and LD13 primaries were getting favorable coverage here because the County ticket of Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso are advertising on the site.  Gonzalez failed to disclose in her email blast and facebook posts that MMM offered the Tea Party backed candidates the same advertising rates offered to the incumbents.

Bellew said she wanted to advertise but hasn’t.  Gallagher told the LD13 incumbents that they would need a website to link an ad to before he would accept their ads.

MMM welcomes advertising from all campaigns, regardless of party, and any legal business. Our political coverage and commentary is not impacted by who advertises.  We have more Democratic advertisers than Republican advertisers.

Bellew and Gonzalez fancy themselves as “citizen patriots.”  Apparently they’ve learned the well worn politicians’ tactic of blaming the media for their failings.

Posted: May 22nd, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 13th Legislative District, 2013 Election, Art Gallagher, Barbara Gonzalez, Leigh-Ann Bellew | Tags: Art Gallagher, Barbara Gonzalez, Leigh-Ann Bellew, MoreMonmouthMusings | 6 Comments »

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