-- The Gwinnett Gazette... Gwinnett politics from the homeowner's point of view. Now you know.

STATE SENATE 48

Reese on the attack

Ex-legislator goes after opponent and others with mailers, press releases in final days of campaign

Bobby Reese

Former State Representative Bobby Reese has launched a flurry of negative campaign mailers and press releases in the final hours of the race for the 48th District State Senate seat. The uncharacteristically nasty and personal attacks have angered many, left some Reese supporters baffled by his tactics and taken the campaign's focus from important local issues. The special election for the vacant seat will be held on Tuesday, February 12.

On Wednesday, a full-color mailer hit tens of thousands of mailboxes in Gwinnett and Forsyth Counties. The flyer depicted Republican frontrunner David Shafer as a greasy-haired shyster selling stolen merchandise from inside his jacket.

The mailer, one of several with which Reese has blanketed the district, accuses Shafer of "dirty tricks and desperate last minute campaign tactics."

Reese's attack piece cited editorials from The Atlanta Journal and Creative Loafing as justification for his claims. Reese describes the two publications, known for their liberal bent, as "objective observers" of Shafer's "sad record of negative, untruthful campaigns..."

The Reese campaign could not produce copies of the Creative Loafing articles which purportedly back up his allegations against Shafer, and an online search of the AJC archives reveals that the 11/9/97 editorial cited as one of the sources in Reese's mailer does not even mention Shafer's name.

When questioned about the accuracy of the information in the mailer at a candidates' forum sponsored by Hamilton Mill area homeowners on Thursday night, Reese disclaimed any direct knowledge, saying, "I trust my consultants."

Reese' mailer depicts Shafer as a criminal.

The Reese mailer, reportedly prepared by Reese campaign aide Clint Austin, was a response to a question raised by Shafer regarding Reese's vote last year to "fast-track" the construction of the Northern Arc. The controversy concerning Reese's 2001 vote was also detailed in a recent Gwinnett Gazette article.

Reese followed up the mailer with an email press release to another liberal media outlet in which he attacked the author of the article, Gwinnett Gazette publisher Bob Griggs. Reese alleged that Griggs was being paid to write negative articles about Reese.

'If that is what he [Reese] believes," said Griggs, "he is delusional. The Northern Arc is a hot issue in the 48th Senate District, and voters should know where Bobby stands." Reese claims to be "anti-Arc."

According to Griggs, the Gwinnett Gazette article was based on an investigation last year by a Sierra Club journalist of the support for the Arc amongst metro Atlanta's Republican legislators. The Sierra Club has been at the forefront of the Northern Arc fight.

The Reese "shyster" mailer

Excuse me?

Reese's attack piece bore this contradictory statement:

"President George W. Bush has called for us to put aside negative attacks and 'Change the Tone' in politics...."

Reese claimed that, because Shafer has paid Snellville.com, Inc. [the owner of The Gwinnett Gazette] for web advertising services, that the facts contained in the article are suspect. According to Griggs, both Reese and Shafer had contracted to advertise in The Gwinnett Gazette. Reese's ad has since been removed for non-payment.

"Reese's vote is a matter of public record," said Griggs. "Had the amendment for which he voted passed, the Arc would have been moved to the top of the Governor's road-building list. It will be hard enough to defeat the Arc-- let's not help the Governor build it."

Reese campaign aide Clint Austin heckled Shafer as he spoke at a candidates' forum hosted by Hamilton Mill homeowners. Austin reportedly also counseled Reese to mail the flyer attacking Shafer.

Reese attack draws quick response

Bobby Reese's mailer drew a quick response from Shafer's wife, Lee. In a letter mailed to the recipients of Reese's piece, the Duluth attorney wrote, "the ad... depicts my husband as a crook selling watches from the inside of his coat. The words below the picture make you think David is a crook."

"This mailing is over-the-line!" Shafer's letter continues. "It is dishonest and unethical... The flyer is filled with sleazy and untruthful negative attacks." The letter notes that Reese's political consulting firm, The Stoneridge Group, has been "sued for libel more than once."

"Candidates should feel free to disagree on the issues," wrote Shafer. "That is not what Mr. Reese did here-- he attacked my husband personally."