10-22-2009 Oklahoma:
The mayoral candidate's record on crime is questioned.
Mayoral candidate Tom Adelson said his opponent Dewey Bartlett Jr. has taken his campaign into the gutter with a new "misleading, downright false" TV ad implying that Adelson is soft on child molesters.
"I deeply resent the defamatory attack from the Bartlett campaign," Adelson said during a news conference Tuesday at a River Parks playground near 18th Street.
"I was just shocked. It's sickening and grotesque," Adelson said of first viewing the commercial.
"This is a person, as you know, who last time he ran for mayor, his campaign tactics were called 'despicable' and certainly will stoop to any means," Adelson said.
"I think it's the nastiest ad I've seen in about 10 years," he said.
The commercial opens with a colorful playground of children playing and a voice-over stating: "Nothing that the Tulsa mayor does is more important than keeping families safe. That is why Tom Adelson's record on crime is troubling."
Then a suspicious-looking man in a hooded sweatshirt sneaks up on the park, lurking
behind a tree, and the color ad goes to black and white.
The ad goes on to state that "Adelson voted against the death penalty for twice-convicted child molesters, the worst of criminals. He wouldn't even let the jury give child molesters life without parole."
Adelson, a Democratic state senator, said he voted against a 2006 bill that would have allowed the death penalty for twice-convicted child molesters because it was unconstitutional. The legislation ultimately was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008.
But Bartlett, a Republican, said that at the time of the vote there was never any discussion about the constitutionality of the bill.
It appears that Bartlett will vote NEGATIVE on ANYTHING related to sex offenders without regard to constitutionality of it, even when such is not mentioned, and implies that everyone should the same! Should he even be a lawmaker, allowing prejudices and biases to control his vote?
"Tom had an opportunity to vote on the side of the child and didn't do so," he said in an interview after Adelson's news conference.
Bartlett said his ad brings up a "very relevant issue because the mayor is by charter the manager of the city and thus the leader of the Police Department."
Adelson said the bill also never took away the jury's ability to send repeat offenders to prison without the possibility of parole.
"That was always the law, and my vote had no impact on ensuring that repeat offenders go away for life," he said.
Adelson said he supported "chemical castration" for the worst offenders, and he thinks they ought to stay in jail forever.
Bartlett's ad goes on to say that Adelson voted for budget cuts to the state Department of Public Safety.
Adelson said the vote Bartlett is talking about was unanimous.
"This year in a budget crisis we've had cutbacks among every agency, and I think it's unfortunate that Mr. Bartlett thinks this is political opportunity rather than recognizing we're in one of the worst fiscal crises since the Great Depression," he said
Adelson said Bartlett will "do and say anything" to be mayor.
"Shame on that campaign. It's a disgrace to the city," he said.
Adelson said he and his wife are the proud parents of four children and like all parents "we care nothing more above all else than the health, safety and security of our kids."
Adelson said he has coauthored a law that gives increased investigative authority to police in cases of suspected child predators and another to strengthen the law involving Internet child porn.
Adelson said he challenged Bartlett at a debate last week to run clean campaigns but Bartlett refused.
Bartlett said "actions speak louder than words" but would not say whether he will stop the negative ads.
Bartlett said his ad is truthful, unlike Adelson's ad against him involving Great Plains Airline, which accused him of a criminal offense.
"For him (Adelson) to suddenly attempt to act holier-than-thou is laughable," Bartlett said.
Adelson's attorney Jim Connor sent a two-page letter to media outlets demanding they not run the Bartlett ad, saying it is "not just sleazy and disgusting politics, it is false and defamatory."
Adelson said Connor will be contacting Bartlett's campaign as well. ..Source.. by P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
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