Carnahan strikes back

From the Carnahan campaign:

TRAILING CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES MISLEAD VOTERS
Joan Barry tries to bury her record and Jeff Smith tries to obscure that
he has none

"I am disappointed to see that Joan Barry and Jeff Smith
have desperately resorted to the low road in this campaign. Their lame
attempt to mislead and deceive the voters of the 3rd Congressional
District is just flat wrong," Russ Carnahan said.

"I have a 94 percent voting record while in the Missouri
House of Representatives. These tactics will only increase the voters'
cynicism about the political process and public service in general,"
Carnahan added.

Carnahan pointed out that by standing up in a joint press
conference today, Joan Barry and Jeff Smith have taken responsibility
for the numerous "anonymous smear sheets" full of false information that
has been produced and distributed around the district. This has been a
coordinated effort by these two campaigns all along. That puts them in
violation of campaign disclosure laws.

"I call on them, as required by the FEC, to properly report
these expenditures and print their legal committee name on all
literature and documents distributed by their campaigns," stated Allen
Todd, Campaign Manager for Russ Carnahan.

"Today we have a new odd couple in Missouri politics," said
Todd. "What is Jeff Smith doing standing with a candidate that with a
record of being anti-choice, pro-gun, and pro-HMO? That goes against
the claims he purportedly stands for."

"Russ Carnahan has made 94 percent of the votes that
occurred while he has been in the Missouri House. Joan Barry knows it.
Jeff Smith knows it. The Official Journals of the Missouri House of
Representatives show it. I guess we should all be thankful that Jeff
Smith is not teaching math or ethics," said Todd.

Joan Barry and Jeff Smith made it clear that they know they
can't win this race on their own or on the issues. Russ Carnahan is the
only candidate that has consistently voted against conceal and carry
legislation in the legislature. Joan Barry cannot make this claim. She
voted for the concealed carry ballot measure (SS HCS HB 1891,
05/15/1998), against requiring firearms to be inaccessible by children
(HA 4 HS HB 283, 04/12/1999) and took the maximum contribution allowed
by law from the National Rifle Association (Missouri Ethics Commission,
1998).