It happens all the time -- a candidate for public office says he's winning the race, based on a poll the candidate or his supporters paid for.
Congressman David Schweikert did that today, saying he's up 13 points -- or 16. The credibility of that lies somewhere between of a well-respected nonpartisan polling firm's results, and Schweikert jumping up and down, yelling, "I'm winning!"
Either way, the campaign of his primary opponent, Ben Quayle, seems abnormally pissed off about this.
"Everyone watching this race needs to understand that Dave Schweikert and his supporters lie for convenience, they lie for advantage, and they lie as a habit," Quayle campaign spokesman Jay Heiler says in a statement. "It's unfortunate, but the problem has manifested itself throughout this campaign and it's been done again here. Dave Schweikert is trailing in this race, and the more pressure his campaign is under, the more they will continue to lie."
JC, man, it's just a poll.
The relationship between Schweikert and Quayle was once described (by Quayle) as "cordial," but the campaigning has been anything but.
There's not much for the candidates to debate in the "debates," so most of the good stuff has been coming from the campaign people -- like spies and the revival of Brock Landers.
That said, read the whole, angry release below:
Schweikert's campaign called this "what can only be described as a long winded and false attack on David and our campaign..."
