Get ready, Arizona: another John McCain-esque "build the danged fence" campaign ad is apparently on the horizon --this time, compliments of Congressional candidate Matt Salmon.
GOP sources tell New Times Salmon headed down to the border last week to shoot an ad for his District 6 Congressional campaign. Apparently, he found it necessary to dress exactly like the Marlboro Man -- which is somewhat hypocritical ironic considering Salmon is A) Mormon, and B) a huckster for the electronic cigarette industry.
The photo above was taken during the filming of the ad -- and spruced up a bit (thanks to photoshop) by the blogsters at Political Mafioso.
The photo -- and the text below -- was sent to us this morning.
Matt Salmon Marlboro Macho Man?
The only thing more funny than watching Matt Salmon's political makeover from Washington Lobbyist to Right Wing Candidate, has been Salmon's wardrobe makeovers. My favorite picture is his recent trip to the border. In this pictures Salmon poses as a cowboy with his $1500 boots, designer cowboy hat and t-shirt. He looks like the Marlboro Man with a mid-life crises. The only thing he is missing is a cigarette, so we decided to add one for him just the way he like it electronic style.
Nothing wrong with electronic cigarettes. Just seems a bit odd for a former Congressman to be doing a huckster ad while reading cue cards. Especially a guy who is a Mormon selling nicotine sticks. Reminds me of another former Congressman whose last run ended very badly. When looking at voting for Salmon, remember the words of JD Huckster himself, "Buyer Beware."
Salmon's transformation from a moderate Republican to a far-right-wing border bully has been well-documented by New Times.
For example, Salmon boasts an endorsement from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- calling the sheriff a "tireless advocate for the safety of Maricopa County citizens for almost two decades."
As we've noted in previous posts, the relationship between Salmon and Arpaio hasn't always been so lovey-dovey.
In a May 2003 article in the East Valley Tribune, when asked about Arpaio, Salmon told the paper "do I care for Arpaio? Do I like him? No."
He goes on to compare the sheriff to Mayberry's inept top sheriff's deputy, Barney Fife.
From the Tribune:
While Arpaio may have high poll numbers, his support is not deep and people are growing weary of his antics, Salmon said. He cited the millions of dollars the county has paid in lawsuits against the sheriff's office, as well as Arpaio's well-publicized acquisition of an armored personnel carrier complete with a .50-caliber machine gun for the department.
"It almost looks like Barney Fife after a while," Salmon said of Arpaio's tenure. "It's like drilling on people's teeth without Novocaine. It just hits a raw nerve."
Salmon made similar remarks about the powerful sheriff in a 2005 interview with New Times.
In 2005, when asked about Arpaio, Salmon told New Times "I don't respect him. I don't think he's playing with a full deck."
Arpaio explained the odd endorsement to New Times in August. Read all about it here.
Salmon, on the other hand, has refused literally dozens of invitations to explain his switcheroo on Arpaio. Not that an explanation is needed -- he's a Republican politician running for office in Maricopa County, which means one thing: it's time to pucker up to the rump of America's priciest sheriff.
