With no replacement ads ready, 14 year incumbent goes dark.

Wilmington, NC:  According to news media reports over the weekend Congressman McIntyre pulled his latest attack ad on Ilario Pantano.  While the McIntyre campaign denied they quickly pulled the ad, there was apparently no replacement ad ready for some television stations.  WECT, the area’s largest political advertising station, is presently running no McIntyre advertising.

“Congressman McIntyre has badly tarnished his reputation with his untruthful negative advertising,” according to Andy Yates, Pantano campaign manager.  Yates went on to say, “The public response has been unyielding in their disgust with McIntyre’s tactics.”

Pantano political consultant Jack Hawke said McIntyre was caught “being dishonest” and “his image will never be the same.”  “He has shown he will say anything just to get elected and that is a side of the Congressman voters have never seen before,” according to Hawke.

McIntyre has been running an attack ad saying Pantano would raise taxes 23% if elected to Congress.  Pantano, a conservative Republican is running on a platform of lower taxes, lower spending and limited government, which makes McIntyre's claims even more implausible.  A fact check report by WECT states that the ad refers to the Fair Tax which “would replace other taxes in an effort to simplify the federal tax code.”  The fact check also indicates there would likely be no tax increase involved with the Fair Tax.

Yates concluded by saying, “McIntyre is trying to scare voters in an attempt to hide his record of support for the big spending policies of Nancy Pelosi, but it won’t work.  Once voters understand a member of Congress is not telling the truth, they can never recover.”