McSally can’t even fake outrage over smear

Let’s say you’re Sen. Martha McSally and some sketchy Republican operatives looking to bolster your flagging campaign decide to run a smear campaign of the lowest order against your opponent, Democrat Mark Kelly.

They get a rightwing website to print what they claim is a photo taken decades ago of Kelly dressed up for Halloween as Adolf Hitler from his days in the Merchant Marine Academy.

However, not only do they fail to provide witnesses who verify the photo, but a number of Kelly’s former classmates say it’s a lie, that the photo is NOT Kelly.

Among those former classmates is Jennifer Boykin, who said the image published by the National File was not of Kelly.

She added, “I attended the Merchant Marine Academy with Mark. I attended this event. This is not Mark in any of these photos.”

Likewise, former classmate Ed McDonald said, “I attended the Merchant Marine Academy with Mark. I attended this event as well and am in this photo. This is a group from 2nd Company. Mark was not in 2nd Company, and that is not him in these photos.”

No reputable publication would run an article when faced with denials from actual participants.

Even the most disreputable publications might not go that far.

But these people did, and McSally knows they did so for her benefit, because her own party doesn’t believe she’s made a strong enough case to convince a majority of Arizonans to vote for her.

So if you were her, what would you do?

Would you remain silent?

One of the things that McSally and Kelly share is a military background. If you’re McSally do you sit silently while a former combat veteran is dragged through the mud?

That doesn’t seem quite right. Besides, the sleezy story is out there. Whatever benefit McSally might get from it, she’s already gotten, assuming there are idiots who’ll actually buy it. So, if McSally chose to take the high road and condemn the story (even if she didn’t mean it), it would be a win-win for her.

It seems, however, that McSally and those running her campaign aren’t even capable of faking a touch of class.

She could have released a statement saying something to the effect of: I do not condone the release of the photos purportedly showing my opponent dressed for Halloween as Adolf Hitler. It has nothing to do with this election. We live in dangerous times and face difficult challenges and I believe my background and ability make me better able to deal with those dangers and those challenges than my opponent. It

is on that basis alone I believe Arizonans should vote for me.

Instead, McSally’s campaign spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Were these guys absent on the first day of classes for Public Office 101?

The day the teacher informs the class that what is true for actors and door-todoor salesmen is also true for politicians. That is: “The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made.”