News · Press Release

MEMO: Why San Diegans Can’t Trust Carl DeMaio

TO: Interested Parties

FR: DCCC Communications

DT: October 30, 2014

RE: Why San Diegans Can’t Trust Carl DeMaio

The recent sexual harassment allegations that have forced Carl DeMaio’s campaign into “damage control” mode entering the final stretch are emblematic of his political career in San Diego. From his City Council tenure to his mayoral run to his circus-like congressional campaign, Carl DeMaio has alienated women, students, middle class families and even his own allies – proving time and again why San Diegans simply cannot trust him.

If elected to Congress, Carl DeMaio would bring the same brand of Tea Party politics and character flaws to Washington that have earned him the distinction of being called  a “political sociopath”,  “flamethrower”, “master marketer of himself”, the “King of the Gimmick” and someone whose biggest problem has always been himself.

“As San Diegans are casting their ballots looking for a candidate with the judgment, integrity, and leadership needed to solve problems in Washington that will make them proud to call them their representative, they can skip right past Carl DeMaio,” said Tyrone Gayle of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Carl DeMaio has betrayed San Diegans’ trust and pushed a Tea Party agenda that would hurt hardworking families, and the choice in this election could not be clearer.”

Here’s the tale of the tape:

 

On Integrity:

Headline: FBI Investigating DeMaio Accusations [NBC San Diego, 10/20/14]

Questions Raised About Who Wrote UT San Diego’s “Slippery” Editorial “Carl DeMaio […] appears to be bragging about his campaign writing a UT San Diego editorial that was highly critical of DeMaio’s opponent and had a ‘UT San Diego editorial board’ byline.” [NBC San Diego, 10/22/14]

National Journal Accused DeMaio of Plagiarizing Pension Report. “DeMaio has claimed to have authored a ‘report’ finding that 102 members of Congress are drawing a government pension atop their congressional salaries. He leaked an advanced copy to The Wall Street Journal on Monday and is following up with an event in San Diego this morning to induct some lawmakers, most notably his opponent, Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., into a ‘Hall of Shame.’ But his ‘report”’ looks like little more than a copied-and-pasted version of a National Journal database that accompanied a cover story last June on congressional double-dipping.” [National Journal, 5/12/14]

U-T San Diego: DeMaio Inflated Benefits’ Cost and Unfairly Blamed City Staff. In 2009, DeMaio exaggerated data on fringe benefits received by San Diego employees. An analysis by U-T San Diego found that benefit figures were inflated in a comparison to benefits of other cities. “DeMaio blamed city staff members for the faulty comparison, even though the city only provided numbers about its own work force. It was DeMaio’s office that made the comparison with the national average from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.,” the UT reported. [U-T San Diego, 2/22/09]

 

On Leadership:

DeMaio Called the Tea Party the ‘Conscience’ of Government Reform and Assured Them He Would ‘Owe’ Them. In 2011, speaking at a gathering of Tea Party members, DeMaio called the Tea Party the “conscience of the accountable government movement” and assured them that “I will owe you [the Tea Party] and our collective movement everything.” [San Diego Tea Party event, 12/14/11, 13:45]

DeMaio Compared Himself to Ted Cruz on Day 1 of the Government Shutdown. In October 2013, when asked how as a junior congressman he would be able to change Washington, DeMaio pointed to Ted Cruz as an example saying, “Take a look at what Ted Cruz is doing. Freshman Senator, he’s certainly creating a lot of stir. So I do believe one individual can make a difference. And it’s a question of whether you are willing to stand your ground.” [San Diego Lions Club Video 4, 10/1/13]

House Republicans Credit Ted Cruz for Government Shutdown.  “House Republicans give one person the most credit for bringing Congress to its current standoff over funding for the federal government: Ted Cruz […] Many lawmakers said they would have been here had it not been for the junior Senator from Texas.” [Huffington Post, 9/29/13]

U-T San Diego: DeMaio is “Too Polarizing” And “Le[ft] Behind a Divisive Legacy.” In 2012, the U-T San Diego wrote that DeMaio was “too polarizing” and that his defeat in the mayoral election “means that DeMaio will leave behind a divisive legacy.” [Editorial, U-T San Diego, 11/08/12]

 

On Judgment:

Headline: Republican Candidate Allegedly Fat Shames Opponent’s Staffer [Time Magazine, 10/21/14]

Headline: GOPer DeMaio’s Top Staffer On Spotting Trackers: Young, Black ‘Red Flag’ [Talking Points Memo, 10/17/14]

Former Staff Review DeMaio as Manager “DeMaio’s former driver said he felt like a ‘doormat’ and was encouraged to break traffic laws.” [Voice of San Diego, 10/17/14]

 





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