The Kids Are In Play

by digby

Stalkin’ Malkin politics continues apace:

Virginia state Senate candidate Chap Petersen Friday accused his opponent Jeannemarie Devolites Davis of crossing the line by including his personal information in an attack ad.

Petersen held a news conference Friday in front of the Republican incumbent’s campaign office to address a piece of negative mail sent out this week by Devolites Davis, the wife of Rep. Tom Davis.

The mail raises questions about Petersen’s prior work for a lobbying law firm and whether he properly disclosed clients’ names on a public form.

Circled in red on the mail is part of a public document that lists Petersen’s home phone number and Fairfax City address.

The names of the former state delegate’s wife and two young daughters are also listed.

Petersen said a strange, jarring phone call to his home answered by his wife alerted him to the disclosure. He said his wife was so unnerved by that call and others that she refused to answer the phone and spent the day at her parents’.

“The thing that really bothers me is it was part of an attack ad,” Petersen said. “This ad is meant to incite anger at me, and then you have my daughters’ names circled and my home phone number circled and my home address circled. The net effect is to get somebody angry at me and have them contact me.”

[…]

Devolites Davis defended her campaign mail in her own news conference, pointing out that Petersen himself published the names and pictures of his family.

“I wanted to show this piece to all of you that Mr. Petersen sent to the mail to all of his voters,” Devolites Davis said.

The mail showcases the Petersen family, naming each child. Devolites Davis also said Petersen’s phone number is listed in the white pages and that he included his home address in a blog he wrote.

“If he’s concerned about public safety, what he did, sending their pictures out and their names, is far more egregious than me having a couple of names on an economic interest statement, and so I’m perplexed by his concern,” Devolites Davis said.

New rules for Democrats. If you put your home phone number in the phone book or a picture of your kids on a mailer to your supporters, your opponents are perfectly justified in publishing your home address, phone number and kids names circled in red in an attack ad and send it to a bunch of gun-toting, right wing neanderthals. If some freak starts calling your house after getting it, it’s your fault for admitting to having children.

Here’s how a local TV station put it:

Devolites Davis points out the Petersen’s home address and phone number can be easily be found on the Internet and in election filings. She also says Petersen put his family in play when he sent out a flyer talking about his kids’ activities – noting his daughter’s gymnastics lessons and hockey matches.

“If you’re going to serve in public office, you’re going to fill these forms out and they are available to everybody,” said Devolites Davis. “They are not private information – they are available to any person who wants to see them.”

This is the new reality for Democrats, I’m afraid. The kids are now “fair game.” Why wouldn’t they be? The Republicans think nothing of outing CIA agents for political purposes. Why should they care about siccing some nutcase on a kid? As we saw with the Graeme Frost thing, if you advocate for Democratic policies, or you have the temerity to allow your child to participate in civic life in any way, you are asking to be stalked, threatened and harmed by those who oppose you. Get used to it.

You’ll be glad to know that this practice isn’t considered to be a big deal by Villagers and their friends:

University of Virginia political expert Larry Sabato said the mailer went too far, but doubted the issue would “effect the election.”

“I don’t blame anyone in the public eye being upset at having the home address and phone number listed,” Sabato said. “As a rule, candidates and campaigns ought to stick to official numbers and addresses. This is a venial sin instead of a mortal sin.”

Too true. Hey, if your little seven year old girl can’t take the heat then maybe daddy and mommy ought to stay out of the political kitchen, eh? Politics ain’t beanbag, kid.

H/T to NickM