First, End the Mudslinging

The admission by the political consulting firm for Garden Grove Republican Curt Pringle that it got facts wrong in his campaign for state treasurer was rare and welcome. It would have meant more had Pringle joined in his consultant’s apology.

Last week, the consulting firm run by Sal Russo, a veteran in campaigns, retracted statements made in a campaign newsletter concerning Pringle’s opponent, Democrat Phil Angelides.

Unfortunately, the retractions came six days after the election, which Pringle, a state assemblyman, lost. The apology also came well after an Oct. 20 letter from a lawyer for Angelides threatening to file a lawsuit.

The allegations in the newsletter dealt with a development near Sacramento managed by Angelides. Pringle said that any misstatements, such as the erroneous claim that a bank had foreclosed on the property, were the consulting firm’s fault, not his. He said the retraction was made only because of the threatened lawsuit.

During and after the election, Pringle contended that the Angelides campaign was more negative than his own and that he raised valid questions about Angelides’ handling of money, an obvious requirement for a candidate for treasurer.

“Hit pieces” such as the one from the Pringle campaign have become far too common at election time. The use of “opposition research,” the euphemism for digging up dirt on opponents, is a staple of campaigns.

Four years ago, when Angelides ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer, he received deserved heavy criticism for one of his television ads.

In the Democratic primary, Angelides ran an ad that strongly implied that his opponent, an abortion foe, had condoned the murder of an abortion doctor in Florida. Despite denunciations of the ad, it was credited with helping him win the race. He lost the general election.

In politics today, the blizzard of faxes, print and television ads with so many attacks on opponents contributes to voter cynicism and apathy. The charges and countercharges also have prompted increased media monitoring of campaign claims.

It is true that politics isn’t gentle, but campaigns should not wait until they are threatened with lawsuits to issue retractions and apologies. Indeed, they shouldn’t make the statements that force the retractions in the first place.