Mud flies in GOP gubernatorial primary

The Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial primary continued to get chippy this week, with both candidates exchanging accusations of distortion.
Former Congressman Mark Neumann accused Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker of “push polling” voters by misleading them to believe Neumann had supported President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus plan.
Neumann campaign spokesman Chip Englander wrote in his blog this week that John Cornell, a resident of Stoughton, was among those who received the polling call on June 2. Cornell said the caller disclosed that the poll was paid for by the Scott Walker for Governor campaign.
“The poll included a negative question intended to mislead me into thinking Mark Neumann ‘joined Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and supported the stimulus,'” Cornell said. “This is simply untrue, and Scott Walker knows this is untrue.”
Meanwhile, the Neumann campaign paid for an advertisement on the Drudge Report, a popular conservative web site, suggesting Walker does not support the right to conceal and carry a weapon. The ad said Walker also “flip-flopped” on his stance regarding Arizona’s illegal immigration law.
Keith Gilkes, campaign manager for Scott Walker, responded, “Mark Neumann’s desperate campaign has morphed into a traveling circus of lies and attacks,” Gilkes said.  “Scott has time and again supported shall issue concealed carry legislation and has said explicitly he will sign it as governor. What he’s not for is jamming through legislation in the middle of the night that no one has seen and voting on it at 4 a.m.”
Meanwhile, Milwaukee conservative radio talk show hosts continue to criticize Neumann for campaigning against Walker.
Neumann’s staff  says his primary bid is going well outside of the Milwaukee media market. He made campaign stops in Green Bay, Wausau, Eau Claire and La Crosse today to proclaim his support of the Second Amendment, which preserves the right to bear arms.
– BizTimes Milwaukee