First Royce Attack Ad Flips Facts on Medicare, Fullerton Vandals Rip Down Jay Chen Signs

.

.

.

Ed Royce’s flip-out shows that desperation mixed with lack of moral restraint can lead to some ugly results.

The Chen for Congress Fullerton Campaign Headquarters was vandalized early this morning.  Some people tore down signs and placards outside of the office. and then sped away in a car when staff, still hard at work at at 2:10 a.m., came out to investigate.  (If they think that that was a surprise, just wait until they find out about security tapes!  The office is next to the Police Station, bozos!)

A press release from the campaign quotes Deputy Campaign Manager Tim Bell stating: “We will not be deterred by these efforts to suppress our voice.  Change is on its way to Fullerton and the rest of the 39^th Congressional District, and these petty attacks only affirm our mission.”

Incumbent Representative Ed Royce also today launched his first negative mail attack against Democratic challenger Jay Chen — and it looks highly underwhelming.

The attack ad rehashes false claims against President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare”) that have already been debunked by several nonpartisan groups, including Politico.  Royce’s mails asserts that Chen wants to rob Medicare of $716 billion, and wants to tax wheelchairs and other medical devices.  (Oddly enough, it provides no quotes of Chen saying any such things!)

The Royce campaign’s confusion may stem from this: President Obama’s plan reduces Medicare spending by $716 billion and cuts no benefits to seniors — although it does eliminate the widely hated Medicare Part D “donut hole” that has cost seniors deadly and requires some free preventative screening for seniors.  Perhaps this is an easy mistake to make.  (Perhaps not.)

Chen is quoted saying that he is “amused that Royce has to resort to putting words in my mouth. Like his leader Mitt Romney, Ed Royce will say anything to get elected.”

The budget proposal of Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan proposed the exact same changes to Medicare, on top of forcing seniors into a voucher program that could force them to pay thousands more for medical care.   Ed Royce voted in favor of the Paul Ryan budget — including the plan to reduce Medicare by $716 billion.  That plan would also move future seniors to a voucher program — which led to Ryan being booed at the usually placid American Association of Retired Persons convention.

Chen is also quoted as saying “It is sad that Ed Royce has no achievement to stand on, and must hypocritically link me to the unpopular Ryan budget plan that he voted for himself.  Royce, Romney and Ryan are cut from the same cloth, and want our seniors and veterans to finance more tax breaks for the rich.  I won’t let that happen.”

Early voting in the election begins two weeks from Monday.  Chen has at least that long to get out the word to seniors that Royce is flat-out lying about him, his stance on Medicare, and Royce’s own stance on Medicare.

[Disclosure: I rent space in the campaign office that was vandalized, which is leased by the Jay Chen campaign and the Democrats of North Orange County.]