Paul Nichols has really stepped in it, if the Manassas Journal Messenger/Potomac News felt compelled to call him out for his negative advertising. Excerpts:
But when attack ads are used by candidates, they walk a fine line between politics and unethical behavior.
We think that Paul Nichols, the Democratic candidate for the 51st district of the Virginia House of Delegates, crossed that line.
His use of manipulated images against Faisal Gill crosses into the realm of fantasy and lying.
It's never good when the editorial board of a local newspaper come right out and calls you unethical, and says you crossed into the realm of fantasy and lying.
It's bad enough that Paul Nichols, a lawyer himself, stooped to attacking is opponent for representing people in our court system. As James Young noted, Paul Nichols probably wouldn't come out so well by comparison if he was held responsible for all the people he has represented -- but he shouldn't be, because our legal system requires lawyers to represent people who are alleged to have broken the laws.
But to do so by making up advertisements to deceive voters into voting for him was too much for even the Manassas Journal Messenger to handle:
It is not, however, appropriate to create an imaginary tableaux that might be mistaken for fact.
An informed electorate is necessary for the maintenance of a democracy. A deceived electorate is useless and should be angry.
Also, those who are caught deceiving should apologize to the voters. How about it, Mr. Nichols?
I thought Nichols might suffer a "guilt-by-association" with the rantings of his supporters like Jonathan Marks. But it looks like Nichols has embraced the association. He had someone doing his dirty work for him, but I guess he had nothing else to say, so now he's owned the dirt, and it looks like it might bury him.
More on this subject, as well as details of Faisal Gill's strong stance on combatting illegal immigrants, can be found at Fans Of Faisal, "MJM: Paul Nichols Crosses Line into Fantasy and Lying ".
Update: SkepticalObservor also caught the editorial, in his post "Paul Nichols Lies To Voters"
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