Contact:
Jon Knudson
[email protected]
608-260-2409
MADISON — It’s been a rough week for Kevin Nicholson, with two more examples of his dishonesty and opportunism getting headlines.
First, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Nicholson’s struggle to get his story straight on his changing views on a woman’s right to a full array of healthcare options. In a telephone news conference this week, Alexandra Acker-Lyons, former Vice Chair of College Democrats of America, spoke about her experience working with Nicholson when he was Chairman of the CDA, whose platform “endorsed a woman’s right to choose.”
“Kevin never offered an amendment counter to that platform position,” said Acker-Lyons.
The story also noted Nicholson’s speech to the 2000 Democratic National Convention included his support for “a woman’s right to choose,” despite his claims on conservative talk radio this week that he had simply been handed a piece of paper to read, implying he was anti-choice at the time. But that doesn’t add up.
“He also faxed a letter on June 28, 2000, to EMILY’s List, praised the group’s work and said there was “great potential for a strong partnership.”
“EMILY’s List seeks to raise money for female candidates who support abortion rights.”
Then today, the Journal Sentinel reported that Nicholson scrubbed a campaign video that included footage of a veterans cemetery.
Nicholson “edited out footage of what appears to be a veterans cemetery from the campaign video announcing his candidacy.
“The move came after No Quarter asked Nicholson’s camp if the clip may have violated federal rules. A National Cemetery Administration official said the use of filmed footage of veterans cemeteries in political ads is “incompatible” with a federal policy requiring these cemeteries be treated with dignity and respect.”
“Jessica Schiefer, a spokeswoman for the National Cemetery Administration, said her office had not received a filming request from the Nicholson campaign. She also said she could not determine whether the cemetery featured in his biographical ad is owned by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“But Schiefer emphasized that the rules are strict.
“NCA policy states that filming may not be used for the expression of partisan or political viewpoints as they are not compatible with preserving the dignity and tranquility of national cemeteries as national shrines,” Schiefer said via email.”
Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Jon Knudson said, “Kevin Nicholson’s slick campaign announcement had to be edited, just like his position on choice. Kevin Nicholson can’t be trusted to tell Wisconsin voters the truth.”
