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Callahan: Dent ‘in the pocket’ of Wall Street (Updated)

Democrat John Callahan’s campaign continues to bash Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) as a tool of Wall Street, using a new Web ad to rehash votes in considers Dent’s payback for tens of thousands in campaign contributions from the financial sector.

The 60-second Web ad, titled “A Dent in your pocket” and sent to the campaign’s list of more than 45,000 registered voters in the 15th District, is only the latest of numerous attempts to hang anger toward Wall Street around Dent’s neck. It assails him for voting for the 2008 financial bailout, against restrictions on executive bonuses and for more recently opposing a financial reform bill moving through Congress.

“Dent’s campaign coffers inflate,” the ad says, “while Wall Street puts a Dent in our pocketbooks.”

In a statement, Dent campaign manager Shawn Millan struck back, but erred in implying that Callahan would have voted for the second bailout bill (Callahan’s campaign manager has said he would have voted for the first measure that failed to pass, but would have opposed the second bill that Dent supported).

“The public has a right to know that John Callahan’s attack against Charlie Dent—over a bill he says he would have voted for anyway—is nothing but refried political hash,” Millan said. “Not only that, Callahan admits he supports a $100 billion bank tax directed at institutions that never even took TARP funds. … And he supports Barney Frank’s slush fund and his plan to keep TARP permanent and perpetuate bailouts.”

See the Web ad below.

UPDATE—Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall responds to Millan in the following statement: “Congressman Dent’s Campaign Manager is either not telling the truth or just doesn’t care about the facts. John Callahan would never have supported the $850 billion Wall Street Bailout that Charlie Dent voted for. It’s sad that their campaign is resorting to deception, but clearly they are afraid to talk about Dent’s failure to hold Wall Street accountable after the bailout,  or the $300,000 he’s taken from Wall Street Special Interests.”

June 9, 2010 at 5:13 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Charlie Dent, John Callahan, PA-15

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