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EXCLUSIVE: Carney’s new ad bring ‘Casino Marino’ argument to TV

EXCLUSIVE: Carney’s new ad bring ‘Casino Marino’ argument to TV

After Democrats have spent months painting former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino as ethically suspect for boosting a casino owner even as his office investigated the man, that argument is finally being taken to the airwaves.

The latest ad from Congressman Chris Carney (D-10) paints a devastating picture of Marino, his Republican opponent in the northeast Pennsylvania district. It recaps revelations that Marino provided a reference for businessman Louis DeNaples’ gaming application, later worked for him in private practice and has refused to release a letter in which he claims the Department of Justice gave him permission to provide the DeNaples reference.

Taken together, the 30-second spot, which started airing Wednesday, encapsulates how Democrats have been trying to brand the GOP candidate “Casino Marino” (though the ad itself never uses that moniker).

“Marino, what’s he hiding?” the ad asks.

Carney has now run at least three commercials as he seeks a third term, thanks to a huge financial advantage that allowed him to hit the airwaves in the relatively cheap media market more than a month ago. The latest ad hit TV screens as Carney’s campaign stepped up efforts to pressure Marino to back up his claim by releasing the Department of Justice letter.

“The controversial ordeal illustrates Tom Marino’s career-long lack of judgment and integrity,” Carney campaign spokesman Josh Drobnyk said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Tom Marino should stop hiding and release the letter. He said he had permission from the Department of Justice to serve as a personal reference for a convicted felon back when Tom Marino was a U.S. Attorney. He said he would provide proof in writing of that permission. But he has yet to do just that. Where is the letter?”

Despite being criticized relentlessly by a prominent local radio host, Marino’s campaign has refused to comment on the matter. But Marino was quick to push back against the ad Wednesday.

“Chris Carney should be ashamed of himself for attacking my character and ethics in his latest negative ad,” Marino said in a statement. “He is trailing badly in the polls and has grown increasingly desperate. He wants to talk about anything other than his liberal voting record. For 18 years I protected the people of this region, first as Lycoming County District Attorney, then as United States Attorney for the Middle District. As a prosecutor I put away murderers, child molesters, rapists, drug dealers, and organized crime figures. For Chris Carney to question my integrity is outrageous.”

The race is currently No. 5 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings.

See the ad below. It will be fact-checked later as part of pa2010.com‘s new AD WATCH feature.

share001btn EXCLUSIVE: Carneys new ad bring Casino Marino argument to TV

September 15, 2010 at 12:05 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

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comments

comments [17] | post a comment

  1. KG

    Sep 15th, 2010

    BOOM!

  2. Concerned PA-10 Voter

    Sep 15th, 2010

    How is Congressman Carney attacking your integrity Tom Marino. He is stating facts. You said in an interview on WILK radio with Steve Corbett that you were able to give a reference for the casino due to a letter you received from the Dept. of Justice. You said it but you won’t show the letter. So Tom Marino WHAT ARE YOU REALLY HIDING???????

  3. KG

    Sep 15th, 2010

    Concerned PA-10 Voter may be a patsy (with an unconvincing screen name), but he’s right.

    “Just trust me” doesn’t cut it from any politician, especially not one like Marino who’s involved with casino money, indictments, investigations, and the general impression of impropriety.

  4. WOW

    Sep 15th, 2010

    Not a huge fan of negative ads, but what people need to realize here is Marino has some shady ties and its about time they are exposed. If Marino said that the letter existed, he needs to fess up to the voters of this district and tell them the truth.

  5. PA Troubler

    Sep 15th, 2010

    Chris Carney must be in serious trouble if he has to go negative this early.

    Furthermore, I am not sure Carney wants to start a character war considering he continues to vote for extreme leftist policies. He votes 91% of the time with Nancy Pelosi. Carney is too left for the district.

    We can at least count on Tom Marino not to vote for the stimulus and ObamaCare.

  6. Ouch

    Sep 15th, 2010

    As Ronald Reagan once infamously noted “all politics is local.” Marino can talk all he wants about trying to nationalize this race and making Carney a proxy for Obama/Pelosi, but until he convinces voters that he did not engage in any conflict of interest on an important local issue he will not win.

    I actually don’t think a “character war” is a bad thing for Carney – he’s a devout Catholic and a loving father and husband. After the previous clowns that have represented the district (Sherwood, McDade), Carney has done a good job bringing some dignity in representing the PA-10. Question his voting record and political views, but not his faith and character.

  7. KG

    Sep 15th, 2010

    PA Troubler-

    Your argument seems to be this: “Tom Marino may be a crook, but at least he isn’t a Democrat.”

    That’s partisanship at its worst.

  8. flynnbw

    Sep 16th, 2010

    I don’t understand why the Republicans can’t find an honest, ethical candidate for this seat.

  9. Anonymous

    Sep 16th, 2010

    Tom Marino is not qualified to be a congressman.

    Congressman Carney has produced for not only our area, but his whole district and done so with dignity BJ

  10. Reality Bites

    Sep 16th, 2010

    PA Troubler wrote-

    “We can at least count on Tom Marino not to vote for the stimulus and Obama Care.”

    I would rather have someone who votes 100% against my interests before I would support someone who is in the pocket of another. We have had enough corruption around here to last a lifetime and Marino represents the people we are trying to get rid of.

    As for Marino’s statement, what a joke. He spent 6 yrs as US attorney while the kids for cash scandal was going on and he looked the other way. Do you think it was a coincidence that the investigation took off after Marino left? Not!! He was protecting his friends in the courthouse.

  11. Anonymous

    Sep 16th, 2010

    Devout Catholic -NOT. He is Pro-abortion. The Catholic church is Pro-life. Always will be. Carney voted for the healthcare bill which funds abortion. Phony Catholic. Where did he get his faith faith from? A crackerjack box?

  12. [...] Chris Carney has absolutely unleashed against his opponent, Republican Tom Marino, in a new ad highlighting Marino’s unethical [...]

  13. Tony

    Sep 17th, 2010

    This is what Marino thinks of Voters in PA-10.

    That is showing some real respect for a position that you are running for. Is this what we should expect from candidates of the US House of Representatives? The only thing that scares me more is this guy being our representative for pa-10.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex6aKw-PZLM&feature=player_embedded

    One other note, what was Marino doing as an US attorney as judges in Scranton get kickbacks for putting innocent kids in juvenile centers for doing nothing? If he can’t protect our children from corrupt judges, how is going to protect citizens from Wall Street, Terrorists, and others?

    Congressman Carney is still serving, protecting our country from those that wish to do us harm. What service has Marino done? Let kids be unfairly sent to juvenile centers…?

  14. Angry voter

    Oct 9th, 2010

    I am so disgraced to say that I once worked with Tom Marino with all that has come about. Tom you are doing more harm to your own campaign by skating around the issue of the permission letter. Show the letter, or quit lying about it. Chris Carey is not making this a negative campaign issue, he is obviously stating the truth and its backing you into a corner you won’t get out of. I work like to see the Department of Justice resume the investigation and send Marino to jail for corrupt conduct.

  15. John

    Oct 15th, 2010

    About Marino,

    Yes indeed Mr Marino was a criminal working for the US Government; ask Judge Kosik who also a criminal working for The US Government…………Let me see how about this deal which is or should be well documented in the Federal Court House…..Notheastern Bank / PNC Take-over…Foreclosures…Oaktree Capital “known criminals from New Orleans”…THE SCAM> FORECLOSURE NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS…JUDGE KOSIK WILL KILL ANY LAWSUITS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS WITH MARINO AND JUDGE KOSIKS DAUGHTER SIT IN THE US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.
    this is a conspiracy above and beound anything you can imagine.much worst than kids for cash.
    KOSIK
    KOSIK’S DAUGHTER
    MARINO
    NORTHEASTERN
    PNC
    OAK TREE CAPITAL NEW ORLEANS
    OAKTREE WAS INCHARGE OF MOUNT AIRY LODGE.
    OWNER COMMITED SUICIDE BY SHOOTING HIMSELF IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD??????????MARINO/KOSIK’S DAUGHTER HANDLED CASE.
    DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CORRUPTED HORRIBLY
    FORECLOSURE ROBBERY
    PAYMENTS CASHED BY PNC IN THE POCKETS OF THE CROOKS AND NOT APPLIED TO LOAN PAYMENTS
    OAKTREE CAPITAL

  16. bruce gerstemeier

    Oct 19th, 2010

    CARNEY SIGNED STIMULUS WITHOUT READING IT. REMEMBER THOSE SHOVEL READY JOBS? UNEMPLOYMENT WENT TO NEARLY 10%. AND NOW THEY WANT MORE STIMULUS MONEY……FOR SHOVEL READY JOBS. CARNEY SIGNED HEALTH CARE TO: 1.]MAKE SURE 30 TO 50 MILLION AMERICANS, WHO DIDN’T HAVE IT, WERE ALL COVERED.[this depended on which crisis you wanted to buy.] IT CAN ONLY COVER APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION… 2]IT WAS SUPOSE TO BRING DOWN THE COST OF HEALTH CARE…..PREMIUMS ARE GOING UP 15 TO 30 PERCENT NEXT YEAR…3]IT WAS SUPPOSE TO CUT THE DEFICIT. WHEN THE C.B.O. GOT THE FINAL INFORMATION ON THE BILL, AFTER IT WAS SIGNED, THEY DETERMINED NO DEFICIT REDUCTION ALL THE WAY TO THE YEAR 2035. IN FACT IT WOULD ADD TO THE DEFICIT. MY QUESTION MR. CARNEY: DID YOU EVEN READ THIS BEFORE SIGNING IT? DON’T KNOW ONE THING ABOUT MARINO BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE GUY WHO WON THIS SEAT LAST TIME FAILED MISERABLY AT HIS JOB AND THAT’S A FACT. THIS ELECTION ISN’T ABOUT DEM OR REP IT’S ABOUT WHO IS GOING TO START REPRESENTING US. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO CHECKS AND BALANCES TO THE PRESIDENT. WHATEVER O’BAMA WANT’S O’BAMA GETS. MARINO GET’S MY VOTE CAUSE CARNEY’S SHOWN WHO HE REPRESENTS.

  17. Art

    Nov 5th, 2010

    You received a pinkslip some months ago giving you warning that if you continued your liberal voting record, your constituancy would vote you out of office. You did not heade their warnings listed on the many pink slips you received and continued not to listen to the voters in D10. This voter does not feel sorry for you in the least. I had no choice but to vote for your oponent

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