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Fifth District race: Jane Dittmar presses Tom Garrett on Trump, veteran

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congressUpdated: Tuesday, 10:42 p.m. In response to the statement issued by Dittmar Campaign Manager Tom Vandever this afternoon, Senator Garrett’s Campaign Manager Zach Werrell issued the following statement.

“Tom Garrett has expressed nothing but respect and admiration for CPT Khan and the Khan family, and offered nothing but his sincere condolences for their heroic son’s death.

This pathetic attempt by Jane Dittmar and her campaign to put Donald Trump’s words in Tom Garrett’s mouth, not to mention calling a decorated veteran a coward, dishonors all of those who serve now, have served in the past, and will ever serve in the future.

Tom Garrett served with men who have literally given life and limb for this nation… and unlike Jane Dittmar or her campaign, Tom Garrett will NEVER invoke their names to score political points.

I call on Jane Dittmar to immediately apologize for the incendiary rhetoric coming from her campaign, and to terminate her campaign manager, Tom Vandever. I sincerely, hope those words were his own and not approved by Ms. Dittmar, nor anyone else in their campaign. Anything less dishonors a decorated veteran, and everyone else who has ever had the courage to don an American military uniform.

If Jane Dittmar wants to make this campaign about the candidates’ respective military service, Tom wins. Period. His record alone and numerous commendations including the NATO Medal speak for themselves.

I know Tom holds Jane in high regard, and while she didn’t wear a uniform, her record is far better than that of Hillary Clinton who refused to lift a finger to help Americans dying in Libya, and later said ‘what difference does it make’ with regard to the lives lost.”

 

Original post: Tuesday, 5:40 p.m. State Senator Tom Garrett’s continued failure to reject Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s reprehensible attacks on a Fifth District Gold Star family has spurred the Jane Dittmar campaign to again call on Garrett to repudiate Trump’s hateful message.

“Sen. Garrett wants the constituents of the Fifth District to depend on him, but he continues to shirk his duty to defend the parents of a fallen American hero who live in the very district he’s running to represent. When it comes to Donald Trump’s disgusting attacks, Garrett’s silence is deafening and unconscionable,” Dittmar Campaign Manager Tom Vandever said.

“Our Gold Star mothers and fathers are entitled to the utmost respect and gratitude. For Tom Garrett to aid and abet Donald Trump’s despicable attacks on the Khan family is cowardly, dishonorable, and hardly the actions of someone who claims to support our veterans.

“A Gold Star mother and father in his own district deserve a Representative who will defend them, in the same manner that Senator John McCain, Senator Kelly Ayotte, and numerous other Republicans leaders have stepped forward. Garrett’s refusal to take the honorable path is pure cowardice.”

Vandever also questioned Garrett’s support of veterans, noting a lot of rhetoric but not much follow through.

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