I have been sickened by the vitriolic character assassination of Barack Obama put forth by the national Republican Party in this election, but never more so then when I picked up our mail today. In it was a pamphlet quoting the radical William Ayers (but not attributed to him, only saying it was from the New York Times in 2001) with a picture of Barack Obama directly beside it, and a picture of Ayers directly underneath it. The idea, of course, is to imply that the quote is from Obama. The inside is filled with more of the same.

This innuendo-filled pamphlet is not sponsored by a third-party organization; indeed, this pamphlet clearly states that it is “paid for and authorized by the Maine Republican Party.” I hope the good voters of Maine have the sense to see this for what it is – a Rove-like effort to smear an outstanding human being and citizen as well as a desperate attempt to distract the public from the real issues in this election.

Carol Tiffin James

Hancock