Sleazy attempt by Republican shills to smear Rep. Ruben Gallego over divorce won't work

A Republican propaganda outlet in Washington, D.C., is trying to instigate a bogus smear campaign against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, a U.S. Senate candidate whose likely Republican opponent is former news reader and failed Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake.

The Washington Free Beacon is asking a Yavapai County judge to open the sealed divorce records of Gallego and his former wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

It’s a cheap fishing expedition. Just looking for a little dirt.

Of that Gallego said in part, “When she got into this race, I fully expected Kari Lake to go after me — but attacking my family is beyond the pale.”

GOP is fishing for dirt on Gallego

Kate Gallego agreed, saying, “It’s the worst kind of sleaze, and speaks volumes about the people who are behind this effort and those in the media who give it credibility and attention.”

A talking head for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, for whom the folks at the Beacon are shilling, said in part, “Arizonans deserve full transparency from their public officials, and it is deeply concerning that Gallego is attacking hardworking journalists for seeking answers.”

A comment like that sets records for chutzpah and stupidity.

One-quarter of us agree: With Kari Lake on secession

The dopes shilling for Kari Lake seem to have forgotten who it is that Kari Lake spends the majority of her time shilling for.

You know, that twice divorced older gentleman who has been indicted over hush money payments to a porn star and who bragged on “Access Hollywood” about how he can do anything he wants with beautiful women, including grabbing them by the you-know-what.

Similar effort against McCain didn't work

Besides, this isn’t the first time an Arizona politician has been attacked over having been divorced. It doesn’t work.

The piranhas went after the late-Sen. John McCain back in the day.

After spending 5½ years as a POW in Vietnam, McCain returned to the states and to his wife, Carol. He eventually got a job as a military liaison for the Senate, traveling a lot.

The relationship struggled. McCain met and fell in love with Cindy Hensley, who would become his second wife.

He would say later, “My greatest moral failing — and I have been a very imperfect person — is the failure of my first marriage. It’s my greatest moral failure.”

Although “heartbroken,” McCain’s first wife, Carol, said, “A lot of people tried to get me to say bad things about him (in 2008, when McCain was running for president). And I was like, ‘Are you crazy? I would never do that, you don’t know me or you wouldn’t ask me.’

“I mean, I love the man. I would never do anything to harm him in any way.”

Kari Lake should call this off

She also said, “He’s a good guy. We are still friends. He is the best man for president.”

During some of her appearances, Kari Lake waves around a Bible and asks for prayers. She claims to feel the Holy Spirit and to have a “real connection with Jesus.”

If even the tiniest bit of that was true, Lake would call off the dogs working on her behalf. Or at least pretend to condemn them.

That isn’t happening, which is a lesson for the rest of us. Or should be.

The fact that a politician’s marriage was dissolved should not concern us. What should trouble us is a politician who is divorced from morality. Divorced from civility. Divorced from reality.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ruben Gallego is divorced. Why smearing him with it won't work