Tolbert: Dianne Curry’s ‘Shameful’ Attack On Mark Darr

I have a feeling Dianne Curry’s campaign for Lt. Governor is going to supply us with a steady stream of material.  Today, she took aim at incumbent Lt. Governor Mark Darr, but resulted in a misfire.

As background, Darr toured the Mayflower oil spill yesterday.  After seeing the progress on the clean-up and visiting with the Mayflower mayor and local residents, Darr told KUAR “to me the clean-up looks like they’ve done a good job.” You can see pictures of him on the KUAR story touring the site.

Apparently, Curry read the story posted on the Arkansas Blog which used a file photo from the day after the 2010 election at the Republican Party of Arkansas headquarters with its story.  No foul on the Arkansas Blog as it is common to use such file photos, but Curry got the two things mixed up in her press release in which she referred to Darr’s remarks as “shameful.” Why? She explains…

“When Lt. Governor Darr talks about the cleanup in Mayflower, I wonder what he is talking about,” says Curry in her release. “He is holding a press conference that’s partisan in it’s nature because was he surrounded by the citizens of Mayflower? No, he is surrounded by the Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, a Republican State Senator, and a Republican Secretary of State. So these men are using the misery of the people, the residents of Mayflower, Arkansas to garner feel good press for their own political advancement. It’s shameful, it’s wrong, and it’s what is wrong with politics.”

As Rick Perry would say – “Oops!”

David Ramsey of the Arkansas Blog noted Curry’s error and posted this: “Reading Curry’s release, a point of clarification: the image of Mark Darr used in the post earlier today is a file photo. I didn’t choose it, but I apologize if it caused confusion: none of the folks in the picture were with Darr when he made his Mayflower comments.”

You gotta wonder who exactly is steering the ship over at the Curry campaign.

UPDATE – Darr responded saying, “Ms. Curry made one valid statement ‘From her limited view.’  Ms. Curry is obviously desperate for attention and facts of the events or my statements of the Mayflower oil spill are inaccurate. She is more than welcome to schedule an appointment with me by calling my office if she would like to expand her ‘limited view.’ I would be willing to facilitate the same tour I went on so she could speak to the town mayor and other locals.  My statements came from them.”