newsobserver.com projects - Hagan files suit against Dole - Comments

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

gordman — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:35:41 -0400

I hope I'll live the day to see fair play in politics although I'll have to admit that day is far far away. Electoral campaigns are aggressive but I think they should be aggressive in a constructive way. I am disappointed to see how things really go, our politicians make more effort to discredit their opponents than actually build a good campaign.
Gordman, motion for reconsideration expert

Hagan Triumphant!

Isaac136 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:10:31 -0400

She not only TOOK it, but she threw it right back. Hagan's reply ad was beautiful, as is she, and brilliant, as is she.

North Carolina can look forward to being represented by a genuine public servant, a person of outstanding credentials and an actual RESIDENT of this state.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

mickiep — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:03:59 -0400

Hagan can sure dish it out... but she obviously can't take it...what a wimp!!!!

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

Isaac136 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:52:54 -0400

Ain't nothing silly about lawsuits, and what voters seem to be noticing is that Dole's stink bomb blew up in her own face. She deserves it.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

Isaac136 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:51:18 -0400

There are always other ways of dealing with issues than lawsuits.
However, the filing of a lawsuit accomplishes a couple of important things.
1. it sends a strong message to the public that the candidate believes defamation has occurred
2. it keeps the conversation going on an issue that thus far is hurting Dole more than helping her.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

Flowerpower — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:13:34 -0400

Lawsuits are just plain silly; voters will remember this pettiness of Kay Hag's when they get to the polls. This campaign has been more of a war than a campaign with Demoncrats actually being PAID to hurl insults and abuse at Republicans on comment sites. Insults are common and low behavior typical of the very lowest classes. They have ruined our schools and now want to shepherd the final days of a once-great Democracy as retribution for their petty grievances.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

beachman — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:48:52 -0400

Thanks for correcting me I was in a hurry. They are in a Senate race but I still hold to my statement. There other other ways of dealing with this than suing someone.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

bnartist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:41:00 -0400

The only higher burden is to prove that the false statements were malicious as opposed to negligent. I'd think that would be pretty easy.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

bnartist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:38:47 -0400

It was not "that PAC's forum". It was a Democratic fundraiser organized by ActBlue that was held at the Kaplan/Kaminer home.

The PAC did not contribute to Kay Hagan.

Woody Kaplan is a former real estate developer who is a passionate advocate for civil liberties for all Americans including those who choose not to be part of organized religion.

I see you finally admitted you were exceeding your $3,000 threshold.
Lets see you collected:
$805 1st Quarter
$310 2nd Quarter
$2235 3rd Quarter

That's $2000 in personal loans and $500 pity money from the Wake GOP. Quite an achievement for someone who can't get his facts straight.

Re: Hagan does not need to sue

Isaac136 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:33:31 -0400

How on earth do you figure it will HURT Hagan politically to SUE for defamation when she is going on television chastising Dole for defaming her?
It doesn't matter what happens with the lawsuit after the election, but Hagan loses NOTHING by filing it.

Also, the filing of the suit prolongs the conversation about the ad, which, thus far, is helping Hagan and hurting Dole.

Nicely done, Kay!

Hagan does not need to sue

Real_Americans_Think — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:23:00 -0400

I support Hagan and oppose Dole, but I think Hagan could be making a mistake by filing a lawsuit. This has already backfired on Dole, and might actually be one time when the high ground can succeed politically.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

Isaac136 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:19:37 -0400

Wrong, Slingshot. It's not frivolous. Yes, she has a higher burden, but that doesn't mean that Dole is free to spread any ridiculous or malicious lie about her. Besides, if Hagan didn't file suit, dweebs like you would be writing in to say that if it's a lie she should sue. DUH.

Your lame effort to claim that she is over-reacting isn't shared by members of Dole's own party, who are denouncing her for it. This pathetic ad has been picked up by newspapers, blogs and websites all over the danged country and the reaction is pretty near universal: it SUCKS.

This has so blown up in Dole's face that I don't know how she can look herself in the mirror.

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

slingshotwilly@yahoo.com — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:06:26 -0400

Of course, the problem with Hagan's suit is that it's frivolous. I wonder if the judge will have the guts to sanction her legal counsel. She made herself a public figure by running for office, so she's got a higher burden than the average no-name. See NY Times v. Sullivan. Truth is a defense to these claims, and there's been no claim that the ad is false. Kay's overreaction simply proves that she has no business being in politics. She was all too happy to run negative ads against Dole, but she's outraged that her opponent would do the same thing to her.

KKK and athiesm are not the same thing

Real_Americans_Think — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:51:45 -0400

Wow. There is no comparison between the KKK and Athiesm. the KKK was/is a religious based organization that burns crosses to threaten black people, and commits heinous crimes. Athiests are people who don't share dogmatic religious doctrine but they do believe in morality. Amazingly, religions do not have an exclusive claim to morality, and many immoral things are done under the guise of religion. The question here seems to be - are there people really so stupid as to think that there is some similarity between the KKK and athiesm? Or is it the case that they know there is a difference, but willfully try to play on iconic fears by attempting to smear and link them in some bizarre way. What Repugs don't realize is that these kinds of attacks fully demonstrate their own moral depravity. Is this because they are too stupid to know better?

Re: Hagan files suit against Dole

tangoz — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:37:12 -0400

Hagan was at that PAC's forum and accepted a couple thousand dollars from them. You guys would be hopping mad if a Republican attended a KKK rally. You guys are hypocrites period.

Hagan files suit against Dole

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:06:09 -0400

Kay Hagan has filed a lawsuit against Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The Democratic Senate candidate announced this afternoon that she will sue her Republican opponent and the Elizabeth Dole Committee over a television ad that criticizes her for attending a fundraiser hosted by the founder of an atheist group.

"In filing this suit, we've made clear that these kind of despicable tactics will not be tolerated, and our campaign is moving forward with the most important task at hand: defeating Elizabeth Dole, and giving North Carolina's families a voice in the U.S. Senate that they've been sorely missing," said Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan.

The Wake County Superior Court issued an order allowing Hagan to file a formal complaint within 20 days.

Update: The Dole campaign said the lawsuit is a "courtroom gimmick."

"This lawsuit is frivolous and we will file a motion to dismiss," said spokesman Dan McLagan. "Kay Hagan knows that the Dole Campaign ad is accurate and she is trying to confuse voters until Election Day."

Document(s):
hagan-lawsuit.pdf