FROM THE ALLEN CAMPAIGN

PORTLAND - Two months ago Congressman and U.S. Senate nominee Tom Allen called on third parties who intended to air negative television and radio ads against Susan Collins or him to stay out so Mainers could have a discussion of the issues.

He asked Susan Collins to join him in that public request, and he said at the time he would denounce negative tv or radio ads by third parties that name or reference himself or Collins. Collins refused Allen's request.

Now a third party, Employee Freedom http://employeefreedom.org/, has launched a false, negative attack against Allen and Maine's working people, portraying union members as having involvement in organized crime. The transcript of a radio ad, airing across the state of Maine and naming Allen, is below, along with a link to a fact check showing the false attacks in the ad itself.

"We believe this ad has no place in this campaign, and we denounce it. To accuse hard-working Mainers of being aligned with organized crime and to suggest Congressman Allen is protective of organized crime is not only false and negative, but personally destructive," said Carol Andrews, Allen Campaign communications director.

"From Day One, Tom Allen has focused our campaign on a discussion of the big issues facing Mainers - fuel and food costs, the war in Iraq, the economy and our health care crisis. Tom Allen has made it clear that our campaign for change has no place for the kind of politics being waged on Maine's radio airwaves today.

"There is too much at stake to allow third parties to disrupt this discussion with negative attacks against either candidate. Today we once again ask Susan Collins to join us in denouncing radio and tv ads by third parties such as Employee Freedom and its affiliates who name or reference either candidate in negative communications," Andrews said.

"Over the past year Senator Collins has many times expressed her concern about third parties. Surely she sees that this outrageous false and negative attack on Allen and Maine's working people has no place in this campaign," she added.

By law, candidates and campaign staff are prohibited from coordinating message with these third party groups. Because of that prohibition, messages can be carried publicly, like Allen did on his initial statement two months ago.

Transcript of the ad by Employee Freedom Action Committee now airing on Maine radio:

*Man's Voice*
Since 2001, one group has been involved in embezzlement and racketeering, and been the target of more than 2000 criminal investigations, and 600 indictments. Now the same group is planning to expand its power base. Who has this record of corruption and embezzlement? Organized Crime? No. It's organized labor.

*Woman's voice*

Today labor bosses have a new scheme to target you and your money. They want to change the law to make it easier to pressure you into joining their union. Under their plan, you will lose your right to a private vote. Instead of being able to make your choice about joining a union using a private ballot, union bosses can come to your home to pressure you to make a binding decision to pay dues.

Incredibly, they say this is a better process than a private vote.

Tell Tom Allen to stop supporting union schemes to take away private votes at EmployeeFreedom.org.

Paid for by the Employee Freedom action committee.

Employee Freedom Radio Ad Tom Allen for Senate Fact Check Radio 7/18/08

Following is Allen's statement from May 2008:

We have high standards for Senators from Maine, and we have high standards when it comes to the campaigns that are run here too. That's why we intend to have a healthy debate on the issues. I believe the people of Maine deserve a debate on the important issues facing Maine.

This race is already one of the most closely watched across the nation. And the level of interest by third party groups looms large.

By law, my campaign staff and I are prohibited from having any contact with these third party groups, so we cannot go to them directly with the request I am making of them publicly:

• If you plan to attack Senator Collins - don't. That won't help your cause and it has no place in the conversation I intend to have with the voters of Maine.
• If you want to help bring change to Maine and America, stick to the issues and talk about my record and my plans to solve our problems.
• If you plan to run advertisements in Maine about this race, do it positively and factually.

Our campaign has no place for the politics of personal destruction, and we will publicly denounce any negative radio or television advertisement by a third party mentioning my opponent by name or referencing her.

I believe there is too much at stake to allow this race to be undermined by third party groups using negative personal attacks on Susan Collins or me.

My sincere hope is that all third parties - those who favor Susan Collins and those who favor me - will limit their television and radio advertising to positive messages about their favorite candidate.

I respect Susan Collins, and I know she cares about Maine. But Susan Collins and I have fundamentally different views on the most important issues facing this country today -- on economic policy, on our policy in Iraq, on health care and on energy policy. I look forward to a vigorous debate on those and other issues that matter to the people of Maine.

Susan Collins and I see this world differently and in the last 12 years have made very different choices for Maine. The voters of Maine deserve an honest discussion about these differences, and about our competing visions for our country and our state. We cannot allow third party groups to poison this important debate.

I sincerely hope that Susan Collins will join us in a substantive conversation and agree with me that negative ads from third parties attacking either of us have no place in this debate. I hope that Susan Collins agrees to the rules we have adopted.