Politics

Washington Post Duped by Fake Congressman

By Anne Landman

A Washington Post writer took bait thrown out by a fake Congressional candidate with a Twitter account. Jonathan Capehart, who writes a political opinion column in the Post, responded to a Tweet by Republican Representative Jack Kimble of California's 54th Congressional District. Kimble wrote, "Check the budget, Bush fought 2 wars w/o costing taxpayers a dime." Capehart responded by describing Kimble's statement as a "stunning bit of fiscal ignorance" and analyzing the country's budget and fiscal problems. The only problem was, California only has 53 Congressional districts, and Jack Kimble is a fake member of Congress who is running a fake re-election campaign. Kimble has a Twitter account page crammed full of corporate logos. He has a blog called "Kimble's Corner", where he keeps his "constituents" up to date about his magnificent wins in fake debates. He has political ads (like the one at right) posted on the Internet promoting his re-election. Kimble advocates doubling the Bush tax cuts, fining the unemployed for their choice "not to do their fair share," and warns that Obama is working with Nancy Pelosi "right now to pass a law making it illegal for grandchildren to visit their grandparents." He promotes the virtues of corn dogs over funnel cakes, saying corn dogs are the most Republican food, and is certain that the voters of his mythical 54th District are "far too sophisticated" to fall for his opponents "lies and half truths."

Full post as published by PR Watch on September 08, 2010 (boomark / email).