Quite a kerfuffle out in East Honolulu over last minute GOP attack ads. We’ve seen a similar GOP tactic out in our part of the Windward side, but the 17th District race between Republican incumbent Gene Ward and challenger Amy Monk is really kicking up the dust.

It resulted in a public statement by the nonpartisan Project Vote Smart, which says the local GOP attacks are “cheating the public out of their need for trusted, abundant, accurate, factual information.”

Derrick DePledge’s blog over at the Advertiser described the situation yesterday.

Here’s the public statement issued by Project Vote Smart:

PROJECT VOTE SMART

One Common Ground • Philipsburg, MT 59858-9767
Tel: 1-406-859-VOTE (1-406-859-8683) • Fax: 1-406-859-8680
Hotline: 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762) • Website: www.vote-smart.org
RELEASE DATE: DATE FOR INFORMATION:
October 30, 2008 Adelaide Elm: 406-859-8683

PUBLIC STATEMENT

The Hawaii Republican Party has used Project Vote Smart’s name and programs to give credibility to a negative attack against Amy Monk who is running for the Hawaii’s State House 17th District seat. This kind of negative campaign activity is precisely the sort of tactic that the Project attempts to counter with its factual database. By using the Project’s name to give credibility to these attacks, the Hawaii Republican Party is cheating the public out of their need for trusted,
abundant, accurate, factual information.

The Project prohibits the use of its name and programs, including the Political Courage Test, in partisan activity. All candidates in Hawaii have been notified of this policy in writing. Additionally, this policy is posted prominently on the Project Vote Smart website.

This kind of behavior occurs in less that 00.05 percent of all races nationally. It is our policy to condemn this misuse of Project Vote Smart’s name and reputation and to alert the public to any misuse of our name or programs for negative partisan activities.