Bill Clinton does not support Republican Ila Mettee-McCutcheon

The Monterey County Democrats have proudly and strongly endorsed Jane Parker for District 4 Supervisor. So have most local Democratic leaders, including Sam Farr, John Laird, Fred Keeley, Bill Monning, the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, and the Santa Cruz/Monterey chapter of Progressive Democrats of America. Ila Mettee-McCutcheon's endorsers include the Monterey County Republicans and Jeff Denham.

And her list of endorsers certainly does NOT include former President Bill Clinton. So why is she prominently using his picture in a mailer captioned "In the tradition of great leadership....Monterey County 4th district Democratic Leaders Endorse Ila Mettee-McCutchon for Supervisor?" President Clinton does not support her candidacy. Ila is a conservative Republican whose politics are directly counter to those of President Clinton's. So why is she trying to infer to voters that she has his support?

Vinz Koller, chair of the Monterey County Democratic Party made the following statement today: "Every election it seems we see a mail piece from a local Republican falsely claiming support from a Democratic president. This time it's Ila Mettee-McCutchon. Ms. Mettee-McCutchon is a conservative Republican who does not have the support of the Democratic leadership or the Democratic base. Jane Parker, by contrast, has always been there for us – and she’s a straight shooter."

Make no mistake, Ila is a Republican. She makes no mention of this fact on her website or in her campaign literature, however, and prefers to suggest to voters that she has the backing of Democrats that she simply does not have. Monterey County Supervisor is a nonpartisan position, but that does not mean it is right for candidates to imply they have the support of one party when they in fact do not. It raises the question of why Ila feels the need to make this claim in the first place - is her campaign and her appeal to voters that weak that she has to imply endorsements that she doesn't actually have?

Jane Parker is the Democrat in this race. The Monterey County Democrats have endorsed her because she supports inclusive government, helping provide health care to all county residents, supports the new general plan, and brings budgeting experience to county government at a time when it is much needed.