The political funny season is here, and just about every single Republican congressional candidate is running on being the Trumpiest one of all. Michael Carbonara has reverted to really stretching the truth, let alone pushing the envelope, regarding trying to convince voters he is the only Trump Republican running in his respective race.
In a text message to potential voters, Carbonara, who is currently being sued for allegedly stealing $18 million from a bank with which he has done business, stated that he is the "ONLY ENDORSED MAGA" candidate in his District 22 primary race against David Burck, Belinda Keiser, and Casey Askar.
Again, all of the candidates are running as Trump conservatives, but Carbonara, for the most part, is the only one that appears to be using slick tactics to convince or trick voters into believing he is backed by President Trump, or the official MAGA movement.
Carbonara has not received the support of either.
In response to a request for comment, a White House official denied that an official endorsement had come down, and that Carbonara was, like everyone else, "pushing the envelope."
In addition, Carbonara announced that he had received the endorsement of Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. This is true, but according to one of Rep. Jordan's friends and colleague that asked that his or her name not be used in this article, Rep. Jordan was not told the truth about Carbonara.
"I can tell you that Jim did not know that he (Carbonara) was being sued or was named in a sexual assault case," said the source.
Rep. Jordan has not yet responded to The Floridian's request for comment and clarification.
The race in the newly-drawn congressional district is wide-open, as the latest public opinion polls show this primary being a 3-way race between Askar, Keiser, and Carbonara, with Askar showing the most momentum across the cross-tabs going into Early Voting.
All the polls show a significant amount of undecided voters, and negatives for all three candidates are increasing as negative campaign hits against each other keep piling on.
Keiser seems to be faring the worst.
Carbonara's admission that he has owned and owns Data Centers could prove to be problematic with voters.
The significant negative ad buy Keiser has put up is not paying the dividends she thought it would. Her attacks hitting Carbonara over this alleged $18 million theft have brought him down, but her hits on Askar haven't really moved the needle.
Keiser's hits on Askar accuse him off doing business in the Middle East, as well as being accused of fraud.
Askar has said he is looking to toss his pizzas in the Middle East; the fraud accusation doesn't seem warranted. There just isn't a citation to corroborate the allegation.
On the other hand, all of the attacks against Keiser by both Carbonara and Askar have all been verified.
Keiser was a registered Democrat who backed Hillary Clinton, ran for office as a Democrat, was a Democratic Party Megadonor, and is doing business with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), all of which have been verified as being true. (Source)
Askar has gone as far as to label Keiser as "Beijing Belinda" over her ties to the CCP.
Pivoting back to Askar, the attacks point to his past divorce, questioning his faith, and expanding his pizza empire to the Middle East. Also, Keiser's attack against Askar, accusing him of donating money to RINO Republicans or "NeverTrumpers," appears to stem from a donation Askar made to then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during the 2012 general election against former President Barack Obama.
Keiser herself donated $2,700 to both Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016, after then-businessman Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination.
Keiser was already registered as a Republican when she donated.
Speaking of Obama, David Burck recently admitted that he voted for President Obama.
In the Dubaido.com attack website paid for by the Keiser campaign, Askar is depicted as a Middle Eastern man wearing a Kafiyah. A Kafiyah is a traditional black-and-white head scarf that symbolizes a Palestinian identity or solidarity to the Palestinian cause. It is also a symbol of terrorism.
Askar is not Palestinian, nor is he Muslim. He is Christian.
The campaign attack on Carbonara highlights some business dealings in Dubai, but also posts another lawsuit filed against his Ibanera company by a Dubai-based bank.
With Early Voting starting this weekend, the race is a toss-up. The ones to watch here are Askar and Carbonara, with Askar showing the strongest campaign efforts.
