LAMBERTH, Kalnier -- He's not even running for governor yet, officially. But Conservative businessman Tony Ritonio (pronounced "Rit-tone-yo") is already being assailed by Nationalists on everything from women's issues to the economy.
Ritonio--who has not officially filed papers to run but is widely expected to--was a popular topic during Kalnier Gov. Karen DeSalle's Friday morning speech at the Greater Lamberth Emily's List luncheon. Emily's List is a left-centre pro-choice advocacy group.
DeSalle, who is running for re-election and will likely face Ritonio in 2014, told the audience that Ritonio would seek to limit abortion and would not stand for equal pay for women.
"A Tony Ritonio governorship will mean that women will have less access to choice, and the ability of women to choose what they want to do with their body will become severely limited in this state," said DeSalle.
"If Mr. Ritonio had his way, he would turn back the clock on women's rights. He thinks that government should tell women what to do with their bodies. We believe that women and their doctors should decide for themselves," she added.
On gender equality in the workplace, DeSalle said Ritonio would "foster the same good ole boys environment that has plagued corporate Grassadellia for decades."
The governor contended Ritonio would not be a genuine advocate for equal pay and treatment of women in the workplace.
"Do we really want someone like Tony Ritonio, who has a history of opposing equality for women, do we really want someone like that as our governor, as our leader in this state? Or do we want a real advocate, someone who will stand up for fair treatment of women? Someone who will fight to protect women's rights and be a champion of women's issues. The choice is clear," said DeSalle.
Ritonio responded to DeSalle's attack via a video posted on his Facebook page.
"I don't know what's more deplorable. The attacks that Karen DeSalle said about me at the Emily's List luncheon, or the fact that she was brazen enough to make those false accusations in public," said Ritonio.
"First of all, I am not against women's rights. I am married to my beautiful wife Malaysia and I have two beautiful daughters, Ayla and Adrianna, and I love all three of them with everything I have. They are my world. I support them and love them and want them to achieve and succeed at everything they do," said Ritonio.
He continued, "Secondly, I have no interest in limiting women's access to healthcare. I do believe that life is sacred and my Catholic faith has taught me to value life, even the life of the unborn. But while I stand firmly in my faith, I do not believe government should be telling women what to do with their bodies. I believe women and their physicians should make that decision, with due diligence and prayer. So Karen DeSalle is completely and utterly lying about that."
"And thirdly, I'd like to strongly refute what Governor DeSalle said Friday morning during her speech. She said that I would hamper women's equality in the workplace. That I was apart of the 'good ole boys network.' This again is completely and utterly untrue. I have never been apart of the 'good ole boys network.' I believe that any Grassadellian who works hard and does a good job at their place of employment, should be treated fairly and equally with their coworkers. That means fair pay, fair treatment, fair benefits, fair promotions, fair days off and sick days, all of the above."
"So for Karen DeSalle to say all these things about me is just untrue, unfair, and just out-right lies. She is purposely trying to distort my position on the issues to benefit her campaign. And she clearly has no regard for the truth or no ethical commitment to honesty if she is propagating and advancing these falsehoods," said Ritonio.
He ended the video by asking supporters to donate to fight the "DeSalle political machine."
"I'm not even running for governor yet and she's already pumping out lies about me in front of crowds of people and television cameras. If it's already this ugly and I'm not even in the race, how much uglier is it going to get?"
He added, "I need your help to fight Karen DeSalle and her allies, to set the record straight and get the truth out to the people of Kalnier, so they know the real Tony Ritonio and so they see Karen DeSalle for who she is: an unethical politician who is desperate to keep her job and who will stop at nothing to make sure she gets re-elected."
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Governors Association, known as NATGA, told the Lamberth Regent newspaper that Karen DeSalle was "right on" about Tony Ritonio's "antiquated" views on women.
"I didn't see any lies in Gov. DeSalle's speech," spokeswoman Nancy Kilhoffer said. "She's just going off of his record and going off of his positions during his 2010 Senate campaign."
The head of the Conservative Governors Association (CGA), Ansleigha Gov. Dale Lindstrom, skewed DeSalle for what he called her "campaign of dishonesty."
"How disappointing to see an incumbent governor in this country openly and overtly engage in a campaign of unfounded fear and intimidation and blatant dishonesty," Lindstrom said. "It's really disconcerting to see this kind of behavior from any governor. It really diminishes the dignity of the office of the governorship."
Though Ritonio has not officially declared his candidacy, he has been making frequent public appearances. And while we don't know exactly how much money he has, we do know the self-made millionaire likely has hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, to self-finance his campaign.
DeSalle reported $2.7 million in her campaign war chest, as of the last reporting date. She had about $1.1 million cash on hand.
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