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Now that Oakland County attorney David Trott has easily won the Republican congressional primary, perhaps he can offer more transparency in campaign commercials leading up to November's general election against Democrat Bobby McKenzie.
He talks about changing Washington. He could start by changing himself.
During the campaign against Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, R-Milford, Trott repeatedly ran a TV ad promoting himself as a "job creator."
But he never once said in the commercials what the heck he does. He said he took over a business from his mother and father, and grew it from six to 1,800 employees. Again, not a word about what the business is about. Then, as he boasts about being a "a job creator," the commercial cuts to a scene at a warehouse with workers.
What were people to assume? I've asked friends who have seen the commercial: What do you think David Trott does for a living? They usually say: "Something to do with manufacturing."
In reality, he's a lawyer who does foreclosures on peoples' homes on behalf of banks and other financial institutions. Free Press reporters John Wisely and L.L. Brasier exposed the deceptiveness of the commercials in a detailed May 18 article.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with being a lawyer who works on home foreclosures. Somebody has to do it, just like the sheriff's deputy in Michael Moore's film, "Roger and Me" who had to evict people from their homes in Flint. It's a living. In Trott's case, it's a very good one.
But Trott clearly understands that if he mentioned in his commercial what he actually did, people would not feel all warm and fuzzy, not like they would if he were creating manufacturing jobs as the commercial suggests.
You could imagine if he had a commercial that said something like:
"My name is David Trott. I'm an attorney. I kick people out of their homes when they can't afford to pay their mortgage. I help out the banks. And I've hired an army of people to help me carry out my mission. I'm a job creator."
That might not go over so well.
He also says in his commercial that he's taught his children to treat people with respect and compassion, and oh yes, "to tell the truth and own up to your mistakes."
Well, it's time for David Trott to treat the voters with the same respect and own up to his mistake that he purposely tried to dupe the electorate.
Washington is full of people who have mastered the art of deceit. We sure don't need another.
