For a guy like retired Chief Master Sergeant Chuck Wooten, a call from a supporter that he had made news on Sunday in a story about abandoned campaigns signs compelled him to action. Wooten, who ran a tight operation during his 20 plus years in the United States Air Force, put the quiet of Sunday aside and set out to find the offending sign and take it down immediately.
The article, to which the supporter was referring, was in the online edition of the Sunday Arizona Daily Star with a large picture of his campaign sign in the forefront with Arizona’s current Attorney General’s and Treasurer’s signs behind it. The caption reads: “Primary campaign signs from several candidates, including Congressional District 2 loser Chuck Wooten, still sit at the corner of North Harrison Road and East Speedway.”
The only problems is that Kelly Presnell’s photo of the signs first appeared in the September 8, 2014 edition of the Arizona Daily Star, commonly referred to as the Arizona Red Giant (A red giant is the scientific community’s name for a dying star).
Wooten, who had risen through the Air Force to earn the top spot for noncommissioned Airmen by being conscientious and meticulous, was surprised that he could have ever left a sign out beyond the legal limit. Still, just in case a sign was where the Star said it was, he went to work to correct the situation.
Unfortunately he was less surprise not to find a sign. Throughout his Congressional run against fellow USAF veteran Congresswoman Martha McSally, the Arizona Daily Star got the facts wrong.
“After almost a year since the election, I find it more than curious the Arizona Daily Star has chosen this time to engage this issue. The location they quoted was clearly sign-free. While my sign team was small, they were extremely well organized and conscientious to remove every sign we placed. In the highly unlikely event a sign was overlooked, it will be removed immediately. Of course AFTER we confirm there is an ACTUAL sign still in place.” stated Wooten. “In other words, if there is still a sign, prove it and it will be taken care of. The threat of fines is totally uncalled for and not taken seriously.”
