Bridgewater in spat with GOP national party

WASHINGTON — The Republican National Committee and 2nd District House GOP candidate Tim Bridgewater on Tuesday accused each other of fibbing — and Bridgewater and fellow candidate John Swallow swapped some name-calling, too.

It was round two of tough in-party accusations just days before Saturday's State Republican Convention — where anyone who wins 60 percent of delegate votes becomes the party's nominee to face Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. If 60 percent is not achieved, the top two candidates will face off in a primary election.

In round one Monday, the Deseret Morning News reported the RNC asked Bridgewater to "cease and desist" from claims it said gave a misleading impression that President Bush endorsed him. Bridgewater pulled ads the RNC disliked — but said they were not misleading and merely listed real ties he has to Bush.

On Tuesday, the RNC took exception to Bridgewater saying in the newspaper that RNC attorney Charles Spies told him on the phone that "your opponent" had sent the ads and press releases that the RNC had decided went too far — so Bridgewater charged that Swallow pushed the RNC to make the damaging admonition.

RNC spokesman Yier Shi called the newspaper Tuesday to stress "We never told him we got it from his opponent . . . That came across as an unchallenged fact, and it is not true."

He added, "The RNC did not get this information from his opponent. We have no comment on where it came from. It was developed internally."

Bridgewater replied, "I would definitely disagree. They said they had a radio script . . . and it came from 'my opponent.' I don't think it came from David Wilde (the other Republican in the race). I really only have one opponent in this race."

Swallow and Bridgewater have had big leads in delegate polling.

When asked why the RNC would then take such action just before the convention, Bridgewater again blamed it on Swallow's campaign.

"They are desperate, despite the fact they have spent $400,000 to win, and are desperately attacking every angle instead of trying to run a positive campaign," he said.

Swallow, meanwhile, said, "I can tell you in all honesty that I have nothing to do with this."

He added that neither he nor his campaign "put anyone up to this — and shame on Tim Bridgewater for trying to drag my campaign into this issue."