SPRINGFIELD (AP) - Republican challenger Dave Spence claimed Thursday that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has "sold his soul to the devil" in an attempt to win re-election.
Spence made the comment during a luncheon fundraiser in Springfield. He repeated it several times in a subsequent interview with the Associated Press, justifying his assertion at least partly by pointing to TV ads by the Democratic governor that Spence says are false and defamatory.
"If he's willing to trash my reputation to get re-elected when he knows that's not the truth ... that to me is selling your soul to the devil," Spence told the AP.
Nixon campaign manager Oren Shur said Spence's remark "represents everything that's wrong with today's politics."
"Everyone knows campaigns can be stressful, but Dave Spence needs to pull himself together and get a grip," Shur said.