Can’t say I’ve ever seen this before.

Politician A quotes Columnist A in an attempt to gain support in campaign against Politician B.

Politician A takes Columnist A’s words completely out of context.

Columnist A gives Politician A a whooping!

Politician A is Congressman Adam Kinzinger.

Politician B is Congressman Don Manzullo.

Columnist A is Rockford Register-Star political guy Chuck Sweeney.

Rockford Register-Star political columnist Chuck Sweeney wrote a critical piece about Congressman Adam Kinzinger's quoting from his columns out of context.--way out of contest. Click to enlarge.

Here’s part of Sweeney’s column today:

“Kinzinger’s campaign sent out a “Dear Friend” letter, under his signature, that slammed his March 20 primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan. Imagine my surprise when I read this paragraph from Kinzinger:

“A Rockford Register Star columnist recently said Congressman Manzullo’s voting record bears resemblance to ‘that of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank.’ No, it wasn’t Barney Frank’s record but it was actually the voting history of my opponent, Congressman Don Manzullo.”

I’m the Rockford Register Star columnist he quoted. He took me wildly out of context.

Kinzinger took six of my words and gave them a totally new meaning. Here’s what I really said in my Jan. 22 column:

“Kinzinger and Manzullo are engaged in a fight-to-the-finish duel about who is more conservative. And Kinzinger is characterizing Manzullo’s record as something resembling that of Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank.”

Then I added this to drive my point home:

“I’m sure Rockford’s liberal activist-in-chief Stan Campbell would be flabbergasted to hear that. You’ll excuse me while I try to stop laughing. The local ‘liberalati’ (a new word, feel free to use it!) have been criticizing Manzullo as a right-wing extremist for ages.”