Published: August 13, 2006 01:59 am      

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Davis’ military service is called into question

Republicans attacked Jack Davis last week by putting his military service into question.

Niagara County Republican Chairman Henry Wojtaszek issued a news release after Davis was questioned about his service on a Rochester radio program.

“If Jack wants to talk about his service, that’s fine and honorable,” said Wojtaszek, who for four years served in the U.S. Navy on active duty, which he notes on the release. “But the fact that his service record keeps changing is very troubling, especially when he’s using it to score political points.”

Davis, a Democrat, is running against Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, for Congress in the 26th District. The district includes the northern suburbs of Erie County and North Tonawanda, Wheatfield, Pendleton, Cambria, Lockport, Royalton and Hartland, as well as parts of Orleans and Monroe counties and all of Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties.

The latest news release is one in a series Wojtaszek has written in an attempt to discredit Davis. Others have attacked Davis’ campaign finance filing practices and have highlighted the fines the Federal Elections Commission has imposed on the campaign.

Wojtaszek attacked Davis because the candidate was a naval officer in automated voice messages left at voters’ homes when he never served in the U.S. Navy. He also said he was “in the Marines for a while” in a radio advertisement.

Davis said he served in the U.S. Coast Guard for three years off the coast of Maine and in the Caribbean. He said he calls himself a “naval officer” because he worked on a ship, not because he was in the Navy.

“I ran a navy ship,” Davis said. “I was a deck officer. ... I’m proud of my military career.”

As for the Marines claim, Davis said he joined the Marine Reserve Corps and trained in Parris Island, S.C., the Marine training facility, when he was in college.

When he graduated from the University at Buffalo, he expected to join the Marines as an active duty officer, but the Korean War was over and they didn’t need his service.

Davis said he still owed the military three years of active duty service, so he joined the Coast Guard.

He resigned in 1964.

“I’m not questioning Jack’s patriotism,” Wojtaszek said. “But I am questioning his honesty.”

•••

Primary Day, Sept. 12, is rapidly approaching.

On Thursday, Time Warner Cable will air a debate between Democratic contenders for attorney general.

The event will be broadcast from Pace University in New York City from 7 to 8 p.m. on Channel 13.

The cable company is also running town hall meetings in locations across the state. Candidates who choose to appear at the town hall meetings will take questions from the audience.

The town hall meeting for attorney general will be held Wednesday; the meeting for U.S. senator will air Aug. 22; and the meeting for governor will air Aug. 13.

All meetings begin at 7 p.m. and will air on Channel 13.