As a longtime supporter and friend of Tom O’Brien, I was surprised at the tone and content of the article in this newspaper’s most recent edition, questioning whether Tom’s image has been tarnished.

My disappointment with that article, though, pales in comparison to my view of the down-and-dirty, unprofessional primary campaign waged against O’Brien by Plymouth County Commissioner Tim McMullen.

Tom O’Brien is an honorable and decent man, one of the best public servants I know. If anyone’s image was tarnished in this campaign, it is that of Tim ("I was for Tom O’Brien before I was against him") McMullen.

What might have been a lively and spirited exchange of ideas was little more than an attempt by McMullen to find skeletons in a closet where none exist.

McMullen seized upon the Observer article and told anyone who would listen at the first primary debate in Plymouth that "Tom O’Brien’s hometown paper didn’t even endorse him."

True. But neither did the Observer endorse McMullen.

Tom O’Brien, who has the confidence and trust of voters throughout the region, won the primarily handily. McMullen lost not only because he faced a well-qualified opponent, but because he failed to provide a reason for voters to take him seriously. And, McMullen’s campaign was characterized by a nasty, mean-spirited tone.

At debates in Plymouth and Marshfield, I did not hear Commissioner McMullen offer any credible explanation for his candidacy. People deserve more than "I’m not the other guy."

At first glance, McMullen seems like the "real deal." He is clean cut, a family man, and his background includes a religious bookstore - what more could you ask for?

What, indeed.

How about a decent campaign, for starters? One based on honesty. As a sitting Plymouth County Commissioner, McMullen was one of the three unanimous votes appointing Tom O’Brien to the Treasurer’s post two years ago. When pressed on that point during the campaign, his explanation was that he wanted the vote to be unanimous, as though he was somehow coerced into making the choice.

McMullen’s explanation of his initial vote is (let’s see…how to phrase this delicately, given that this is a general-circulation newspaper)…malarkey. For those unfamiliar with the term, in this context "malarkey" is a slang expression to describe what remains on the ground after a bull has "answered the call of nature." The same might be said of the campaign mailers he sent to residents of the County. They were deceptive, misleading, and a dishonor to the Democratic Party of which he is a member.

If McMullen honestly believed O’Brien was not a solid choice (doubtful, given Tom’s strong financial background and solid legislative experience), he should have had the courage to say so in 2006. I believe that McMullen knew then that O’Brien was well-qualified but two years later saw an opportunity to campaign for a new political position because he may be wearing out his welcome in the one he currently holds.

During the first debate, McMullen borrowed a famous line from the Ronald Reagan-Jimmy Carter Presidential debate of 1980 by invoking Reagan’s words, "There you go again." I, too, remember that famous line. But I submit that the more appropriate political ‘one-liner’ would come from the 1988 debate between Vice Presidential candidates Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle, when Quayle likened himself to JFK. If I may paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen: "Commissioner, I know Tom O’Brien. Tom O’Brien is a friend of mine. And Commissioner, you are no Tom O’Brien."

Tom O’Brien has not changed, nor is he "tarnished." He is the same guy who served on the School Committee here in Kingston, and who campaigned for election and re-election as our State Representative. Sure, he has a little less hair on the top of his head these days (but hey, who I am I to comment on that particular topic!); he is, however, who has always been —a capable, honest, bright individual who loves what he does, who returns phone calls, who throws himself 100% into his work, and who provides excellent value to his constituents. At age 44, he has built a record to be proud of and has a promising future. Messieurs McMullen and O’Connell (the general election opponent) would do well to emulate Tom’s example, rather than attempt to tear it down.

Dan Sapir, this newspaper’s publisher and the author of last month’s article, is a longtime friend with whom I sometimes disagree. This is one of those times. I did not want the readers of this publication to believe that I share the views of last month’s editorial, and I sincerely appreciate being afforded the opportunity to make my viewpoint known.

I will proudly vote for Tom O’Brien as Plymouth County Treasurer on November 4 and urge my fellow residents of Kingston, and Plymouth County, to do the same.