Ward on radio: ‘He tendered his resignation’

Answering a caller’s question on KBOI radio about the departure of his campaign manager, Ryan O’Barto, congressional candidate Vaughn Ward said, “The campaign manager, he was not fired, he tendered his resignation. It was very hard for me to accept his resignation. He felt it was more of a distraction on the campaign.” Asked by the caller if he’s blaming missteps on campaign staff, Ward said, “Anything that goes wrong on my campaign is my responsibility, just like in the Marine Corps.”

Here’s the explanation he gave on the radio for the position statements on his website posted for at least the past five months that matched word-for-word statements on an array of other candidates’ and congressmen’s sites: “We’ve made some changes internally on the process. Let me say, the material is right, reflects my viewpoints, they’re GOP talking points, they’re right. … These are things that Idahoans are talking about when I’m out on the campaign trail. … The thoughts are definitely ours.” He made no mention, however, of references in those statements touting two pieces of pending legislation in Congress that Ward subsequently said he hasn’t reviewed and doesn’t necessarily support.