That's not exactly what we mean by dirty campaigning...

GOP Congressional candidate Zane Starkewolf is under fire because his campaign's robocalls sound like they were recorded by a cast member from Girl 6. Some of the folks in CA-01 understandably complained the calls were inappropriate.

This is Starkewolf's answer and, appropriately, there is no apology. Starkewolf, 27, shows wisdom and message discipline beyond his years:

"I acknowledge that the idea behind the ad, and indeed the execution of the call, was not the safe route to take. And if my run for office was simply for personal gain, I would not have taken a risk. But the content and the facts within the message were there and need to be discussed... The message is there--and what it says is that Mike Thompson went against the people of this district when he voted to pass and have us pay for the 700 billion dollar bailout and went along with George Bush..."

Well said, Zane. An tail-between-the-legs apology would have done nothing for Starkewolf's long shot bid. His bold stance demonstrates that he stands behind his decisions and keeps the discussion about the issues raised in the robocall. It sets a trap for his opponent, too; if incumbent Mike Thompson stops talking about his platform to demand an apology, Starkewolf will be in control of the media discussion a week before Election Day.

And, if nothing else, it earns his campaign some free publicity.