Ellsworth said Tuesday that people should prepare to hear negative advertising about him and his record. He said his campaign will be honest about his first two years in the House.

“You don’t deserve to be lied to for votes,” Ellsworth said. “If you’re being lied to get a vote, the person doesn’t deserve it and you better kick them to the curb.”

He then said if any person has a problem with a vote he made, that voter can call him and hear what Ellsworth said was “the real story” behind the vote.

After the rally, Ellsworth said he does not expect the campaign to be overtly negative, but is not sure what groups are out there, on either party, ready with attack ads.

“I expect more nastiness, if and when that happens, from the national campaigns,” Ellsworth said. “That seems to be the trend.

“They’re people that sit up in these booths in Washington D.C. and say ‘What’s the nastiest campaign ad I can think up about the opponent?’”

Ellsworth also talked after the meeting about the flooding in the area that hit 12 of the 18 counties in his district. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not forget the area even though there has been widespread flooding elsewhere in the Midwest.

“It may not be as fast as we like it, but (the federal government) also wants us to spend,” Ellsworth said. “This is our tax money. They are taxpayers and they want us to spend that money wisely.”

He also said FEMA can be slow at times, but help is one the way, responding to complaints heard in the area about the agency. After hearing about possible flooding, Ellsworth was seen in Elnora and Plainville and talked with emergency managers.

Ellsworth praised Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and officials throughout the state for their efforts in getting the documents together for a federal emergency declaration.

“It won’t be forgotten,” Ellsworth said. “Our (congressional) delegation nor the governor won’t let that happen.”