Read this excerpt from a campaign speech:
My opponent in this race for the governor's office claims
that I am
corrupt. He dares to suggest that I accepted
favors from business owners in exchange in for putting them
in contact with state legislators who lowered business
taxes. This is an absurd claim. Moreover, I find it ironic that it
he, of all people, wants to point fingers and talk about
corruption. Isn't it interesting that he accepts so many
campaign donations from the oil industry and is single-
handedly responsible for sponsoring state laws that ease
environmental regulations? Dear friends, remember on
Election Day who the real honest politician is in this race.
It's certainly not the man on the other side of the aisle
trying to distract us from his own bad character.
Which statement best describes the context of this speech?