HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)– Fair or foul? Not talking about baseball, but rather political hardball.

House Republicans are blasting negative ads sent by House Democrats, this began right after last week’s fight over a bill to move Pennsylvania’s primary election. The bill failed.

But it may have succeeded in giving Democrats ammunition in this political war.

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, night there was screaming which gave way to singing the next morning.

And then an election reform bill loaded with unpalatable amendments for both sides that went down by a whopping 177-26 vote. A weird chapter, that Republicans say, began making sense to them come Friday.

“After seeing some of the text messages that have been sent today, it makes me think that it was all for politics and not for governing,” State Rep. Kristin Marcell (R-Bucks County) said.

Texts targeting several House Republicans like Marcell were sent by the House Democratic campaign committee blasting them for their votes on that election bill.

“That is extremely frustrating,” Marcell said. “They’re showing people in our state how they wasted not only our time in voting, but the people of the Commonwealth’s time on purely political votes.”

Especially egregious, Marcell says, a text ripping Philly Republican Martina White for voting against voter ID. The fact is, White supports voter ID but voted no because of other amendments. The fact is, by and large, it’s the Democrats that don’t support voter ID. The fact is, a majority of Democrats also voted no on the bill so aren’t those texts disingenuous?

“These attacks and these messages that get out there are always disingenuous,” vice chair for the House Democratic Campaign Committee Nick Pisciottano (D) said.

Pisciottano is vice chair of PA DCC which sent those texts. He calls himself proudly pro-labor.

“Do you know how many texts and postcards are in my mailbox from dark money groups that say I hate working people,” Pisciottano said. “It’s all disingenuous.”

When asked if he understood that disingenuousness can turn off the average voter?

“Yes,” he said. “It’s toxic to our whole system of government. But it’s awful.”

But he adds it takes two to tango.

“We’re not gonna unilaterally disarm and let Republicans and right-wing allies being disingenuous about us without us punching back,” Pisciottano said.

Marcell wonders with all those punches, isn’t everyone getting a black eye?

“It’s all about politics instead of the people who expect more from us,” Marcell said. “This is one of the reasons why people don’t like politics, and it’s really a shame.”

As for moving Pennsylvania’s primary, the House did pass a bill to move it to April 2nd. It’s unclear whether the Senate supports that. The original date is April 23.