A DNC Tug-Of-War

Rumors flying around Washington are rife with accounts of future planned bombshell leaks by various DNC election committees, right up to the weekend before the election, says The American Spectator.

... other Democrats say more is to come, that talk among Democrats around town is that researchers at CREW and the House Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee have in recent weeks been in contact, and that there are additional stories involving Republicans and questionable ethics behavior to be leaked closer to election time.

"It's gossip, and there is just a feeling that the DCCC is in on some of this and that there is more to come closer to Election Day. Remember, [DCCC Chairman Rahm] Emanuel has done this kind of stuff before back with the Clintons," says the Democrat consultant.

The report also says other Dems are counselling to steer clear of dirty tricks ... at least those of the Foley/page sort:

Of concern: that House Democrat leadership or Rep. Dale Kildee (Mich.), the Democrat member of the page board, who has served on it since 1985, or his staff have received complaints about Democrat colleagues' perceived inappropriate communications or contact with pages or former pages, and have not brought those complaints to the board or House management, such as the House Clerk's office. Kildee has been vocal about the Foley complaints not being brought before the full board prior to the scandal breaking, and the secretive nature of the Republican leadership's attempts to bring closure to the scandal.

"We all know this kind of scandal isn't just a Republican problem," says a Democrat political consultant in Washington. "We don't want to see what is out there about Democratic House members or former members."

Leaks and smears are now enshrined as respected tactics by the DNC and its election committees. They've seen them work well, as Spectator points out, particularly the Caspar Weinberger indictment over Iran-Contra on the eve of the Clinton/Bush I election.

The leaks have not been as effective against GW, as evidenced by the Bush DUI leak on the eve of Gore/Bush II. But that hasn't stopped the Party of No Ideas. "If you can't win on character and ideas, try to win on character assassination and scandal," is their mantra.

Get ready for a sludge-storm. Let's hope that the American voter has gotten wise to these old tricks and rejects them.

hat-tip: memeorandum
Related Tags: Politics, Foley, DNC, GOP, Spectator