Jun 30 2008
Lame Attempt by GOP to Smear Hagan
This appeared in the News & Record this morning.
But an FEC complaint from the N.C. Republican Party claiming Greensboro state Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, had taken $185,000 in illegal campaign contributions in her bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole got our attention.
Now get a load of this conversation the N & R had with a spokesman for the NC GOP.
He explained the party thought Hagan had gotten contributions in excess of legal limits because she had a bunch of donations from people who were related to one another — husband and wife mostly — that came in the same amount on the same day.
People can’t do that? Scoop asked.
Oh, they can, Woodcox explained, but in some circumstances they have to write separate checks or the campaign has to do a little additional paperwork.
And you have evidence that wasn’t done?
“No, I wouldn’t say there’s direct evidence,” Woodcox said. “But we think the Hagan campaign should have to show their work.”
Scoop called a few folks of nonpartisan stripes to vet the GOP’s claim, at least two of whom used words to describe the GOP’s complaint that we can’t print.
Puh…..lease………..
No wonder the North Carolina Republican Party can’t win a governor’s race or a state legislative majority. If this is the kind of political sleaze they are accustomed to resorting to Dole had better be well ahead of her game. There are plenty of real issues that people actually care about that they could use to paint Hagan as out of touch with North Carolina voters. They can hit her on being unwilling to support offshore drilling while we have rising energy prices. They can go after her on being the weaker candidate on immigration enforcement. There are plenty of things to pick from. This kind of obtuse smear campaign makes them look juvenile and petty.
So, a word to the North Carolina Republican Party. If you want to win your big races this year you better wise up and ditch the childish antics. People don’t want to hear it.
So what your saying is that it is ok for Hagan not to “follow the rules on her campaign finance forms”?
If Hagan cannot fill out simple campaign finance forms, she certaintly could not have been a effective State Senator or be a effective US Senator.
It’s a minor misstep and a stupid thing to go after her on. Plus, as Woodcox even said, there is no evidence that she’s even done anything wrong. It’s pure speculation, but they send out a statement accusing her of it as fact.
There are real issues to discuss in this race. The only people who would care about these accounting forms are die hard partisans who would never vote for Hagan in the first place. The Republican brand is not a popular one these days and if Dole wants to get reelected she’ll need the independents to do it. Making petty attacks like this on Hagan will only push them away, not reel them in.