May 6, 2008
Here's an e-mail being sent around El Paso today. The timing is likely not coincidental: The Indiana and North Carolina primaries are today, and the Clinton-Obama brawl continues.
The e-mail, from Blanche Darley, a former El Paso County Democratic Party chair, DNC member from Texas and sister of outgoing state Rep. Paul Moreno, seemed familiar.
It's a story from John McCain, about how a fellow POW hid a flag so they could recite the pledge of allegiance, and how important that pledge was to the captives.
At the end of the story was a photo and these words: "Barack Hussein Obama's photo (that's his real name).....the article said he REFUSED TO NOT ONLY PUT HIS HAND ON HIS HEART DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, BUT REFUSED TO SAY THE PLEDGE.....how in the hell can a man like this expect to be our next Commander-in-Chief."
Again, the piece seemed familiar. A quick Google search found multiple sources for the information, most conservative to outright right wing blogs.
That itself was sort of interesting, that a long-time Democratic activist would be sending an Ann Coulter-type viral attack on a fellow Democrat.
It got better, though.
The piece was published, word-for-word (even down to the type sizes, colors and fonts) at this website, chrisbrownforhouse.typepad.com. Click on this link if you want to see the whole thing.
So now we established it was a Republican attack piece being distributed in El Paso by a long-time Democratic Party stalwart on the day of two hot primaries.
It gets even more interesting.
The race in the first congressional district of Mississippi is a special election set for Tuesday (May 13), and pits Republican Chris Brown against Democratic Travis Childers.
It's being closely watched because Republicans are trying to hang Rev. Jeremiah Wright around the neck of Obama, and Obama around the neck of Childers. It's a strategy that could tell undecided Democratic superdelegates not only whether Obama could withstand those attacks, but whether Obama would be a drag downticket, as the Clinton camp is arguing.
So, what we have is a Democratic Clinton supporter in El Paso promoting a viral Republican attack line against a Democratic presidential candidate and, by extension and knowingly or not, a Democratic congressman in Mississippi.
Way to go, Democratics! Ain't politics grand?
***
Here's a question: If a local candidate for office had a grown child who decided to seek opportunity in another city, would that reflect on the candidate and/or their commitment to El Paso?
And would it be fair game for the opponent to bring up?
Ah, the negative challenge of campaign politics.
See you next time!