Stealth Negativity? Recording Reveals Kerry Operative Dissing Dean in Camp

[hellhathnofury]

snip

"It's obvious that my campaign is moving because two of the major candidates have chosen in the last two days to engage in a smear effort on my farm policy here in America," Kerry said.

Caught on Tape

But two nights ago, Cornell College psychology professor Suzette Astley, a Dean volunteer in Lisbon, Iowa, received a phone call from a Kerry's Cedar Rapids headquarters — in which, she says, a Kerry volunteer had some less than kind things to say about Dean regarding his foreign policy experience, being from a largely white state, and so-called "environmental racism."

Since a documentary filmmaker was staying with Astley, the exchange, which has been confirmed by the Kerry campaign, was caught on videotape.

"Does your candidate know that you're saying these kinds of things, unsubstantiated claims on the phone representing Sen. Kerry?" Astley asked 19-year-old volunteer, Jacob Thomas, on the tape, a copy of which was obtained by ABCNEWS.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/ThisWeek/Kerry_Dean_calls_040117-1.html

[Cheswick2.0]

1. I have been hearing that people were getting these calls

I first heard about this type of call about 3 days ago. I am glad to see it confirmed. Apparently this is not an issolated incident at all. Push polling and lying are both sleazy tactics.

[saltpoint]

2. I can't imagine that all the rest of us on --

-- earth were absolutely perfect when we were 19. Or when we were 25 or 40 or 60 or 115 or you name it.

Mr. Thomas is 19 and he's allowed to be human. Doubtless the Kerry people have asked him to tone down the rhetoric. No need to throw him to the dogs and no need to blow this out of proportion.

The race is tight. Emotions are hot. Let's all just deal with it.

For REAL dirty tricks, see under Rove, Karl and Segretti, Donald.

[hellhathnofury]

5. Well...

"The Kerry campaign's response was swift.

"The person who made the call is a young volunteer whose remarks were not authorized or condoned by this campaign," Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement. "It's a terrible mistake for a young person to make, and he is apologizing to the person he called. While we appreciate his support, we have asked him to leave the campaign."

"But the Dean campaign said it was under the impression that the call did not represent just one over-zealous volunteer speaking extemporaneously. Rather, the campaign said in the last day it had heard of Kerry campaign calls to at least five other Iowans reading from what it said sounded like a very similar script."

Seems it wasn't just one.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. yes but it wasn't just him and it wasn't his script

Many people have reported getting these calls. It's just not being recorded like this call was.

[hellhathnofury]

3. Let's hear it for hypocrisy people!

:beer:

[Raya]

4. Heard the quote. Caller was quoting from an Environmental Orgs re Dean

[hellhathnofury]

6. Then why didnt the Kerry camp stand by it's guy?

[TLM]

7. I wish I could say I was surprised...

Kerry will say anything to attack Dean...

[hellhathnofury]

8. What's sad is that I haven't heard of any other candidates doing this yet.

[Cheswick2.0]

9. Someone I know is sending this information to all her media contacts

I used to have a huge list of media contacts before my computer crashed a few weeks ago or I would send the information along too.