Republican Damage Control Failing - Gene Lyons

[WillyT]

<snip>

Only weeks ago, GOP campaign officials were breathing smoke and fire. According to Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-N.Y., the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, hapless Democrats had no idea what they were up against. Relentlessly negative TV commercials funded by the party's $50 million war chest were about to bury Democratic candidates under an avalanche of charges dug up by so-called opposition research -- unpaid student loans, late tax payments, bankruptcies, embarrassing lawsuits, etc.

"We haven't even begun to unload this freight train," Reynolds boasted to The New York Times. Asked why the party that currently controls the White House and both houses of Congress wasn't stressing positive themes in its TV ads, he burst out laughing. "If they moved things to the extent that negative ads move things," Reynolds said, "there would be more of them."

A few days later, Reynolds himself got run over by an off-schedule freight train in the form of the nastiest Washington sex scandal in decades. It's doubtful he's laughing now. Reynolds, see, is the guy who says he and Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, warned Speaker Dennis Hastert last spring about Rep. Mark Foley's "overly friendly" e-mails to teenage congressional pages.

The Speaker says he recalls no such meeting.

<snip>

More: http://www.therolladailynews.com/articles/2006/10/14/editorials/edit03.txt

Who's laughing now, ASSHOLE!!!

[TheFarseer]

1. They still have time

Reynolds might be screwed as are a few others, but the title wave might hit a seawall of sleazy TV ads paid for by pharma and big oil millions. I'm trying to be hopeful about the three races in Nebraska that are totally under the radar. I think it's just really hard to tell what will happen in these individual races across the country. "He's a liberal that wants to raise your taxes and legalize gay marriage" still has alot of bite, don't kid yourself. My God, they're trying to hammer one of our candidates in NE because he went to the University of Colorado and he says he had a good time there!

[mwb970]

4. The scandals aren't over yet.

It's a long time till November 7. I predict at least one and more likely two major new Republican scandals will break before the election. More popcorn please!

[WillyT]

2. Of Course They Still Have Time, But They're On The Fucking Ropes...

right now. We need to keep hittin 'em hard, and keeping 'em off balance.

They DID NOT see this scandal coming, and are grasping at straws to make something change the debate. They know they are in deep trouble, and that's where you want your opponent.

This feeling of negativity, pessimism, and inevitability needs to be carried on Republican shoulders this cycle, NOT OURS!!!

Keep fighting, but keep smiling too. If our shoulders are slumped and our heads are down in THIS current cycle, they may indeed find a way to pull this election out, and THAT might just be the end of the Democratic Party if that happens.

:shrug:

[INdemo]

3. Plus ..Remember that 60 mill they had for all these negative ads and

digging up all that dirt..Well I think that account might be getting low because the RNC announced that it would be "redirecting"their funding to key races that are still competitive..

[WillyT]

5. Yep !!!

:bounce::hi::bounce: