Republican political strategy "smear democrats with financial scandals."

[gully]

They feel that moral issues will alienate their own base (Foley) and that financial issues and a stench of corruption will alienate the democratic base.

What we're seeing with the nit picking on Harry Reid's finances is an attempt to dissuade us. I expect we'll see more.

Oh and, GO HARRY!

[FrenchieCat]

1. In particular useful....cause most folks don't know what's legal and

what's not. So the accusation is good enough to take someone down, never mind that the actually activity was legal.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Yeah. Maybe a Dem got a discount at the supermarket

or got his or her oil changed at a local oil change place for free. That will be HUGE!!!!!!!!!! Accepting a gift.

[greeneyedboy]

3. if that's the best they've got, they are in deeper trouble than i thought

people who live in obscenely corrupt glass houses ought not to throw stones. anyone heard of Abramoff? DeLay? etc. - i don't think the GOP wants people to dig too deeply into finances.

AND as we know, it is next to impossible to get the public to focus on something as detailed as a financial scandal, even when it's outrageously vile (as in Abramoff) or enormously destructive (as in Enron). so if all they have is faint whiffs of vague insinuations about Reid, their toast is more burnt than i'd thought. and that's saying something.

[louis-t]

4. I say bring it on..

Dem "scandals" are puny compared to Repugs.

[gully]

6. You are correct

sir!

[wishlist]

5. In N.C. the Dem for Congress Shuler under attackfor owning oil/drug stock

After Dem challenger Shuler ran an ad attacking the Repub Congressman Taylor for voting to give breaks to oil and drug companies after taking $100,000 from them in political contribs, Taylor is now running attack ads calling Shuler a hypocrite because Shuler owns stock in oil and drug companies. In fact the stocks are actually just part of mutual funds and Shuler has not taken any campaign money from the companies. Repubs ad is ridiculously distorted and desperate in trying to smear Shuler merely for stock ownership.

[gully]

7. There is a pattern.

I think the R's goose is cooked regardless.