Well it seems our little story yesterday about two identical anti-Franken letters to the editor showing up in two local papers under different names has blown up into national news. As we reported, the two letters were traced back to the Coleman campaign. Later in the day yesterday MPR reported that the Coleman campaign apologized to the papers in reaction to the incident.
But today the story appeared in Crooks & Liars, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, and last but not least, the AP… twice. While the title of the Daily Kos story takes the first prize (“Smears you can Xerox”), I do have to applaud the Coleman campaign for taking credit for these weak tactics. Coleman’s campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan, in the AP article:
Our volunteers were not given a clear enough description of what our policy was, and in no way shape or form should they be held responsible for our failure to execute that policy.
What was revealed in the AP article that we were not yet aware of was the fact that the letter also showed up in Winona State University’s paper, Winonan. Which brings me to the most pointed question out of this story yet:
[A]sked Franken campaign spokesman Andy Barr, “how many were submitted, including those that were not printed? And was this the first time the Coleman campaign has used this tactic, or just the first time they got caught?” [AP]
Loading ...
A lovely person — -> Coleman.
Really embodies the Minnesota spirit, don’t you think????
Put that diamond in his rear window:
ROVE
ON BOARD
There’s an article about this in today’s Post Bulliten as well. Looks like this is making the media rounds.
Question one - why brag about the Kos? You got the AP, staffed by real live journalists, to pick it up. Much more impressive.
Question two - do you think this sort of non-confrontational, let’s-hear-it-for-sweet-reason style will be Coleman’s pattern, and that it will sell well in the general?