Behind the Times

From the home office in Lowell …

Posted on October 1, 2007 by Michael Ballway
Filed Under Elections, Lancaster, Mike's posts |

Dueling press releases crossed this editor’s desk this weekend, as the Jim Ogonowski-Niki Tsongas battle moves into its last half-month before the Oct. 16 congressional election.

First there was this from Niki, a hyper-partisan attack on Republicans in general, with Ogonowski’s name thrown in. Some of the charges stick, once the rhetoric is toned down: Yes, Ogonowski’s policy on Iraq would be less timetable-driven than Tsongas’; yes, he doesn’t have a plan for the foreclosure crisis (he doesn’t even offer a credible laissez-faire answer like, “it’s not the business of government to bail out bad decisionmaking”).

Here are the highlights of Tsongas’ “Top 10 Things Jim Ogonowski Doesn’t Want You to Know About His Candidacy”:

2. He is a card-carrying graduate of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s candidate training school prominently featuring Karl Rove.

3. Using tactics learned directly from top GOP operatives, his principal strategy is to distort the record instead of proposing any solutions.

5. His “non partisan, non politician” base of support includes donations from former Governors Cellucci and Swift, members of the Romney family, Republican Lt. Governor nominee Reed Hillman, and a $2,500 contribution from the Main Street Republican PAC, a Washington-based Republican political action committee.

7. He’s said that Marty Meehan’s greatest achievement was “leaving office so a conservative Republican can fill his seat.” [Lowell Sun, 8/31/07]

And her point would be … ? Is there any Republican candidate for Congress who hasn’t received some candidate training from the party’s top campaigners? Any one who would turn down offers of help from former party officeholders? Any conservative who wishes his liberal predecessor had stayed around longer?

Put another way: substitute “Democrat” for “Republican,” “conservative” and “GOP,” “James Carville” for “Karl Rove,” “Deval Patrick” and “Bill Clinton” for the Republican governors and “George W. Bush” for “Marty Meehan” — and couldn’t the above points stand as an accurate summation of Niki Tsongas’ resume?

These are the kinds of blind partisan attacks that make Niki Tsongas seem desperate, that make it sound as though she doesn’t have a full list of 10 actual policy criticisms of Ogonowski. Want a specific reason to vote for Niki over Jim? Don’t miss her No. 10 reason:

10. He has the wrong priorities for the Fifth Congressional District.

Yeah, I’m sure that’s definitely at the top of the Republicans’ worry list. “Gee, Karl, I got my membership card in the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, and I keep chanting the secret incantation printed on the back, but there’s one thing that scares me at night — what if Niki reveals to the voters that I have the wrong priorities? What will I do once they know?”

Not to be outdone, Ogonowski’s people came back with their own Top 10 the next day. Referring to Bill Clinton’s late arrival at a stump for Tsongas this weekend, Ogonowski’s countdown included:

The Top Ten Places Bill Clinton Could Be While Niki Tsongas Waits for Him to Arrive
1. Thought fundraiser would be where Niki Tsongas actually lives, so he went to her Charlestown Town House
6. Attending a Richard Hsu fundraiser
7. When told of “sinking ship” assumed fundraiser was in Boston Harbor
10. He just may still have some unresolved issues with the Tsongas folks

No less ridiculous than Tsongas’, but at least it was funny. Not that all this isn’t just adding more grist to Kurt Hayes’ contention that major-party candidates are more interested in partisan bickering than actual dialogue.

More: Clinton blogger Tony Marini says the whole Clinton thing was a desperate stunt.