Catfight in VA05!!

How do you fight back against a narrative that your campaign is hopeless and you're being cut off from national support?

First, get your Democrat buddies to release a poll showing you basically tied. That's a hell of a lot better than the twenty-points down everyone else is talking about.

Second, beat the shit out of your opponent, Senator Robert Hurt, for being too cozy with lobbyists and big business.



Ouch!

The best the Hurt campaign can come up with is that Perriello is "desperate" because he's the first to run an attack ad. I can't think of a more disingenuous claim. First, it ignores that Perriello was the target of the very first NRCC attack ad back in February . . . of 2009. Perriello has had a constant stream of attacks from the National Republican Party and their allies. He's finally fighting back and the Hurt campaign acts like they are the victim?

In the words of NRCC hack Andy Sere, Robert Hurt isn't the victim, the constituents of the 5th District of Virginia are the victims.

I don't remember Hurt and his supporters claiming that his decision to duck debates during the Republican primary was "desperate." I don't remember them admitting that his failed attempt to fund raise during the General Assembly were "desperate." I'd call his continued failure to hold public forums and debate independent conservative, businessowner, and veteran Jeff Clark as "desperate." But I guess Andy Sere and his new BFF Amanda Henneberg disagree.***

This is politics. All is fair in love, war, and politics. Perriello is attacking Hurt, just like every single other candidate in the history of politics has done. No one's ever been elected on a platform of "I really like my opponent too!"

The big question is will Catherine Amos focus on reality, or just write an article based on the tweets she receives? Does she know that there is more to reporting than just Twitter? For example, she could call up Issac Wood of UVA's Center for Politics (He's on twitter too!) and he'll remind her that Hurt's first TV ad was an attack ad too:

“You definitely see that he’s running against Congress as a whole and Democrats as a whole,” Isaac Wood, a House race analyst at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said. “That was very clear. He spent just a few seconds introducing himself, then pivoted right away to attack the negative things happening in D.C. With voters, that can be effective.”

Now that Perriello is hitting back, the Republicans seem to be feeling the heat. Not only are they trying to whine and complain that Tommy Boy is beating up on Pretty Bob Robert Hurt, they seem to have a sensitive spot for any attacks about being "carpetbaggers." Hm, the campaign of the guy born in New York City, who grew up in New York City for nine years, and graduated from one of the most expensive boarding schools in Northern Virginia is sensitive to being a carpetbagger? Poor Robbie . . .

Tonight, the NRCC's Andy Sere went on a rampage posting the names and addresses of multiple Perriello campaign staffers from out of district. I kid you not. Seriously.

Tom Perriello has already had attacks on his family because of the posting of the address of his brother's home because some idiot Tea Partier thought it was Tom's address. Andy Sere, of course, was sure to clarify that Tom was not, in any way, the victim. Now, Sere is posting addresses of campaign staffers to Twitter. Maybe he'll encourage some of his strapping young friends to pay them and their families a visit?

This is utterly disgusting. Sere needs to go and Hurt should distance himself immediately from the national Republican Party.

***Don't worry, nothing's really happening between Andy and Amanda. Andy doesn't swing that way . . .