They plan to exploit it for all it's worth.
Hotline has the Dem playbook.
1. Pay no heed to the distinction between the e-mails and IMs. There's no evidence (yet) that any Republican leaders knew about Foley's cybersex IMs. There's plenty of evidence that they knew how uncomfortable the "overly friendly" e-mails made at least one page. So the Dems will press the GOP on what they knew about the former and will constantly, in their press releases, refer to the "GOP's knowledge of the sexually explicit e-mails."
Translation: Lie and obfuscate.
2. Enlarge the wedge between House leaders. The tension this weekend between Speaker Dennis Hastert and NRCC chair Tom Reynolds was thick. Dems want it to suffocate the party and throw the Republicans even further off their game.
Divide and conquer.
3. Be aggressive about how Dems will -- and are -- protecting children. Dems want to keep the issue poisonous in a way that's clear and direct to middle America. (In other words: this ain't earmarks.)
Dems protecting children? They've got to be kidding.
How do Dems protect children?
--By keeping them in failing schools and fighting school choice
--By making sure children can get abortions on demand
--By undermining efforts to track terrorists and prevent terrorism
--By exploiting the page involved in Foley's IM chat
I doubt Middle America views those actions as in the best interests of children.
4. Choose unimpeachable spokespeople to be their public face. The DCCC has enlisted Patty Wetterling, its candidate for MN 06, to call for "a thorough investigation" of the House leadership over Foley. Wetterling's son, Jacob, was kidnapped in 1989.
The Dems want to exploit the kidnapping of Jacob Wetterling!
HOW SICK!!!
This is typical Dem strategy, looking for spokespeople with that supposed absolute moral authority -- Cindy Sheehan, the Jersey Girls, etc.
5. Deride the Republicans for incompetence. How can you possibly trust them with national security if you can't trust them with your own children?
How utterly lame!
It's a stretch to say that Republicans can't be trusted to protect children because of one pervert.
Following that reasoning, Dems can't be trusted with national security because Ted Kennedy left young Mary Jo Kopechne to drown.
Dems can't be trusted with national security because William "$90,000 in the freezer" Jefferson used a military vehicles, national guard troops, and a helicopter to retrieve personal belongings from his home after Hurricane Katrina.
The helicopter went on to rescue other people before low fuel required it to end its mission.
Jefferson claimed that the incident did not distract from rescue efforts, rescuing children.
Sure.
6. Bring up Terri Schiavo's case and compare the heated GOP attention back then to their allegedly lax attention to the welfare of their pages.
The Dems are shameless.
Howard Dean promised to exploit Terri Schiavo and he's making good on that promise.
Why can't the Dems let her rest in peace?
7. Compare what the GOP leadership says about Foley with what Republicans said about Jack Abramoff.
They have to go back to Abramoff. I guess the Dems couldn't figure out a way to connect Foley with Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.
8. Use the Foley cash. Already, the DSCC wonders why George Allen didn't immediately return the Foley. The quotable Phil Singer: “It is more than a little disturbing that Allen apparently sees nothing wrong with holding on to contributions he got from an adult who has been caught sending sexually explicit email to children." Allen and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) will return the cash. But the NRCC already spent the $550K and won't.
It's already happening in Wisconsin.
Mark Green received $1000 from Foley. Green plans to "give the money to a charity that helps abused children."
If the Foley cash is dirty money, I think Dems should give up all cash that they've raised with the help of the woman abuser Bill Clinton.
"It is more than a little disturbing that (fill in Dem candidate's name) apparently sees nothing wrong with holding on to contributions collected with the help of an adult who has been caught using his status and power to exploit women."
That works.
The bottom line is the Dems are making this election about a scandal.
Are they offering the American people a plan for the future?
Have they made clear their strategy to manage the War on Terror, other than to do the bidding of our enemies?
They have said that they will do away with the tax cuts that have kept the economy humming along.
What are the Dems about besides slash and burn politics of personal destruction?
They want power.
The question is: What would they do with it?
That should be the focus. That should be what Americans think about on Election Day, not Mark Foley's online activities.
h/t Charlie
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