Negative campaigning, I

Heard on the radio this morning that Sen. John McCain was in the area yesterdayto support a pair of local Republican candidates for Congress, David McSweeney (challenging Rep. Melissa Bean) and Peter Roskam (competing with Tammy Duckworth for Rep. Henry Hyde's seat).

In the radio report, I heard McCain commenting on how terrible it is that negative campaign ads have become so pervasive. Then one heard one of the candidates (McSweeney, I think) whining about how negative his opponents ads are. Watching TV last night, I know I saw Roskam ads hitting on Duckworth as supporting tax raises on, among others, "families with children"-- and of course the dreaded "death tax". But we don't like that negative campaigning, now, do we John?

To be honest, I haven't seen enough TV or analysis of Chicago-area ads to judge for myself whether any ads are excessively negative ads or not. (The Roskam ads above are negative primarily in that they participate in the GOP Big Lies-- which includes McCain, I reckon) about their tax policies.) If I have time, I may check that out a bit and post on it.

In the meantime, a little lightness in the discussion. Why do I think that Florida Sen. Ben Nelson doesn't have to bother with negative ads about Kathleen Harris? She seems to be a walking, talking negative ad for her own self. See today’s MSNBC article, “Campaign gone south”:

Katherine Harris . . . says she is writing a tell-all about the many people who have wronged her. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to: the Republican leaders who didn't want her to run, the press that has covered her troubled campaign, and the many staffers who have quit her employ, whom she accuses of colluding with her opponent.
She is vague about what, precisely, makes her a victim, but she says she has it all documented.
"I've been writing it all year," she says in that kittenish voice. She often smiles and cocks her head as if she's letting you in on a secret. "It's going to be a great book."

Oh, yes. A great book indeed; here's a title for our favorite election thief: Meine Dumbkampfe.