Down And Dirty

As usual in a tightly-contested race, accusations of election day inproprieties are being flung about willy-nilly. I couldn't even begin to catalog them all here, nor do I want to. Suffice it say any illegal suppression tactics should be highlighted and prosecuted. If you're interested in this coverage go here or here and scroll down to pertinent posts.

That said, I still have more than a passing interest in rough and tumble dirty tactics so I found this story interesting and worth passing on. Though the activity isn't illegal, this story from the Chicago Tribune's poliblog, The Swamp, speaks volumes about a certain campaign's last-minute tactics:

'Did I say Osama? I meant Obama!'
A lawyer in a predominantly Democratic suburb of Cleveland relates this tale to The Swamp on the day before the all-important Ohio primary:

So last night around dinner time, the phone rings. It’s the Hillary campaign–official number, per the caller ID. The woman on the other end asks me if Hillary can count on my support Tuesday. I say I have not decided.

She asks what would help me decide. I say, “Well . . . maybe she can make Bill her vice president.” She does not know how to take me, of course, but has to assume I am serious. “I don’t think she can do that.” “Bill will have a significant role in major decisions, though, won’t he?” I ask. “Oh, certainly he will be very involved. Do you like Bill?” “Very much.” I reply.

She then launches into a two-minute spiel on all the very specific initiatives and proposals Hillary has put forth on health care, the war in Iraq, etc., etc. At the end of her spiel, she says, “And we haven’t heard anything that specific from Osama bin Laden.”

I say, “You did not just say that.” She replies, “I’m sorry . . . just a slip of the tongue.” She then thanks me for my time and encourages me to vote for Hillary on Tuesday.

The lawyer says he was "stunned" and tells The Swamp the call originated from the Clinton campaign in Columbus. Are the dirty tricks ramping up as we get down to the wire? Swamp readers in Ohio and Texas, relate your own encounters with the Clinton or Obama campaigns if you've had them.