Staying above the fray. Bush's history of using surrogates like Swift...

[Maddy McCall]

Boat Vets to smear his opponents:

"Chuck McDonald, who as Ms. Richards' spokesman blamed the Bush campaign in 1994, said that he sees some parallels with the McCain episode. Mr. McDonald said Bush political operatives have a history in which supporters spread stories while the candidate stays above the fray. "The Bush campaign in 1994 effectively used surrogates to spread any campaign message the campaign thought needed to be carried," said Mr. McDonald, now a political and business consultant in Austin.

Political scientists and consultants say hardball tactics are common as candidates seek to win an advantage over opponents. But Mr. Bush has sought to set his campaign apart, saying he won't engage in that.

Mr. McDonald said the architect of Mr. Bush's political campaigns is Karl Rove, a longtime strategist with an aggressive style. "Clearly, Karl Rove has a formula, and everything in 1994, in 1998 and this year fits within that formula," said Mr. McDonald. Mr. Rove, a colleague of the late GOP consultant Lee Atwater , got his start in Republican politics while a student in college.

In 1973, Mr. Rove organized conferences that instructed young Republicans on campaign dirty tricks, such as going through a rival's garbage to obtain inside memos and contributor lists. As a Republican consultant in Texas over the last two decades, Mr. Rove has worked for most major GOP candidates seeking statewide office. as consultant to Gov. Bill Clements in his 1982 re-election bid, Mr. Rove distributed a mock newspaper suggesting that Democratic challenger Mark White was drinking while driving when he had a wreck as a college student." (DMN, 12/2/99)

More at: http://www.bushwatch.com/rats.htm

[sangh0]

1. And Duers think Kerry should be an attack dog

Even Bush* knows better. How sad is that?