Harkin Camp Admits Transcript Leak

Associated Press ^ | 9/23/2002 | Staff

[Politico2]

How come I'm not surprised...

[Coop]

Hmmmm. I'm quite surprised that they're publicly admitting to this mess. And, as the article points out, they're leaving some obvious questions unanswered. That probably means this story has legs.

I wonder if this just made IA quite competitive?

[Iowa Granny]

I just "tried" to post the Register article on this. I see the AP article is somewhat different. Sorry for the duplication.

Who says Iowa politics is boring?

[Iowa Granny]

I received an email from the Ganske campaign over the weekend indicating they are within 4 points of Harkin,, as I recall the poll showed Ganske at 41 and Harkin at 45. I'll see if I can dig it out of the recycle bin and post it here.

[Coop]

Please do, or at least FReepmail me the info. First I've heard about that poll.

[Iowa Granny]

Here is a blip from the Ganske Campaign email that I received on Saturday:

NEW POLL SHOWS HARKIN PLUMMETING

A new poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows Harkin at his lowest point yet – this despite millions of dollars spent attacking Greg Ganske on television for the past 6 months!

The new poll shows Harkin falling to 45% -- extremely problematic for an incumbent.

The poll revealed that Harkin has a scant 4 percentage point advantage over Ganske: 45% for Harkin and 41% for Ganske.

[Coop]

Thanks much for the info. It's not yet up on Ganske's website, at least that I could find. But I'm updating my spreadsheet.

[BlackRazor]

Does the e-mail indicate the dates that the poll was conducted? Thanks!

[Iowa Granny]

No. The email did not give the date when the poll was conducted. Sorry. I'd like that information, too. Public Opinion Stategies does a lot of polling for Iowa Candidates. I will try to find out when that poll was taken. Can't make any wild promises, I've got lots to do today.

[eureka!]

They probably found it in a dungheap. ;^)

In any event, a crime was committed and let's see the Rule of Law applied--to November 5 and beyond...

[GraniteStateConservative]

Very peculiar. Now if Ganske can capitalize on this.

[Iowa Granny]

If they don't capitalize on it, I, for one, will be in DM kicking some serious butt.

[Coop]

Ganske spokeswoman Ann Warren said the statement does not address key issues, including where the Harkin campaign obtained the transcript.

Ganske campaign manager Bill Armistead said the transcript was reviewed by some who attended the meeting at a downtown Des Moines hotel, and it ``convinced them that the meeting was taped.''

Sounds like they're off to a good start.

[eureka!]

This may have a little legs yet, if the prosecution is not a "Rat". Here's cause too for a little Iowa hope: GOP is 50,000+ in new voter registrations. Check out: http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c5917686/19283870.html

[Coop]

Interesting stuff. But the GOP had nearly a 28,000 vote registration in 2000 and Gore still won the state. So it sounds like the indies significantly lean Dem. But this is still good news for the Pubbies.

[eureka!]

Good point. As you say though, still good news....

[xJones]

``Clearly a very serious breach of privacy has occurred,'' state GOP Chairman Chuck Larson Jr. said. ``Someone was either wearing a wire in that room or the room was bugged.''

Larson said a probe is needed because state and federal law prohibit unauthorized taping of meetings. He said releasing the transcript would be illegal even if a participant had taped the meeting because the campaign had not authorized it.

Wonderful! Either there's a traitor who committed an illegal act for Harkin OR Harkin's team did some illegal bugging. Now........please, please, just this once, guys, act like Demos, play hardball and do something with this. Smear Harkin to the max, he'd do it to you if he could.

[Iowa Granny]

........please, please, just this once, guys, act like Demos, play hardball and do something with this.

I know Chuck Larson. I was absolutely amazed at the reserve Chuck displayed on Fox New tonite. He's an aggressive young man. I think you can rest well tonite. I don't know the Ganske campaign manager, Mr. Armisted, so I cannot comment on his style.

[xJones]

I was absolutely amazed at the reserve Chuck displayed on Fox New tonite. He's an aggressive young man. I think you can rest well tonite.

I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Why is it comforting that an aggressive young man was acting reserved with all this ammo tonite? He wasn't breathing fire and loving it? Calm before the storm, maybe?

[Iowa Granny]

Trust me. Somebody had their heavy workboot on the kid's throat, or maybe lower.

My guess is they don't want anyone to fly off making allegations against the Harkinitas that may later be unfounded.

This thing is not going to go away until "we" have a body.