Posted on 07/14/2002 5:32:38 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
POOR JEANNE SHAHEEN. Despite all the high-priced help from Democrats in Washington, her U.S. Senate campaign staff hasn't quite gotten the hang of phony campaign stunts. At least not yet.
Apparently not sure that she could actually get supporters to write their own letters on her behalf, Shaheen's campaign had them sign "pre-written" letters to the editor at last spring's state Democratic convention. Trouble is, if you don't write your own letter, you might not remember what it said. So when two newspapers checked with the writers for verification, they denied writing the letters!
Whoops.
We are not sure where to rank the Shaheen campaign on the phoniness issue. Does this put it above or below Craig Benson, who is seeking Shaheen's job as governor?
A few weeks ago, Benson's campaign was caught sending letters that it had not only written for supporters but had actually signed for them, sight unseen. It is really tough to remember a letter you were supposed to have written if you didn't even get to look at it!
We thought Ken Johnson, editorial page editor for the (Lawrence, Mass.,) Eagle-Tribune, put his finger on it in a story on the phony letters in his paper.
"The larger issue is that if a politician can't inspire people to pick up a pen and write something, then they're not a very inspirational candidate to begin with," Johnson said.
We can see it now, Benson and Shaheen ordering their campaigns: Get out there and buy me some of that inspiration!
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