Posted on 10/08/2010 3:24:12 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Oct 08, 2010 @ 04:36 PM
Things are getting testy between Republican Christine O’Donnell and Democrat Chris Coons as they both hit the campaign trail hard to prepare for their high profile debate scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the University of Delaware.
O’Donnell, the Tea Party backed candidate that gained a national profile after beating U.S. Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) in the September primary, has made more public appearances in recent days, appearing for instance at the Delaware State Pistol Club to accept the endorsement of the newly formed Sportsmen for O’Donnell Committee in New Castle the morning of Thursday, Oct. 7. The group praised O’Donnell for her commitment to protecting the right to bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
Later that afternoon, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) stumped for Coons in Wilmington, praising Coons for his fiscal leadership during hard times as New Castle County executive, including his decision to take a pay cut in order to help the county make ends meet. Franken said the Senate could use a man like Coons.
Then, the Coons campaign announced that President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. are scheduled to campaign for Coons in Wilmington next week. The big-ticket affair, with tickets selling for between $100 and $1,000, is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 15 at the Grand Opera House.
“Unemployment benefits have been extended for families in need,” Coons wrote in his blog, linked to his Facebook page. “More Americans have or will soon have access to more affordable, higher quality health care. Protections are in place for those struggling with credit card debt, and Wall Street reforms offer the promise of increased transparency and protection for investors.
“That's why I'll be so proud to share the stage with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden in Wilmington next Friday,” he said.
Later on Thursday, O’Donnell appeared on CNN for an interview in which she defended some remarks she had made in the past about dabbling in witchcraft on the Bill Maher Show and other remarks that she chalked up to youth and enthusiasm for her then newfound Christian faith. But, O’Donnell’s appearance on CNN was not in response to the high profile political figures coming to town on Coons’ behalf, said Dave Yonkman, director of communications for the O’Donnell campaign.
“That was determined before the Obama–Biden announcement was even made,” Yonkman said. “They had begged and begged … ”
O’Donnell has no immediate plans to start doing more interviews with the national press because she is focused on preparing for her debate with Coons scheduled to be held by Delaware First Media and the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13 at UD, where CNN political anchor Wolf Blitzer will co-moderate. (The debate will be televised live.)
“They’re bringing in the big guns right now so it shows how concerned they are about Christine’s campaign,” Yonkman said of the Coons camp.
Indeed, as things heat up with less than a month to go for the general election, the O’Donnell and Coons camps have not been shy about taking political shots at each other.
In response to the visit by Franken, a longtime comedian before his foray into politics, O’Donnell campaign press secretary Doug Sachtleben released a statement from O’Donnell saying issues facing Delaware “are no laughing matter.”
“More than 35,000 people are out of work and the people of the First State want Washington to rein in spending, lower taxes and encourage innovation and job creation,” O’Donnell said. “As a Senator, Al Franken has voted consistently for the Democrats’ big-spending, job-killing agenda, and when he stands with Chris Coons today it’s a stark reminder that Coons wants to stand with Franken in Washington to raise your taxes.
“Franken may know comedy from his days before Washington, but as a Senator he hasn’t offered real solutions for creating jobs or jumpstarting our economy,” she said. “His stumping for Harry Reid’s ‘pet’ is no laughing matter.”
She also took some swipes at Coons on her Facebook page, saying she "didn't inherit millions like my opponent. I'm you. I know how tough it is ..."
Coons took a shot at O'Donnell as well on his Facebook page, saying that as O'Donnell talks about herself in her new commercials, his new ad "focuses squarely on jobs."
Daniel McElhatton, spokesman for the Chris Coons for U.S. Senate campaign, released a statement Wednesday, Oct. 6 that said in a little over 24 hours thousands of people had signed up on the www.christineisnotme.com website. The site is in response to O’Donnell’s commercial, in which she states, “I’m not a witch. I’m nothing you’ve heard. I'm you. … I’d go to Washington and do what you’d do.”
The more than 5,000 people who signed up to the website do not share O’Donnell’s “radical agenda that includes privatizing social security, and undermining the quality health care being provided by the VA,” McElhatton said.
"Delawareans across the state are joining Chris Coons to proudly declare loud and clear to Christine O'Donnell that ‘you are not me,’” McElhatton said. “They're standing up because they don't believe in her radical agenda.
“They don't believe the retirement age for social security should be raised, they don't believe in de-regulating Wall Street, and they don't believe that we should continue to provide tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas,” he added. “The choice in this election could not be clearer."
Coons holds a double-digit lead over O’Donnell according to two polls released Tuesday, Oct. 6. The UD Center for Political Communication’s poll has Coons leading O’Donnell 49 percent to 30 percent, a 19-point lead. Fairleigh-Dickinson University – O’Donnell’s alma mater –had Coons up 53 percent to 36 percent (17 points).
But both camps took the news in stride, as the Coons campaign is taking nothing for granted and the O’Donnell campaign is working to get its message out in a blue state.
“There are two ways to run for office,” McElhatton said.” One is to run incredibly hard and the other is to run unopposed. Chris is not unopposed and he’s running incredibly hard. You run hard because you take nothing for granted. The poll that we’re worried about is Nov. 2.”
Yonkman agreed, albeit in principle.
“If you paid attention to all the polling, she should have never gotten into the race against Castle in the first place,” he said. “We’re … focused on getting out and meeting with voters and getting Christine’s message out and that’s to bring Delaware values to Washington, not bring Washington values to Delaware. She’s one of us.”
Well by all indications the Coons camp isn’t acting like she’s down by double digits. They and the national dim machinery appear very concerned.
I would tend to agree with both Obama and Biden campaigning for Coons.
That is bullsh*t. Period.
I don't care who you are or what the polls say, any candidate who runs their campaign any other way is an idiot.
The Sussex Countian hasn’t got too many readers. It’s 6 p.m. and has no comments about their article.
Whether or not Coons is an idiot is open to debate, but he’s clearly smart enough to realize these latest polls from the Univ of Del, FD and CNN are nothing more than hot air. As recently as July 2010 Ras showed O’Donnell up by 10 pts over Coons in a hypothetical matchup.
Limbaugh is right, Coons is a weak candidate and he’d better run very hard because the poll on 11/02 won’t look nearly so friendly.
You have to give him credit for being honest about his positions:
“Unemployment benefits have been extended for families in need,”: We want to keep more people on the dole and under our boot.
“More Americans have or will soon have access to more affordable, higher quality health care. : Socialist dream, but he believes it.
Protections are in place for those struggling with credit card debt: For those irresponsible people that can not figure out that if you charge it, you pay for it. Nanny state at its best.
Wall Street reforms offer the promise of increased transparency and protection for investors.: Eventually, government control of everyting.
True to his Marxist calling.
I agree with Rush. But, let the Delaware Dems and Libs think Coons has it in the bag, and stay home on election day. And, I also believe that Linda McMahon is going to win in Connecticut.
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