GOP keeps heat on Harkin

Des Moines Register ^ | Posted at 15:16 on 09/27/2002 | Des Moines Register

[tomball]

State Republican Party Chairman Charles Larson Jr. contended today that the person who taped a meeting of Greg Ganske supporters was directed to do so by campaign staffers for Democratic Senator Tom Harkin.

Meanwhile, Des Moines police backed away from published reports that Des Moines businessman Brian Conley, suspected of taping the Ganske meeting, has asked for immunity.

[Dog]

This is getting better and better..

[Poohbah]

Was Harkin in office during Watergate? (He's old enough.)

Did he say anything about how ghastly Nixon's behavior was? (Betcha he did.)

Get 'em out, dust 'em off, and roll them 24/7.

Hypocrisy, thy voter registration is DemocRAT!

[kcvl]

bttt

[kcvl]

Tom Harkin Outdoes Watergate

September 24, 2002


In other news ignored by the media, Iowa Republicans have discovered that the Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) campaign bugged the campaign headquarters of his opponent, Congressman Greg Ganske. Reuters reports of the apparent felony, "Sen. Tom Harkin's campaign has admitted leaking a transcript of his Republican opponent making sharply worded comments at what was supposed to be a private strategy session." This is worse than Watergate, folks!


http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_092402/content/truth_detector_2_.guest.html

[kcvl]

Tom Harkin: A History of Dirty Campaign Tactics

Harkin’s campaign finally admits involvement in distributing a transcript of an illegally recorded closed door meeting

(Washington, D.C.) After repeatedly denying involvement and even going so far as to blame the Ganske campaign, Tom Harkin’s campaign finally admitted late last night that it distributed a transcript of an illegally recorded private meeting between Congressman Greg Ganske and some supporters.

“After lying about their involvement – and having the nerve to actually blame the Ganske campaign – it is not enough to just offer a late night apology,” said Mitch Bainwol, Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). “Tom Harkin said that ‘this is clearly unacceptable,’ but what is really unacceptable are the unanswered questions, such as how his campaign got the transcript of an illegally recorded private meeting and who on his campaign distributed it to the media.”

“As a U.S. Senator and an attorney, Tom Harkin should understand the gravity of the situation. He should join with Greg Ganske in calling for a full and immediate investigation by the appropriate authorities,” added Bainwol. “The question is whether Harkin will work to protect and uphold the law, or whether he will continue to protect the ones who may have broken it?”

Observers of Tom Harkin’s past campaigns are not surprised by his campaign’s latest efforts. In the past Harkin has proudly proclaimed that his campaigns, “always attack, never defend,” and that, “I guess I can hit people in the face sometimes.” (Laurence I. Barrett, “Always Attack, Never Defend,” Time, September 23, 1991; Stephen Braun, “Harkin: A Man Of The Heartland,” Los Angeles Times, February 3, 1992)

“The candidate sets the tone in a campaign, so it’s no wonder Tom Harkin’s campaign didn’t think twice about distributing a transcript of an illegally recorded closed door meeting,” said Bainwol. “It’s ironic that Harkin came to Washington in the wake of Watergate, but he’s apparently forgotten the lessons of Watergate.”

The New Republic has called Harkin “an unreconstructed left-wing relic,” and wrote that, “For Harkin, partisan combat for the Democratic Party has been a way of life.” The Christian Science Monitor wrote that Harkin “breathes partisan fire,” and Time magazine has written that he has an “attack-dog persona.” (Ryan Lizza, “Harkin Back,” The New Republic, February 8, 1999; John Dillin, “Quick-Starting Harkin Leads Democratic Pack,” The Christian Science Monitor, November 15, 1991; Walter Shapiro, “Democrats; Where Do They Go From Here?,” Time, March 2, 1992)

During the presidential primary in 1992, Harkin went on “This Week With David Brinkley,” and lied about a front group he set up and used to attack some of his opponents. The Los Angeles Times reported that,

“Harkin mailed a letter, in the name of a dummy women’s organization, containing inaccurate charges against Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey. Asked about the letter on ‘This Week With David Brinkley,’ Harkin described it as something done by ‘an organization of women and others that have gotten together.’ In fact, the organization whose name appears on the mailing, the Women’s Campaign Coalition, has no telephone listing and its address is identical to that of Harkin’s New Hampshire campaign headquarters. Sunday evening, Harkin spokesman Barry Toiv described the group as being ‘affiliated with the campaign.’” (David Lauter, “Attack By Mail Traced To Harkin Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1992)

When Harkin was revving up his attack machine in May this year, David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register did a piece on Harkin and his tactics. He wrote that,

“…Democratic Senator Tom Harkin’s side is aiming an attack ad at Republican Congressman Greg Ganske, the front-runner for the GOP Senate nomination. It’s something about Ganske being against privacy. That’s a little hard to swallow, what with Ganske being a physician. But, then, privacy isn’t the real purpose of the ad. The purpose is to start destroying Ganske as a candidate before he ever gets going. It’s the political equivalent of ‘you kill a snake before it gets out of the hole.’”

Yepsen also went on to remind readers that, “…it’s important to remember this about a Harkin campaign: He always attacks on his own weakness…” (David Yepsen, “Harkin Runs Attack Ads Early To Stymie Ganske’s Challenge,” The Des Moines Register, May 14, 2002)

[aristeides]

This is like Watergate. Without the bug, Nixon was going to beat McGovern. Without the bug, Harkin was going to beat Ganske.

[aristeides]

What stand has Harkin been taking on Iraq? What stand will he take now?

[Irene Adler]

"What stand has Harkin been taking on Iraq?"

As far as I'm aware, he's been REAL QUIET regarding Iraq (unusual for the jerk).

[kcvl]

Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) offered a joint resolution last week that would require debate and votes by Congress prior to launching an attack against the forces of Saddam Hussein.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/758744/posts

Harkin campaign manager quits
Des Moines Register ^ | Posted at 17:59 on 09/27/2002 | Des Moines Register


Posted on 09/27/2002 4:52 PM Pacific by tomball



U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said this afternoon that his campaign manager and a low-level staffer had resigned over a "Dennis the Menace caper" in which a meeting of his opponent's campaign was secretly taped, then leaked to a reporter.

[eureka!]

This race may turn out to be an interesting one to watch. The Dungheaptapegate seems to be getting lots of local ink and I am looking forward to some polls after all the press. Ganske need to hammer this one as much as he can--soundbites of "Watergate" and some such. Even though the presstitutes are loyal to the Rats, they love scandal and they got a big one on the line here in Iowa. Hehehehehe.....

[eureka!]

Pardon the misspellings. In a hurry. ;^)

[Heartland01]

Yes It will be interesting to watch. Did anyone SEE Harkin today? Or does he just do these 'Friday Afternoon' firings like another noted politician? Just curious.....

[Cicero]

WEll, it's like Watergate except that Harkin is a Democrat. Democrats are seldom or never held accountable.

[LaGrone]

And the hits just keep on a comin! Hehehehe. Couldn't happen to a more holier than thou Socialist than Harkin.

[Sonny M]

This is Iowa, the buckeye state, I expect more from these people. Even if they were liberal and leftist, Iowa is known for respecting character. This man has shamed his state for absolutley no reason. Throw him out.

[lara]

Actually, Iowa is the Hawkeye State and Ohio is Buckeye. But the rest of your statement is true. As long as there is no cheating at the voting booths, Harkin should be out of there.

[lara]

Iowa's not liberal. Just a lot of misinformed or uninformed people. Just like most dems.

[solo gringo]

Harkin:Slime is to good a word to describe this imp.

[Paleo Conservative]

Tom Harkin Outdoes Watergate

So, what did Tom Harkin know, and when did he know it?