Edwards Precinct Captain Packet explains how to attack other Dems

[Freddie Stubbs]

Presidential Hopeful Edwards Prides Himself On Not Going Negative — But Document Is Hardly Positive

By Jake Tapper

Jan. 21— On Monday night, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina attributed his second place finish in the Iowa Democratic Caucuses to his positive message and his refusal to engage in negative attacks against his opponents.

"The people of Iowa tonight confirmed that they believe in a positive, uplifting vision to change America," Edwards said to cheers.

But ABCNEWS has obtained an official "John Edwards for President" precinct captain packet that includes myriad personal attacks for Edwards caucus-goers to make against his Democratic opponents, perhaps belying this claim.

The document — marked "CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEDGED" (sic) and "NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION" and signed by the senator — encourages Edwards supporters to tell undecided caucus-attendees that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is a "Park Avenue elitist from New York City" and say Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has "the stale record of a Washington insider" and "has been a part of the failed Washington politics for too long."

more: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/US/edwards_positive_040121.html

[renie408]

1. The rest of the article

Yep, that part is pretty damning. But the explanation for the packet seems reasonable to me. If you bothered to read that far.


>>"Senator Edwards was not aware of this document," Edwards' Communication Director David Ginsberg told ABCNEWS, adding. "Once he found out about it, he takes full responsibility for it. He thinks it was wrong and has instructed the staff not to do anything like that again."

Ginsberg also stressed that the part of the document that attacked his rivals "was a small piece of a 50-page caucus training memo including instructions on how caucuses work and the senator's policy proposals." Ginsberg denied any hypocrisy.

"This was a book prepared by the field staff to help them get through the caucus process," he said. "This was prepared for field staffers who had to defend themselves while the campaign was under a barrage of attacks, phone calls, and negative mail."

‘Same Dirty Tricks’?

But Dean spokesman Jay Carson noted: "It's unfortunate that they say that they're running a positive campaign and yet it appears that they're working from the same dirty tricks playbook as the other Washington candidates."

Campaign snipes are nothing new or remarkable, but such information coming from Edwards seems to deviate from his claim to a mantle of cleanliness.

Asked how he pulled off his Iowa silver medal after lagging behind in so many polls for so long, Edwards told CNN on Tuesday morning that it wasn't until the last week of the campaign that Iowa caucus-goers finally heard his "positive optimistic vision of hope."

Said Edwards: "It takes a while for that to get through … when there's a lot of negative sniping going on. But it finally got through."<<<

I did think that the Dean people saying that the 'Washington candidates' were playing dirty tricks was pretty funny, though. Dean has gone after anybody that came near him like a pitbull raised on buckshot since this whole thing started.

[HFishbine]

3. "Senator Edwards was not aware of this document"

As with the Patriot Act, the man needs to start being a little more aware of what he puts his signature on.

[beaconess]

13. Once again you're off base

I doubt that ANY candidate reviews and knows what's in the precinct captain manuals their state campaigns are putting out. If they are, they suck as candidates - that's WAY too much micromanaging.

The important thing is that, unlike some candidates, he seems to understand that even if he's not personally aware of what's in every piece of paper his campaign produces, he is responsible for it. And when he found out about this, he stepped up to the plate, took full responsibility for it and ordered it stopped. And, in doing so, he completely diffused this issue, despite the attempts by you and a few others, to desperately keep it alive.

[HFishbine]

17. You make my point

You assert he wasn't aware of that "piece of paper" yet he SIGNED HIS NAME TO IT. How could anybody be so foolish as to sign their name to something without reading it? Or maybe he did read it.

The document — marked "CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEDGED" (sic) and "NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION" and signed by the senator...

[tryanhas]

19. Get over the signature argument

I guess he should stop signing things after town halls, then.

Did EVERY book have his signature on it, and if it did do you think he sat down and signed them all???

Next, people bring things up to him after town halls and rallies and ask him to sign them ALL OF THE FREAKING TIME, do you think he takes time to read everything that he is signing?

Get over it because although you may think you do, YOU STILL DON'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT.

[HFishbine]

22. LOL

Okee dokie!

[jcgadfly]

2. How much hell would be raised...

if this had been a Dean precinct captain packet that talked about Edwards, et al.?

All I'd see here would be here along the lines of, "That bastard Dean! He was behind the whole thing!"

I almost expect to see people here accusing Dean of planting this packet in the Edwards camp.

[AP]

8. They'd still be talking about the scream. They'd also say, 'duh" -- we....

...heard this stuff come out of Dean's mouth. Why should we be surprised they reduced it to writing?

[KoKo]

4. Who leaked this to ABC is a bigger question for me. The Dem Campaigns

need to make sure they don't have "operatives" for the Repugs as plants in their campaigns. Since the Repugs have already gotten into the Dem Server in the Senate, who knows where else they will be...or are.

Without anyone but Dumbya running the Repugs have alot of time on their hands to accomplish Dirty Tricks, plant things, and who knows what all else they will be up to. Our Candidates have got to spend more time on Security within their organizations, or issue strong warnings that any sabotaging of other Candidates is not acceptable and go on record with the Press that they won't tolerate these tricks.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. What about plants from other Democratic campaigns?

They would certainly have something to gain by making Edwards look bad.

[The Democrats Cometh]

16. Messages 4 and 14

need to be given proper attention, I believe.

[redqueen]

5. I agree that if it were Dean this would not be a single thread

on the third page.

:(

[spooky3]

9. I hate to give this a kick, but you need to know that there have already

been two threads (yesterday) about this topic. That's why people who have different points of view are not wasting time responding to it again.

[redqueen]

11. Thanks that really is reassuring

I was cruising through the topics looking for Kucinich stuff, and saw this on page three. I somehow missed the other threads.

That's good news though. Fairness rocks. :)

[AP]

10. We were ALREADY talking about Dean's negative campaigning. This would be

a blip. It would be less than a blip. Not only would people not be surprised the campaigns prepare these docs, they'd be saying, "where's the news? You only have to look and listen to Dean to know this is his campaign's message."

[jcgadfly]

12. Thank you for proving my point

If this was a Dean packet and he denied knowledge, you would weigh in with "Dean's a lying bastard! He knew everything about it! That's the way he campaigns!"

Glad to see you're a card-carrying member of the circular firing squad.

[beaconess]

15. And if this were a Dean packet, he'd be screaming bloody murder

about how the media was picking on him.

And, trust me, he would NOT be claiming to have known about it since that would be an outright lie. No viable candidate is wasting his time reviewing field campaign memos.

[davsand]

6. This is a Non-issue.

Edwards has not spoken publicly in a negative way about his rivals--and has focused his campaign on what he's gonna do for the American people. That is great, good, and fine--it is a way to campaign that appeals to voters who are tired of all the mud flinging. It may not be how every candidate has chosen to run--but it is his campaign and God Bless him for it.

There is a phrase I have heard used in campaigns to indicate issues or things that make the opposition seem less attractive. It is "The Magic Bullet." It is not at all uncommon that the campaign puts those out for staff or even volunteers to use.

The fact that his campaign has a manual with "magic bullet" phrases included on one page is not a big shock. These guys are the big leagues, and having talking points or even specific emotional trigger phrases handed to staffers is not new, nor it is uncommon strategy. (Shoot, as low on the food chain as I am it is something I've used in campaigns at county level!)

I just don't see why this is even a subject for discussion.

Laura

[Jerseycoa]

7. My opinion

I have none. I don't care about this at all.

[robsul82]

18. "My name is John Edwards, and although that IS my signature..."

"...at the bottom of the document, I did NOT approve of this document."

Later.

RJS

[tryanhas]

20. Get over the "SIGNATURE" argument

I guess he should stop signing things after town halls, then.

Did EVERY book have his signature on it, and if it did do you think he sat down and signed them all???

Next, people bring things up to him after town halls and rallies and ask him to sign them ALL OF THE FREAKING TIME, do you think he takes time to read everything that he is signing?

Get over it because although you may think you do, YOU STILL DON'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT.

[Egnever]

21. While this shows edwards peacefull candidate line to be the BS it is

I also think its very smart of his campaign to educate his caucus goers on how to work the caucus.

So while he gets bad marks for being shown as a hypocryte with me he also gets good marks for for organization and educating his base.

This comes out as a wash for me.