Huffington Post:
In an anti-incumbent election it helps, above all else, to be the party out of power. That's why Republican candidates and campaign committees are beaming with optimism as November approaches. When voters look for politicians on whom they can take out their anger, it will be Democrats, by and large, on the receiving end.
But what happens when it's the Republican who is the one in office? In a number of races, the GOP is grappling with this problem. And for a brief moment on Tuesday, operatives trotted out a rather innovative solution: simply label the Democratic challenger the incumbent.
"Help Defeat Elaine Marshall!" the National Republican Senatorial Committee's website read earlier in the day. "For nearly two years, America has suffered from the liberal Democrat's control of Washington and if Elaine Marshall is sent back to the Senate, we can only expect more of the same: increased spending and soaring national debt."
Marshall, the current North Carolina Secretary of State, has never served in the Senate before. So sending her "back" there would be, well, impossible. Her opponent in the race, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has served in the upper chamber since 2004 and in Congress at large since 1995. Incumbency, indeed, is one of the main reasons his re-election contest remains close.
Read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/nrsc-site-labelled-elaine_n_685459.htmlThese people are so sleazy.