The Other McCain

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Christine O’Donnell’s Not a Witch, But They’re Gonna Burn Her Anyway

Posted on | December 30, 2010 | 19 Comments

What to make of reports that former Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell is under federal investigation for campaign finance violations? Her campaign manager Matt Moran is quoted by ABC News:

“The anonymous source seems politically-motivated and may well be tied to the ultra-liberal, George Soros-financed, former Sen. Biden staffer-run CREW [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington] complaint,” Moran said.
The left-leaning watchdog group filed complaints with the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s office and Federal Election Commission in September alleging the Republican candidate misused campaign funds.
“These charges are already being addressed with the FEC,” he said. “We are confident that they will be resolved in the New Year, and put an end to the frivolous sensationalism regarding this matter.”

Moran’s got a point. The FEC usually handles campaign-finance investigations in a quiet manner and it is seldom much of a headline when the FEC imposes a fine. More importantly, nine times out of 10, violations are only really newsworthy when they involve the winner of an election. The American Spectator‘s Aaron Goldstein asks: “If O’Donnell is under federal investigation shouldn’t the FBI apprise O’Donnell before they tell the AP?”

The attempt to inflate this investigation into a big story — top of Memeorandum — via leaks prominently featuring anonymous Delaware Republicans most likely represents the state GOP’s desire to drive a stake through O’Donnell’s political heart. It’s spiteful and pathetic.

The Delaware Republican Party is a ridiculous joke, and state GOP chairman Tom Ross is the punchline. But O’Donnell does herself no good by responding with conspiracy-theory accusations.

UPDATE: Dan Riehl chews the Weekly Standard‘s John McCormack a new one and points out that Melanie Sloan of CREW has clear ties to Democrats.

As to Dan’s accusation that I was “link-whoring” with my disparagement of conspiracy-theory explanations: O’Donnell’s worst enemies have always been Tom Ross and the state GOP insiders. So for her to say that Democrats were the ones pushing the FEC investigation — and to make it sound like “Joe Biden’s out to get me” — sounds nutty.

That Democrats may be wanting to clear a path for Beau Biden to take over for Chris Coons in 2012, OK. That both Republicans and Democrats may therefore have motives to bury O’Donnell, OK. But for the candidate herself to be saying this stuff . . . well, it’s just too Nixonian.

Category: Christine O'Donnell, Delaware

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