(And so it begins. This is just a taste of what will be in store for many of our freshman class over the next two years. We need to be prepared to weather this storm and push back aggressively. On another note, it’s pretty interesting that the NRCC would hone their attack on the subject of immigration, considering that it’s next to impossible to find a race where that “hot button” issue gave the Republicans a decisive assist–with the exception of the CA-50 run-off, perhaps.
Update: It’s also possible this this mailer was a holdover from November that somehow got “stuck” in the mail. Stranger things have happened. I’d keep your eyes peeled on the FEC’s independent expenditure page to see if the NRCC reports spending any money in this district. – promoted by James L.)
Cross posted at Say No To Pombo
UPDATE: This story has now been picked up by the largest newspaper in CA-11, the Contra Costa Times.
Last Thursday, Jerry McNerney took the oath of office as a member of the 110th Congress. A scant five days later, with what must surely be unprecedented speed, the NRCC has sent out its first anti-McNerney campaign mailers of the 2008 election to voters in CA-11.
It’s worth noting that in the run-up to the 2006 elections, the NRCC spent over $1.3 million to prop up threatened incumbent Rep. Richard Pombo, all to no avail. In the days leading up to November 7, the NRCC sent out no less than 20 anti-McNerney mailers (strikingly, they couldn’t think of one single pro-Pombo message). Looks like old habits die hard.
So if anyone out there thinks that McNerney’s 2008 re-election will be easy simply because he won in 2006 by a 6% margin — er, not so much. Expect a steady drumbeat of anti-McNerney disinformation over the next two years. The only real question is, what are we going to do about it?
You’ll notice that McNerney is never referred to as “Congressman”- just “Democrat.” It’s very future-tense: “in he Congress, he’ll…”
This gives credence to the idea that this mailer was printed before the election and – quite plausibly – was sitting in boxes in some office (if you’ve worked around direct mail or election-day lit drops, you can confirm this), and they decided to go ahead and send it anyway.
than was 2006 with Arnie’s 16.9% win, and a generally poor Dem turnout. Hopefully Jerry will benefit from a strong Prez candidate at the top of the ticket. It won’t be a cakewalk, but I have faith in Jerry McNerney’s ability to pull off another win in CA-11.
the Presidential Election is likely to produce more Republican extra votes than Democrat extra votes.
Clinton carried CA-11 in both 1992 and 1996 and Bush only won it by 53-47 in 2004. If the Democratic majority can deliver, he should be fine.
DC Political Report(a non-partisan political site) has already counted CA-11 as a Republican takeover in 2008.
http://www.dcpolitic…