The race in FL-08 between Rep. Ric Keller and Democrat Alan Grayson is getting really nasty. Today’s Orlando Sentinel has an article about a mailer Grayson is sending out highlighting a Harper’s expose from last yeat which detailed Keller’s affair with a staff assistant who later became his second wife. Keep in mind that Keller came to office in 2001 on a “family values” platform.
In a glossy new campaign mailer, the Democratic congressional candidate accuses his opponent — U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando — of infidelity and betraying a platform of “all-American family values.” The mailer reprints an article that appeared in the online edition of Harper’s Magazine in November 2007.
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The Harper’s piece alleges that Keller cheated on his first wife with a staff member, Danielle “Dee Dee” Michel, whom he hired when she was 23 after he was elected in 2000 and married in 2005. It also notes that Keller placed her in plum positions in his office and on his campaign.
The author, Ken Silverstein, wrote, “I spoke with four people, each of whom would only speak with me on condition of anonymity, and each of whom told me that Keller’s relationship with the staffer began while he was still married.”
Reached Tuesday night, Silverstein defended the article. “I have no doubt the story is true,” he said.
While Keller predictably called the mailer “gutter politics” and assailed Grayson, nasty personal attacks are nothing new for the congressman:
Indeed, Keller used the mailer route to his advantage in this year’s Republican primary against attorney Todd Long. A Keller mailer, designed to resemble a police file, showed police reports documenting Long’s drunken brushes with the law.
Note that this was Keller’s primary opponent this year who the incumbent only beat 53-47, despite Long spending almost no money, and having been arrested for drunk driving, public drunkedness, and having been found sleeping on a bench outside of a high school
While this race has mostly fallen under the radar with FL-21/24/25 getting all of the attention, this is a top-tier pick-up opportunity for us, and our candidate Grayson has deep pockets from which to spend. Ric Keller is in big trouble next month.
grayson’s certain to take on the bush administration posthumously – given his prior involvement in suing war profiteers. i just hope going dirty doesn’t backfire as it sometimes does for political newcomers…
where he links Grayson to Code Pink.
In any other year, I think that’d be a powerful attack, but from what I gather, Grayson was able to define himself early and well.