The Democrats Are Behind The Otto Bade Write-In. Gee, What A Surprise.

Martin Wisckol posts over at Total Buzz that the Democrats paid for an IE mailer hitting Lynn Daucher and promoting Otto Bade:

It's getting a little clearer who's behind Republican Otto Bade's last-minute write-in campaign for the 34th state Senate District race between Republican Lynn Daucher and Democrat Lou Correa. Not much of a surprise -- it's Correa's backers. I wrote about Otto the Spoiler in today's Buzz column (second item), but now campaign mail has been sent out on his behalf and we know who's paying for it.

A PAC called "Californians United" paid for a mailer that hit Saturday that attacked "liberal" Republicans (including a slam on Daucher) and touted Bade as a "conservative Republican." Californians United has also done independent expenditures on Correa's behalf.

You can read Martin's entire post here.

According to the Secretary of State website, the mailer cost $15,824.16. If you figure the mailer probably cost the Dems 50 cents per peice, that's about 30,000 Republicans -- 28% of GOP registration in the 34th SD.

Here's the info on who's been giving to Californians United. Any guesses as to which donor is funding the Otto Bade IE?

Once news broke of Otto Bade's candidacy broke last week, it was obvious the Democrats were behind his campaign and this mailer simply proves it. It also makes clear the Correa campaign and state Democrats must be worried about a Daucher victory if they were willing to recruit a GOP write-in and fund an IE effort on his behalf.

One question still unanswered is what was Otto Bade's price for selling out his party to the Democrats?

UPDATE: It occurred to me that if Republicans had recruited a write-in Democrat candidate to run to Lou Correa's left and backed it up with IEs, Frank Barbaro and the rest of the Democratic hive would be going absolutely ape, accusing us of "voter suppression" and adding to Frank's Catalogue of Republican Evils.

Comments

[Karen A Finn]

Please before you hit all of us Dems at one time can you please say one democrat instead of the whole darn state of California democrats are behind the mailers. You do not like it when we use the Republicans in the first do you?

[Elroy El]

You have to love Ackerman's soundbite claiming there will be no impact.

Tell me that isn't whistling past the graveyard after spending millions of dollars?

Karen's right. This is the act of one individual. Not the entire party. Just the same as Tan's letter.

Big difference between this mailer and Tan's letter. This mailer is encouraging people to vote. A much different tone than Tan's letter.

[rebecca]

Californians United is the same outfit that sent out those NASTY anti-Umberg ads for Correa.
Despicable.

[Jubal]

This is the act of one individual. Not the entire party. Just the same as Tan's letter.

Is this the same Elroy who last week was insisting on imputing blame for the Tan letter on the entire OC GOP?

And Karen, I'm sorry for my imprecision, but I agree that not all Democrats are behind the Otto Bade candidacy, but just a group of Democrats.

[rebecca]

CU is Nunez's pac. Or else it's Perata's. I forget. Anyway, it's Lege leadership.

[clprevatt]

I have to say, it is nice to see someone turn OC GOP Honcho, Scott Baugh's play book back on him for a change.

As I recall the same tactic was used in the Allen Recall campaign that resulted in Baugh's election to the Assembly.

The difference in this case however, is that a stealth Democrat is not being put forward. Bade is, without question, a real Republican.

Kind of fun if you ask me.

godless communism is at the root of all this,,where is barry goldwater when we need him

[Karen A Finn]

Thank You Jubal.

[Jubal]

Oh, to be hypocritical and uninformed at the same time.

Chris, Scott didn't recruit Laurie Campbell. And further, she never wound up on the ballot and so had nothing to do with Scott winning the replacement election -- not that I expect your side to ever get the events of those days straight. Much easier to toss the mud Scott's way without bothering yourselves about being factual.

Laurie Campbell was as much a registered Democrat as Otto Bade is a registered Republican. You're trying to make a distinction that doesn't exist.

Like I said, if the situation was reversed, you and the rest of the hive would be going ape. But when it's your side, it's "fun."

[Jubal]

Oh, to be hypocritical and uninformed at the same time.

Chris, Scott didn't recruit Laurie Campbell. And further, she never wound up on the ballot and so had nothing to do with Scott winning the replacement election -- not that I expect your side to ever get the events of those days straight. Much easier to toss the mud Scott's way without bothering yourselves about being factual.

Laurie Campbell was as much a registered Democrat as Otto Bade is a registered Republican. You're trying to make a distinction that doesn't exist.

Like I said, if the situation was reversed, you and the rest of the hive would be going ape. But when it's your side, it's "fun."

Not that I don't admire this manuever on a professional basis. The GOP would never try it because if we're afraid the Dems and the media would start in with the "Laurie-Campbell-more-GOP-dirty-tricks" chant. Fortunately for the Democrats, they have no shame when winning is on the line -- anything goes when you're the party of the people.

[Elroy El]

Like I said, if the situation was reversed, you and the rest of the hive would be going ape. But when it's your side, it's "fun."

Oh boo hoo hoo. The GOP's are bellyaching about a tactic they've used repeatedly being used against them.

Like I've asked. How many millions has Ackerman wasted on this race?

[Jubal]

Oh boo hoo hoo. The GOP's are bellyaching about a tactic they've used repeatedly being used against them.

Read my comment. I'm not bellyaching. This is politics.

I'm pointing out that your side would be screaming bloody murder if the shoe were on the other foot.

And please give me an example of it being used "repeatedly" by the GOP?

[Jubal]

Oh boo hoo hoo. The GOP's are bellyaching about a tactic they've used repeatedly being used against them.

Read my comment. I'm not bellyaching. This is politics.

I'm pointing out that your side would be screaming bloody murder if the shoe were on the other foot.

And please give me an example of it being used "repeatedly" by the GOP?

Elroy, last week you were trying to hang the Tan letter around the neck of the entire OC GOP -- and this week that letter is merely the act of a single individual. Admit it -- you're doing some major spin adjustment now that the Otto Bade maneuver shows that your party's operatives aren't exactly choir boys who are above trying to fool the voters.

[Art Pedroza]

This is clearly a Democrat scheme - but it won't work. Bade won't get more than a small handful of votes. What an awful way to end his relationship with the GOP...

[Elroy El]

And please give me an example of it being used "repeatedly" by the GOP?

Think hard Jubal. It wasn't that long ago an august body with a GOP majority used this tactic to dilute the vote.

Isn't democracy wonderful?

A two minute internet search yielded two examples of the GOP using this same trickery in races around the country:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/04/house_republicans_machiavellia.html
http://heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/COLUMNIST17/607210580/1053/NEWS0103

You're just mad that Ackerman didn't think of it first.

[Jubal]

Ooohh -- you mean just like what Gray Davis did to Richard Riordan in 2002?

[rebecca]

What did Gray Davis do to Riordan? The only thing I remember happening to Riordan is Schwarzenegger inviting him onto the Tonight Show with him, telling him his big announcement was going to be an endorsement. Whooops.

[Bade/Correa/Pete Wilson/187]

I see from the last Otto Bade mailer that Otto Bade "Opposes government benefits for illegal aliens" Lou Correa's supporters who are funding Bade should feel really proud of this anti-immigration piece. So it’s ok for Democrats to whip up anti-immigration feelings if it helps one of theirs get elected? If this anti-immigrant Otto Bade campaign causes hate crimes to be committed against immigrants because racists are encouraged to be more hateful then it’s your fault Lou Correa. Where are Rusty Kennedy and the Human Relations commission when we need them? May God protect these innocent ones.

[Andrew]

"If this anti-immigrant Otto Bade campaign causes hate crimes to be committed against immigrants because racists are encouraged to be more hateful then it’s your fault Lou Correa."

Actually 10:04, it wouldn't be Lou Correa's fault because THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE, meaning that neither Lou Correa's nor Otto Bade's campaign has no control over what this group does.

Now yes, I'll agree with you that Don Perata and Co. can get sleazy at times with these IEs...
Which, frankly, is another reason why we need a major overhaul of our campaign finance system.

10:04, if you're really angry about this, why don't you do something productive about it... Such as support Prop 89?

[Read all about it.]

Californians United is the same group sending out the Sal Tinajero hate mail over in Santa Ana.

Guess who got Californian's United / Judith Ware of Ware Disposal to do it?

Mayor Miguel Pulido.

Why.

He is afraid of a Mexican on "his" council.