...a few days ago you may have noticed a comment said to the local press in Maine by a spokesperson for Senator Susan Collins: "Tactics such as tracking demean the political process, contribute to voter cynicism, and have no place in the type of substantive issues-oriented campaigns that our voters deserve," wrote Steve Abbott, Collins' chief of staff. Abbott was responding to the campaign of Rep. Tom Allen, Collins' opponent, who has a staffer video-tracking her. For those of you who don't know what video tracking is, here's a nice description: "Armed with video cameras, political camps are sending individuals to their opponent's public appearances to tape their every move in hopes of catching the other candidate off guard and fumbling over their words. Once they have discriminating statements they immediately post it on the web for constituents to view." It was, indeed, a video tracker for Jim Webb's campaign that caught Senator and onetime presidential-possibility George Allen in his "macaca" moment. I, for one, have no problem with video tracking. Indeed, I suppose a form of it is practiced even by bloggers such as Connecticut Bob. I like it; I think it's very democratic. It gives the public more information about candidates, it reveals their hidden attitudes, quirks, and biases, apart from the staged persona that they try to project. Now the support of Joe Lieberman for Susan Collins is well-chronicled here. Let me just point out that Lieberman does not just praise Collins for her political stance; he has actively supported her campaigns: "Susan Collins is a great senator and deserves to be re-elected," he said. "Why wouldn't I co-host a fundraiser for her? If I'm for her, I'm going to be for her. I'm not going to play the political game." Now back during the 2006 Lamont-Lieberman election, I recall a number of friends telling me that Lieberman had a video tracker following Lamont around. I never saw it myself. So I want to turn to you, to find out if any of you remember. Because I do wonder if there is something slightly hypocritical here. Collins and Lieberman have such praise for each other. But would Collins have praise for Lieberman's video tracker? If she denounces Allen's, would she be willing to denounce Lieberman's? What about his truly questionable campaign tactics -- like push-polling, race-baiting flyers, false insinuations of web-site hacking, and so forth? |
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