IN-08: Hostettler Doing "Oppo Research" On Dem Ellsworth's Daughter
Buried in a long Washington Post article profiling GOP Rep. John Hostettler, there's a line which shows that the Hostettler campaign is doing reams of "opposition research" -- a.k.a. dirt-digging -- on Dem challenger Brad Ellsworth's 19-year-old daughter:
A visit to the Republican's office highlights how he has kept a distinctly Hoosier profile even after a dozen years in Washington. Pictures of the congressman and a framed copy of the Evansville Courier & Press trumpeting his 1994 primary victory dot the walls. The other employees, Hammonds said, are two "data-entry ladies" and Stan Barringer, the opposition-research director. Barringer has been busy. Several binders that sit on a shelf in the office carry printed labels such as "budget," "China" and "anti-Christian." There is even a binder labeled with the name of Ellsworth's daughter. The sheriff's 19-year-old stumbled into controversy last year when she was shown in photographs drinking beer.
Lovely. Recall that only a few days after Ellsworth announced his candidacy, pictures popped up on the web site of a Hostettler supporter showing Ellsworth's daughter drinking. The Hostettler campaign denied all involvement. Still -- you can't help but wonder whether those pictures are in that binder, can you?
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Maybe it's because I'm Canadian, eh? What does Ellsworths daughters alleged beer drinking have to do with his electability? Rick never forget: no matter where you go, there you are!
September 23, 2006 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's all red meat for the grinder in the last 6 weeks of the campaign.
September 23, 2006 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ellsworth is a county sheriff. His under-drinking-age daughter put a picture of herself on her Facebook or Myspace page holding an alcoholic beverage. The Republicans thought they get a lot of political mileage out of this, because why does a man who's sworn to uphold the law allow his daughter to get away with illegal behavior? His daughter was out of town at college at the time the picture was taken. I would venture to say that many students occasionally do things their parents wouldn't approve of. It was a big deal about nothing.
September 23, 2006 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
That talking point isn't going to have much effect. As the item points out, Hostettler's campaign trotted it out earlier in the cycle and it didn't even raise eyebrows.
I used to live in the 8th (until a year ago). Hostettler is going to lose his seat this time. This is the strongest candidate the Democrats have raised against him, and Hostetler is a cold fish, hates campaigning, lacks personal popularity.
IN-08 is a conservative district. Keith Ellison wouldn't carry it for the Democrats, but a law and order sheriff from the district's population center? He will.
September 24, 2006 6:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Which is more important: the Democrat's 19-year old daughter had a beer? or that the incumbent voted against federal aid for Katrina victims, in a district that sent truckloads of support organized at the local level, because that's the value system of the Indiana 8th?
September 24, 2006 7:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's BS. If the sheriff hosted an underage drinking party at his home then something would be severely wrong, but a teen at college is a teen at college. We've all been there and done that.
Translation? The sheriff is just like me! his daughter is just like my daughter! or me! or my parents when they were in college!
It doesn't matter what your personal politics are. Generations and generations of the sons and daughters of America go through the same college rite of passage--an all night kegger and puking in the front seat of your best bud's car.
September 24, 2006 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink