Complaints about Aboussie's threats (Gephardt aide) were real...

[helleborient]

Gep's people apparently are not above dirty politics...

Here's Aboussie's apology from the Note:

Aboussie also released a statement of apology saying, "I was not authorized by Dick Gephardt or his campaign to discuss the SEIU or AFSCME endorsements with anyone in Missouri. In a candid discussion of Missouri politics, I expressed my belief that people in Missouri Democratic politics were upset by the SEIU/AFSCME endorsements of Howard Dean. If anyone felt threatened by what I said, I apologize."

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

Here's the Washington Post story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33172-2003Dec3.html

[Fleshdancer]

1. And here is what pisses me off...

About 5 minutes ago, I was watching MSNBC and they were discussing the Gephardt aide situation. At the very end of the report, the journalist said some in the Gephardt campaing believe this is "another stunt pulled by the Dean campaign"!!!!

:wtf: The woman apologized for her actions and yet they accuse us of starting this mess? We're creative, but not THIS creative!

I brought it up on the Dean blog but so far, it seems I'm the only one upset by this.

I'm going to go on the MSNBC website and see if they have a link to a story that supports what I just heard.

[LizW]

2. No one who was at the meeting has said it didn't happen

have they?

Holden scrambled to issue a statement that he hoped both sides could work out their differences, but he never said it didn't happen. Gephart's Missouri campaign head was there and he didn't say it didn't happen.

Gephart's campaign bent over backwards to disassociate themselves from Auboussie's meeting with the union leaders, but they failed to say that she didn't make some sort of threat.

Auboussie herself did not deny the substance of the statement, she just said she was sorry if they interpreted it as a threat. But the reports have been very clear exactly what she demanded of the unions in Missouri and exactly what she told them she would do if they didn't comply.

Gephart's campaign has gotten caught playing serious hardball politics, and it ain't pretty. Auboussie's been with Gephart for 27 years, and he didn't have to tell her what to do, she just did it. Now they're caught, and it looks bad. Blaming Dean is all they've got, and that is pretty pathetic.

[helleborient]

3. What's worst to me is its trying to intimidate unions...

From a candidate who has made his career on union support.

Looks like there is unfair hell to pay if you step out of line...and calls into question whether the union support for Gep is real support or fear of reprisals.

[Jackson Daley]

4. Seems like any way you slice it, politics is dirty business:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak27.html

[mandyky]

5. On CNN both Donna Brazile and Bey Buchanan

tried to make this less serious than I see it was. Seems to me like the Gephardt campaign is suffering from sour grapes over the SEIU and ASFCME choosing Dean over them.... aw... poor babies!

[loyalsister]

6. Now I wonder

what kind of effects this will have on other campaigns in MO. This makes Holden look bad, too.