Two Democrats Accuse Dean Camp of Dirty Tricks (Reuters) Not Drudge Report

[TrueAmerican]

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=812371&tw=wn_wire_story

Two Democrats Accuse Dean Camp of Dirty Tricks

Thursday, January 08, 2004 8:20 p.m. ET

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - The campaigns of two Democratic presidential contenders accused front-runner Howard Dean's camp of political dirty tricks on Thursday, including plans to have out-of-state supporters pose as Iowans and participate in the Jan. 19 caucuses.

Richard Gephardt's campaign manager, Steve Murphy, said a Dean field organizer told a Gephardt staff member that some of the expected 3,500 out-of-state Dean supporters coming to Iowa to turn out the caucus vote would try to infiltrate the process.

Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi denied the accusation and told Murphy in a letter that "sleazy tactics like yours are exactly the reason that people have stopped participating in the political process."

John Kerry's Iowa state director, John Norris, also said two out-of-state Dean supporters posing as undecided Iowans had tried to get information about campaign voter calling scripts from a Kerry office in the southeastern town of Creston.

The heated exchanges underlined the high stakes in the caucuses, the first key prize in the race for the Democratic nomination and the right to challenge President Bush in November.

(more)

[slinkerwink]

1. already debunked---what's preventing them from doing the same tricks?

[TrueAmerican]

2. Sorry a letter from Dean campaign

Is not the same as debunked.

[MuseRider]

5. Gee, I don't know,

integrity? Yes, I know it has been debunked and I am not commenting on Dean or his supporters just your question.

[Padraig18]

3. God fucking DAMN!

This is the third goddamned dupe on this story! :wtf:

[TrueAmerican]

6. I thought a non-Drudgereport was needed

acoording to the Mods.

[Padraig18]

9. Whatever.

:eyes:

[BeyondGeography]

11. It was

this is the link I'll be using. Thanks.

[LuminousX]

4. They are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

It is do or die time for some of these campaigns.

[Padraig18]

7. It'd be nice if some people would read the board before posting.

Same crap that's already been posted twice.:grr:

[Dookus]

20. and when it was posted before

you attacked it because it came from drudge.

Then it's posted from a more reputable source, and your respond that it's already been posted.

Your complaints seem a little hollow. The story was dismissed as a lie when drudge reported it. Now it's reported again, from a source more to your liking, and you dismiss it as being old.

Also, it hasn't been debunked. Why would trippi write to the Gephardt campaign to respond to a question from the Kerry campaign?

[BootinUp]

21. more like "bottomless" barrel

:evilgrin:

[killbotfactory]

8. Flaccid campaigns desperately try to regain relevency.

[David Dunham]

10. Very Serious Allegation

These are extremely serious allegations, especially Gep's. If Gep can prove it with some evidence (tape recording or document), it will hurt Dean immensely in Iowa.

[chocolateeater]

12. And if they cannot prove it, then it will backfire.n/t

[Padraig18]

13. Yep.

But at least Gephart and Kerry are IN Iowa...

[paulk]

14. I agree

this is pretty serious - Gephardt better be able to back this up or it will hurt him. If true, however, it could damage Dean.

[KaraokeKarlton]

16. Dean wouldn't stand for something like that

The campaign asked people to come in to get out and canvass and urge Iowans to go caucus for Dean. These are GOTV foot soldiers, that's it. That's not saying the occassional individual supporter (acting on their own) isn't trying to pull a fast one...but Dean would never okay this kind of activities.

[Tummler]

15. Trippi would NEVER lie about something like this

He's such an honest fellow.

[LoZoccolo]

17. This story contains something false.

John Kerry's Iowa state director, John Norris, also said two out-of-state Dean supporters posing as undecided Iowans had tried to get information about campaign voter calling scripts from a Kerry office in the southeastern town of Creston.

The letter does not allege they are out-of-state supporters.

[dfong63]

18. i see accusations, but no evidence. where's the evidence

to back up these charges?

sounds like desperation to me. Dean's leading. he doesn't need to pull any sh*t like that.

[Padraig18]

19. Still a dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=84620&mesg_id=84620