ICYMI – Rothenberg on Dahlkemper: “…she, too, is more than a little desperate”

PA03/Pennsylvania Media Outlets
 
In Case You Missed It…
 
From Stu Rothenberg’s column in CQ Politics / Roll Call this morning…
 
It’s Desperation Time on the Campaign Trail:
 
“In the northwest corner of the Keystone State, freshman Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper ’s 3rd district campaign was proving that she, too, is more than a little desperate.

The Democratic lawmaker’s Oct. 8 fundraising e-mail asks for contributions because seven outside groups, “some funded by foreign interests from the Middle East,” are running TV spots attacking her…

But what’s this about unnamed groups funded from the Middle East? Is she talking about Israelis? Arabs? Muslims? Al-Qaida?

No, she is talking, apparently, about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Dahlkemper and other Democrats are making an issue of the fact that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gets a piddling amount of money from a number of “AmChams,” American Chamber of Commerce affiliates around the world.

There is an AmCham in Paris, and there are others in Barcelona, Spain, São Paulo, Brazil, and in four Australian cities. But Dahlkemper only mentions the Middle East. I guess her campaign figured that saying “foreign interests in Australia” wouldn’t have as big a bang as talking about foreign interests in the Middle East.

This is what we call the political version of “jumping the shark” — a desperate-looking charge that a campaign or a party hopes could be a game-changer.

It’s pretty early for Democrats to jump the shark, and you have to wonder whether this is really the best shot they have in their arsenal. Yes, it might get some folks agitated, but not many. And it reeks of desperation…”

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