Video: It wasn’t Romney aides spreading Palin rumors, reporter says
posted at 9:45 am on November 8, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
With the gossipy attacks on Sarah Palin spreading, people have asked:cui bono? Who benefits from tearing down Palin at the end of this campaign? Some have speculated that Mitt Romney benefits in 2012 from having Palin sidelined, and that aides from his campaign that worked for John McCain might be behind the attacks. Not so, says Katie Connolly of Newsweek, where most of those attacks got reported:
Mike Galanos, CNN: Katie, a report I read, help me out here on this one, Im not sure if you heard this, there was some Romney aides that now came into the McCain campaign and it was the Romney aides that began spreading the dirt about Sarah Palin and basically in a fight already to see who is going to lead the party in the future. Any truth to that?
Katie Connolly, Newsweek: Absolutely not. Not from what I know. I think that’s completely false.
The Romney explanation didn’t make that much sense anyway. When Romney attacked, he did so above board. Mike Huckabee got incensed not because of a whispering campaign but because Romney threw punches in negative ads on television.
Which still leave us with the question — cui bono? No one that has the long-term interests of the party in mind, certainly.
Blowback
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According to Rick Davis the towel story is partially true. It did happen, but he didn’t see how it was a big deal. So explain to me how Axelrod could have made that up?
CanadianGuy on November 8, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Remember, UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL… The left has been doing this to us for years by stirring up garbage about Republicans and we don’t seem to get it. We should have done ALL of our vetting during the Primaries, and, once the pick has been chosen, SHUT UP about any Republican on the ticket. Again, if you can’t say anything good about your candidate, SHUT UP!!!!…. The Democrats did, and look what we got, at least four years of the least qualified candidate, with the most baggage, and with the most socialistic viewpoints…. and they still won. SILENCE IS GOLDEN…. Don’t you get it?…
DL13 on November 8, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I actually don’t doubt at all that there was some backstabbing, just as what occurs after nearly every losing campaign. There may be former Romney staffers involved, certainly long-term McCain staffers, and maybe even former Fred staffers. But to say that this is some sort of conspiracy to help Romney is ignoring the easiest answer, that this is the normal response to failure: pass the buck. The fact that this has been drummed up so much and so heavily scrutinized is, though, a product of the MSM.
Dead Hand Control on November 8, 2008 at 11:49 AM
“Help me out with this one, I’m not sure if you’ve heard this. There…”
Theses people are so full of it it’s incredible. I dodn’t believe a single word of anything they have to say. What a waste of 34 seconds to watch this video.
davo on November 8, 2008 at 11:52 AM
They lost a campaign they know their own actions will be scrutinized. Some of them were probably unhappy about the choice of Palin over others more qualified in their minds. She was a little known politician before, the left was attacking her, she probably looked like the weakest link. So they attacked. Human nature is often not pretty to behold.
I think finding out who they are and having that reputation follow them around is a good idea however. Canidates should know that those people are like that so they can be wary of them.
petunia on November 8, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Nobody’s named any sources in this whole fiasco, so if you believe there’s been leaks why does it bother you?
Darth Executor on November 8, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Sure, it probably did. And yeah, not a big deal. The far-fetched quotes are what I was talking about – should have been more specific.
fiatboomer on November 8, 2008 at 12:10 PM
One of the two guys who were allegedly greeted by Sara wearing a towel called Greta to deny the story.
Is this the Rick Davis of Fannie Mae fame?
Basilsbest on November 8, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Rick Davis told FoxNews that Gov Palin did not know anyone was in her room when this happened….so…..my question is why were male campaign aides entering her room without her knowledge? All of this is a sexist smear against Gov Palin do knock her off the national stage because the Dem’s and possibly, some Repub’s, are afraid of her appeal.
Sweetness0726 on November 8, 2008 at 12:22 PM
I say, up against the wall with all traitors and spys for the Dems that are spreading these lies. Perhaps Stalin, Hitler and Castro had it right, after all….
DL13 on November 8, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Its like your left hand grabbing a hammer and smashing your right hand with it. Its get you nowhere. sheesh.
johnnyU on November 8, 2008 at 12:38 PM
what … these “guys” have a problem with attractive women in bathrobes now?
what a bunch of wussies
joey24007 on November 8, 2008 at 12:50 PM
The message seems to be Axelrod, but the beneficiary (aside from Democrats in power) is Huckabee.
Clearly, therefore, it is Dick Cheney’s doing.
Y-not on November 8, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I haven’t read through all the comments, so if someone has pointed this out, forgive me. I personally think it is the GOP leaders/RINOs who want the GOP to move toward the left that has it in for Palin – not personally – but because she is a well-liked right-wing conservative. They are stunned by her popularity. These big tent RINOs are what lost us the last two elections – it has been pointed out over and over again by all the pundants. The only way we can win again is going back to our conservative roots! Another point, why else would this be leaked to FOX news instead of CNN or MSMBC first? The GOP knows its constituants watch FOX news.
Neocon Peg on November 8, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Dead Hand Control: Just because you are a gay buttboy doesn’t make everyone else a gay buttboy. Don’t project your sexual perversions on everyone else.
Blake on November 8, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Stay classy, friend.
Dead Hand Control on November 8, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Cui bono, Ed? Due to his silence j’accuse John McCain himself. The miserable old fool needs to spend the rest of his time in the senate in silence.
onefinejay on November 8, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Silence is adoptive admission. Failure to cooperate is consciousness of guilt. These are simple concepts above your pointy little head. That is why you are known as dumbass, which is latin for dumbass.
Blake on November 8, 2008 at 1:22 PM
S
As classy as you, jackass.
Blake on November 8, 2008 at 1:23 PM
There is nothing newsworthy about this drummed up garbage.
I’d rather hear about Vera Baker.(See Google)
Is she enjoying her vacation in the islands?
dragondrop on November 8, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Alinski devised and proved thirteen tactical rules for use against opponents…
1. “Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
2. Never go outside the experience of your people.
3. Wherever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy.
4. Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.
5. Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.
6. A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.
7. A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.
8. Keep the pressure on.
9. The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
10. Major premise for tactics is development of operations that will maintain constant pressure upon the opposition.
11. If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counterside.
12. The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
The real action is in the enemy’s reaction. The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength. Tactics, like life, require that you move with the action.”
Alinski was hated and defamed by powerful enemies, proof that his tactics worked. His simple formula for success …
“Agitate + Aggravate + Educate + Organize”
The target they picked is Governor Palin. This seems to be just a continuation of the attack that began when she was announced. Axelrod successfully used the media, blogs, and youtube to plant other smears about Palin, so I don’t discount his ability to have planted this one. Obama owns the media. There’s a depravity to these attacks that is stunning.
nyrofan on November 8, 2008 at 1:28 PM
I believe Davis was partner in a lobbying firm that had Fannie or Freddie as a client
Anyways, there is confusion.
The two aides who allegedly saw Palin in a towel or bathrobe were Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter.
Schmidt sent an email to Greta yesterday saying the story was not true. He said he had only seen Palin in proper dress or sweats.
Davis appeared on Hannity and Colmes later and said Schmidt and Salter were in Palin’s hotel room and she came out in a towel because she did not know they were there.
So there is confusion about what exactly happened coming from McCain’s campaign. Nonetheless, it seems totally insane that Axelrod made this up when Davis says the story is partly true.
CanadianGuy on November 8, 2008 at 1:29 PM
It gives me great comfort in knowing that the GOP would rather spend time discussing the importance of Sarah Palin’s bathrobe then they would fighting for Norm Coleman as Al Franken, I can’t believe I just said Al Franken, attempts to steal his Senate seat
un-freaking-believable
joey24007 on November 8, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Spreading the lies that it is Romney is and attempt to damage Romney.
Who benefits from Palin AND Romney being damaged?
HuckaWhat?
Elizabetty on November 8, 2008 at 1:31 PM
People in McCain’s campaign were leaking that this was going to happen 2 weeks before the election. Schuemann was pretty much fired by McCain when he was caught leaking to The Politico that these smears were coming from within the campaign. We have a serious problem with people in our own tent (McCain RINOs) trying to destroy the biggest conservative celebrity. It’s a problem and belivng in or speading Rovesque conspiracy theories aren’t going to make the problem go away.
CanadianGuy on November 8, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Davis should have had his RNC card pulled after he started the Reform Institute and solicited funds from Soros.
As for McCain, he went rogue as soon as he spoke at the Shadow Convention in 2000.
Republicans trusting this man in the future is beyond me.
Angry Dumbo on November 8, 2008 at 1:34 PM
correction: Republicans trusting EITHER man in the future is beyond me.
McCain’s campaign staff should have no problem reaching across the aisle to solicit jobs from their good friends in the Democratic Party in the future.
Adios and good luck.
Angry Dumbo on November 8, 2008 at 1:39 PM
CanadianGuy on November 8, 2008 at 1:34 PM
McCain is definitely part of it. See my remarks at:
IrishEi on November 8, 2008 at 10:21 AM
IrishEi on November 8, 2008 at 10:33 AM
IrishEi on November 8, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Apparently I am in good company…Andy McCarthy agrees.
IrishEi on November 8, 2008 at 1:43 PM
This reminds me of when Huck’s stooges were trying to say Romney was secretly behind the anti-Mormon push polls in Iowa. It was of course a ridiculous assertion but it made them feel better. I don’t believe Huckabee was behind the attacks on Sarah, but his minions were certainly behind the “blame Mitt for no reason” portion of this tragedy.
thecountofincognito on November 8, 2008 at 1:56 PM
I meant travesty, not tragedy.
thecountofincognito on November 8, 2008 at 1:57 PM
I hope they pursue this until we find out who it is. It also damages the reputations of the innocent, but suspected staffers.
Also, we don’t ever want someone like this connected with the next campaign. Seems like that person doesn’t
give a ___ about the party.
Would like to see staffers who would be convicted by the holy spirit if they contemplated bearing false witness.
CertainVictory on November 8, 2008 at 1:59 PM
We have 2 wings of the Republican Party. The conservative wing, and the sell-out wing. The sell-outs are people like Lindsey Graham, Mel Martinez, pretty much anyone that was in the Gang of 14 and 12. Led by John McCain. The base was infuriated with them starting with amnesty. But the base came back for Palin – so who benefits from trashing her? They really don’t have a choice. If a conservative takes charge of the party, it’s over for these boys. And they know it. Their power is slipping away. Time to pick on the girl.
Good riddance to every friggin one of them.
JeffinOrlando on November 8, 2008 at 2:03 PM
I see your point, but I’m just looking at the continuation of the tactics used. Either way, they fit–I’m not trying to spread anything…I have my suspicions and am just stating some obvious similarities.
Maybe our side read the same book.
nyrofan on November 8, 2008 at 3:28 PM
Balderdash! You cannot disprove a negative. Mitt cannot prove that he did not say what he did not say anymore than Palin can prove that she didn’t confuse the word continent with country. It is impossible to refute that sort of allegation, unless one can say that at a specific time and place someone said something and there is a recording of the conversation to disprove the charge.
Mitt could hold a press conference tomorrow and make all the denials he wants but it would not accomplish anything. Moreover, Mitt is a brilliant man and surely he is smart enough to know that smearing Sarah Palin would end his career not hers.
But hey, silence might be a good tactic for you to employ, since you are making a fool of yourself, and I am not the only one who has noticed.
Buy Danish on November 8, 2008 at 4:06 PM
Here is something that has been bothering me. It has been said that these 2 guys were in Sarah’s room and she didn’t know they were there and all she is wearing is a towel/robe?
Just where the hell was Todd and the kids? This does not make any sense to me at all.
cjs1943 on November 8, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Towel. Robe. Big difference between the two. I don’t know what the truth is, but I wouldn’t conflate the two.
Meanwhile, check out the vile commenters at MSNBC, flBiker and Kofi99.
Buy Danish on November 8, 2008 at 4:21 PM
Democrat and Republican critics and smearers alike are afraid and jealous of ‘The Womb’! It is unimaginable for them to see a woman with a loving and supportive husband, five children, one with DS and a soon to be married pregnant teenage daughter. For these cowards, these are unsurmountable barriers in their lives. For Sarah Palin, it is life and dealt with it as best she could.
Sarah Palin, pro-life in words and deeds.
May the good Lord be with her and her family always.
atemely on November 8, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Are you really this stupid? Why, yes, yes you are. Never ever sit on a jury.
Blake on November 8, 2008 at 4:33 PM
*sigh* There is a huge difference between criticism and smears. To suggest that anyone who criticizes Palin for any reason has womb envy or something is, well, a smear.
By the way, lest you be tempted to leap to conclusions about my motives, I have not been a critic of Palin.
Buy Danish on November 8, 2008 at 4:34 PM
I have sat on 2 juries and I was appointed the forewoman of one of them.
You are an ignoramus who does not understand that in this country it is the burden of the prosecutor to prove guilt, not the burden of the accused to prove innocence.
Buy Danish on November 8, 2008 at 4:39 PM
Nicole Wallace, and Steve Schmidt are just covering their collective behinds.
They were named by Schneumann as the ones who were out for Sarah Palin. He is either fired or comes close to being fired for this, and loe and behold we have the Schneumann prophecy come true. Then the backlash came, and suddenly they come on TV to say it wasn’t them, while John McCain is awfully busy with his barbecued ribs!
I am not a fan of Romney, but I fail to see the connection to him. He should never be the GOP candidate, but I don’t see the blood trail leading to him as yet. McCain looks more guilty than Romney!
We DO need to get to the bottom of this because we lost the election over it! RINO’s and semi-Democrats want to retain control of the party and lead the GOP to another disaster. McCain seems fine with getting his butt kicked as long as he is the centre of attention. We let the RINO’s and the liberal media set the agenda, and select the candidate and the result was a slaughter.
We need to name names, and take some heads!
sharrukin on November 8, 2008 at 4:51 PM
He does have a habit of stabbing fellow Republicans, especially the conservative ones, in the back when he doesn’t get his way on something and feels that it’s not his lack of energy, not his flawed thinking, not his inability to connect with the masses, that are to blame, but rather us conservatives being to “stupid” to march off the cliff behind him.
That and the only people McCain seems to be able to mount sustained attacks against are not Dems, but rather members his own party.
McCain being McCain?
His silence on the matter is deafening to be sure…
SuperCool on November 8, 2008 at 5:36 PM
You are a colossal moron because there is no proof to the contrary.
csdeven on November 8, 2008 at 5:51 PM
Are you dumb or just stupid?
apacalyps on November 8, 2008 at 5:57 PM
He would appear to be observant, Axelturfer.
SuperCool on November 8, 2008 at 5:59 PM
No one knows as yet who is behind it. We do know that they are McCain staffers and that McCain has been silent for days now. He has leaped to the defence of Democrats when they were bad mouthed, but here he remains silent.
That is what we know.
Romney, Huckabee, Axelrod, Vladimir Putin? Who knows!
sharrukin on November 8, 2008 at 6:03 PM
Mesa no tink so. Mike Huckabee was one of the first political leaders who came out in support for Sarah Palin, as reported by Mr. Morrissey. Huckabee is a very very strong supporter of Palin! Romney? Mmm. Not so much. But, after that slimy excuse for a Republican hammered him with misleading attack ads, I don’t blame him for defending himself.
apacalyps on November 8, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Aren’t Huckabee and Obama brothers?
thecountofincognito on November 8, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Well, he must be observing things while on drugs because anybody who suggests that Mike Huckabee is behind these Palin smears is smoking the Devil’s lettuce.
Alan Colmes: Do you believe that Sarah Palin is ready, Day One, if God forbid something happens to John McCain?
Mike Huckabee: I think she’s far more ready to be President if something happens to McCain than Barack Obama would be if something doesn’t happen to McCain.
Video: Huckabee on Palin’s readiness
apacalyps on November 8, 2008 at 6:42 PM
SuperNotCool on November 8, 2008 at 5:59 PMI can’t believe that fixed it. And if you respond to this post in any way, shape, or form, then you are in total agreement with the correction. Thank you very much.
apacalyps on November 8, 2008 at 6:47 PM
How come McCain did not come out to any news outfit and defend her? Why, because his team is doing this. Hope she does her work in Alaska and gets away from the Washington mud fights.
Most troubling of all are the same people who refused to use rough politics on Obama have no problem using it on one of their own. Rinos gotta go.
koolbrease on November 8, 2008 at 7:55 PM
If you believe Newsweek’s version of events Todd was chillin’ in the room, and sat and talked to Salter and Schmidt (the two aides) after Sarah went to get dressed. Newsweek’s story makes it sound like Sarah was parading around in front of them in a towel, and that Todd was cool with his wife doing that. I may be crazy, but I don’t quite buy that.
Both Schmidt (in a call to Greta) and Sarah (in a radio interview in Alaska) say the incident never happened. If it did, Davis’ version sounds much more plausible to me then the way Newsweek portrayed it. Which leaves me to wonder: What else didn’t happen exactly as they portrayed it in the article?
meltenn on November 8, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Apparently, Dwight from “The Office” is now posting on HotAir under the name apacalyps.
JA on November 9, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Heh.
If you read this – if you merely open the page on which this comment appears – then you are demonstrate a willingness to testify under oath that Mike Huckabee is a five-dollar Trannie hooker with a terminal case of Mad Cow.
Thank you very much.
sulla on November 9, 2008 at 3:27 AM
Earlier I noted vile comments at MSNBC by flBiker and Kofi99. I see that their disgusting Sarah Palin jokes have been deleted. We shall soon see if these constant commenters are allowed back.
Apacalypse,
Please stop whining about the mean negative ads that Mitt ran. It’s childish and tiresome. I do think Huck is doing a good job with his Fox show. See, I’m fair and balanced.
Buy Danish on November 9, 2008 at 8:26 AM
My money is on the Obama camp and the democrats.
They saw what Sarah did on the trail and they know McCain held her back. They know she is a force to be reckoned with so they are giving a bit of payback and attempting to help themselves by attempting to destroy her political future on a national level.
Virginia Shanahan on November 9, 2008 at 9:15 AM
Au contraire Mademoiselle d’Danish, after all the misery you and your band of reprobates put Mike Huckabee and his supporters through during the Republican primaries, you are the last one to be complaining about someone else being childish and tiresome.
Like I’m suprised Mike is doing a fine job on Fox.
apacalyps on November 9, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Any Republican that signed on to the Amnesty debacle doesn’t have the long term interests of the party at heart.
McCain has a history of being a sore loser; McCain has a history of nasty rhetorical attacks on people, right down to his own base over a policy disagreement.
Someone as powerful as McCain need only make an offhand comment for something like this to start. Aides that didn’t like her anyway would take it as a mandate to go and pull this crap. Whether Sarah told McCain to stay out of it or not, he should have been in the middle of it, because it makes him look very bad, whether he started it or not.
austinnelly on November 9, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Oh, yeah, the other thing: In this case you’re not unlike gutter politician Romney in the sense that you try to obscure your patently false statement that Mike is out to destroy Sarah Palin – which is a ludicrous statement – just a pathetic statement – clearly debunked by the evidence I provided which established beyond doubt Governor Huckabee was one of the first political leaders who supported Sarah Palin, as reported by Mr. Morrissey!
apacalyps on November 9, 2008 at 1:11 PM
apacalyps on November 9, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Band of reprobates? Mitt is a reprobate? And so are his supporters? Damn (woops!) who the hell (oops!) do you think you are?
rep·ro·bate (rpr-bt)
n.
1. A morally unprincipled person.
2. One who is predestined to damnation.
adj.
1. Morally unprincipled; shameless.
2. Rejected by God and without hope of salvation.
apacalyps on November 9, 2008 at 1:11 PM
The question was “cui bono”. Huck benefits. Whether Huck was, or is, involved is a different question which I did not address.
BTW, if you think your loony comments help either Huck or Sarah, think again.
Buy Danish on November 9, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Romney ran thousands of smear ads against Huckabee. And just like him, many of you spewed lies day after day after day after day after day about him. Huckabee is a socialist; worse than Hillary; would destroy the Republican Party. Evil? Divisive? Despicable? Unbelievable. I felt like I was on the DailyKos. Just change Huckabee to Bush. Why do I call them a band of reprobates? Because condemning a decent man with bold faced lies like that is typical reprobate vocabulary. These people have believed a known deception, which makes them into liars. See, the problem starts with them, with the person. When they refuse to turn to truth, God finally gives them up to be reprobates (not knowing between right and wrong). They ACTUALLY start believing the lies. That is why some of these people are impossible to debate. God has already given them up to be reprobates for believing a known lie.
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” 2 Thessalonians 2:11
I guess you didn’t insinuate into the conversation that Huckabee was involved with those Palin smears, afterall. My mistake.
apacalyps on November 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM
Huckaschmuck.
LibTired on November 9, 2008 at 10:58 PM
Since no names are being named, I have an interesting theory — it’s the media themselves, trying to make conservatives self destruct in an orgy of finger pointing.
Again, I’m betting there are no sources. The media have shown themselves to be totally in the tank for Obama, and really mean spirited toward Palin, so why not go all the way?
This is probably the equivalent to a Bush National Guard Memo, complete with Times New Roman fonts.
unclesmrgol on November 10, 2008 at 12:04 AM
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