Two more developments of note in the dust-up between The Weekly Standard’s John McCormack and the Scozzafava campaign. One, this Associated Press report confirms that McCormack never “screamed” at Scozzafava as campaign spokesman Matt Burns claimed:
In the audio recording of the reporter’s questioning played for The Associated Press by McCormack, the reporter didn’t raise his voice, but repeated his unanswered questions several times, including one about abortion.
“I never screamed, I never yelled, I never shouted,” he said. “My voice was only loud enough so she could hear my questions.”
And two, the Scozzafava campaign leaked supposedly damning e-mail correspondence between McCormack and the campaign to — and this is telling for a campaign that is trying to establish its GOP bona fides — Talking Points Memo. After reading the exchange, even Kos himself has weighed in in support of McCormack:
First of all, why leak these emails to a progressive media outlet? If you’re trying to shake off accusations that you are too liberal a Republican, why would you run to TPM (even if TPM initiated the exchange)? Sure, the National Review also hates her campaign, but the Washington Times would’ve likely played along. Weird.
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The response is Lieberman-esque, and given her difficulties with her base, it’s particularly inexplicable. And to think that Burns thinks this somehow makes Scozzafava’s campaign look like reasonable actors as opposed to the crazy Weekly Standard is downright bizarre. I don’t know who is closer to the truth with the parking lot altercation episode, but on this email thread, it’s clear that the Weekly Standard is on solid ground.
So if you’re keeping score, the Associated Press, The Weekly Standard, and The Daily Kos are all in agreement that Scozzafava campaign is in the wrong. Screwing up a campaign so badly that it unites such a diverse cross-section of political opinion against you is darn near impossible. And yet, the Scozzafava campaign is dreaming the impossible dream.