Desperate GOP

Yeah, I wanted to do a Desperate Housewives riff, but I'm just not that funny.

Seriously though, is it me, or is the NYS GOP desperate to land a punch? From today's Hotline:

This One Could Get Ugly, Folks

HRC wants GOP votes "canceled out by a murder or rapist" while the GOP is intent of promoting a "radical political agenda," according to "dueling fundraising letters" sent out by HRC and her critics. HRC: "You have to fight back, and you can't site back and let baseless attacks go unanswered." State GOP chair Stephen Minarik (R): "Our favorite carpetbagger is up for re-election in 2006 and hungrily eyeing a run for the White House in 2008. If we soundly defeat her in 2006, her hopes of running for president will whither on the vine." The letters highlight the emerging battle over HRC's bid for a second Senate term. More HRC: "If there is one thing that I have learned in my years of politics, it's that you can't let the opposition set the terms of the debate." More Minarik: "Hillary's vision of a better American is one where your vote is canceled out by a murderer or a rapist. If your thought of Hilary Clinton as our commander-in-chief strikes fear into your heart, you are not alone. There are millions of Republicans and even a few common-sense Democrats here in New York whose biggest fear is another President Clinton" (Humbert, Newsday, 3/15).

Now, sure, the NYS GOP needs help. Pataki is way down, Guiliani won't run, Bloomberg isn't truly Republican - he's very moderate and was a registered Dem for a long time. Isn't it a little early, however, to accuse a sitting Senator of trying to cancel out opposition votes with a "murderer or rapist"?

Stunts like this are why (1) poeple tune out politics more and more and (2) HRC does well upstate - going below the belt on the first punch is a big turn-off for NY voters.