Ratfuckers

Digby seems under the impression that the weak seperation between Republican operatives and "non-partisan" groups shows that they're getting "sloppy".

Consider the fact that the Republicans create a "voting irregularity" front group to counter the charges that they are fixing elections. Fine. I would expect no less. This is what they do.

But, by God, I never thought they'd be dumb enough to use nationally known Republican operatives to do it. Jim Dyke was the communications director for the RNC during the 2004 campaign, ferchistsake. He was all over television. And now six months later he's working with a 501c "non-partisan" group that released a report claiming "Democrat operatives" are stealing elections. Please. Any good GOP sleaze artist knows that you create at least a couple of degrees of separation between the party and the ratfucking. Roger Stone must be shaking his head in disgust. I suppose it's what happens when you lose the hunger for power.

Although Digby's right in a sense, I disagree on the interpretation: this doesn't imply that they're dumb, but that they believe that it doesn't matter...that nobody will care.

They're probably right.

This is really the point where we're seeing consolidation, where they don't have to try so hard because the groundwork has already been long set in place. One can claim "non-partisanship" because the mainstream media is cowed and liberals are voiceless, drowned in the flood of right-wing bullshit (even, if not especially, on the Internet.)

Why waste energy if you don't have to?