August 8, 2008 - 1:19am
Collins camp to tracker: You’re not fooling us
By Jessica AlaimoIt’s not uncommon for political parties to send out trackers – people who videotape opposing candidates hoping for the gaffe that will be exquisite for YouTube.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ campaign wasn’t surprised that a tracker was following the Senator at several public events. They were surprised, however, at the various disguises she wore.
In an e-mail blast to supporters, the campaign put photos of the tracker side by side. “Sometimes she wears a baseball cap and sunglasses. Sometimes she doesn’t wear the cap but wears the sunglasses – even on cloudy days. But our favorite is the brunette wig,” the e-mail read.
U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) is challenging Collins (R-Bangor) for her Senate seat. Neither campaign employs trackers, according to their respective spokespeople.
However, the political parties do, said Carol Andrews, spokeswoman for Allen. Andrews suggested that the Collins campaign e-mail was a response to the Allen camp launching an ad campaign this weekend.
Andrews said a tracker from the Republicans has been spotted at several Allen campaign events.
The rules for trackers are simple, Andrews said. Be honest about who you are. Leave if you’re asked.
At about this time last year, Collins’ office sent an open letter to Allen’s campaign claiming that a tracker got too aggressive and asked them to stop the practice. The Portland Press Herald and the Bangor Daily News covered the story.
Article Tools
Contributors
Wally Edge
Collins has the support of 94% of her party’s voters compared to Allen’s 80% support among Democratic voters. >
Rob Tornoe
To view a larger version of this cartoon, click here. >
Adam Cote
I attended my first political "house party" in 1994 when I was a senior in college. It was hosted by one of former U.S. Sen. George ... >
Chris Cinquemani
It’s crunch time. Less than 30 days remain until we head to the polls to vote for President down to School Board—unless you’re joining ... >
Poll
How close will the Allen-Collins race be?
Within 2 points
14%
Within 5 points
0%
Within 10 points
29%
Within 15 points
29%
Wider
29%
PolitickerME Partners
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Top Tags
Most Active Stories
- Sarah Palin: Not a Red Sox fan
- Debate live blogging: Slainte bar in Portland
- We’ve got questions. Do they have answers?
- Nader running to force major parties into 'shaping up or shipping out'
- ME-1: Pingree launches first TV ad
- Rasmussen also shows Allen-Collins gap closing
- Business group to launch new ads attacking Allen
- DSCC poll shows Allen-Collins gap closing
- Rasmussen shows Collins maintaining double digit lead at 10 points
- Allen wants a 'new direction'
- Brokeback Sheriff
- Campaign: ‘Huckabee has not wavered’
- Kucinich fans encouraged to continue their support
- First day back in the House: 5 sworn in
- Ron Paul supporters?
- Cianchette commits to free trade, reducing narcotic supply and re-learning Spanish in confirmation hearing for ambassador post
- Attack of the Ronulans
- Small island, big names: How North Haven produced two prominent politicians
- The Republican Response - The Unabridged Version with Translation
- Rove: Obama's inexperienced; Biden's a 'big, blowhard doofus'
Quote of the Day
October 7, 2008
"Alaska is a frontier the way Maine's 2nd Congressional District is a frontier."
-- Christian Potholm, a professor of government at Bowdoin College, on vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's appeal in the 2nd Congressional District
-Seacoast Online, 10/07/08
Recent Press Releases
- Sep 23 2008
Syndicate
Oh brother
"Be honest about who you are"?
Good call Carol.
So why did you send this poor girl to follow Collins in disguise?
Pathetic.
Outrageous
Who is this Carol Andrews person? She is obviously not from Maine! Can you imagine the outrage had Republicans sent someone to SPY on Ed Muskie or George Mitchell? What is Democrats were SPYING on Margaret Chase Smith? And, for Andrews to say rule number one is to "be honest about who you are" is so hypocritical when the person is wearing a DISGUISE. This is desperate.
Collins is using the same
Collins is using the same tactics just not directly through her campaign. She uses another Republican front to track.
Whoops! They did it again.
Tom Allen's campaign can't get out of it's own way.
After being the deciding vote to go on vacation, Allen demands the President call a special session of Congress to deal with energy. Dumb.
After months of sagging polls and lackluster public response to his candidacy, he revives the foolish practice of sending a tracker to spy on Susan Collins. Dumber.
After the tracker is apparently busted, he sends her out in a "disguise." Hilarious!
You know it doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to understand how badly that will undermine his credibility.
Oh, wait....
Big Deal
Maybe the young woman was having a bad hair day.
Both sides use trackers.
Why the wig? Who knows. But this tracker has been as most Collins events so it's no big surprise to Susie. This is just another chance for Susan's staff to make a point that her people will jump on.
"Mommy, she's bothering me!"
Senator Collins's most common tactic seems to be whining about tactics that her campaign uses just as frequently as Allen's campaign does. "Waaa, Tommy's friends are saying mean things about me."
Stop playing the victim, Sen. Collins. You're a grownup now. We don't want victims representing us in Congress; we want fighters.
So, why the disguise?
So, why the disguise?
I challenge Carol Andrews.....
......and several of the commenters here to PROVE that \"both parties do it\". Get us pictures of someone in the employ of the Maine Republican Party videotaping Congressman Allen, as the Collins campaign has.
Until then, I am going to assume that Carol Andrews, and several of the commenters here, are lying. Andrews has lied before; no reason she wouldn\'t again, and again. These are the people who are stripping candidates off the ballot to help their chances. Why wouldn\'t they lie about it?
If the rules are \"Be honest about who you are. Leave if you’re asked\", then Allen and the Dems should not be doing this at all ever, as the Collins campaign asked them to stop this practice in its entirety last summer. If they\'re to be honest about who they are, they should a) not wear disguises, and b) wear identifying apparel associating them with the organization for which they are volunteering.
Tom needs to get a better staff
Yeah both sides probably use trackers, it's the way of the world.
However, Tom Allen's staff has to be made-up of complete morons to send the exact same tracker to every major event. If you are trying to be sneaky and underhanded, at least have a clue.
Allen's staff is killing his campaign, making him look like a complete idiot and really setting this girl up for one hell of a campaign cycle seeing as her picture has been posted everywhere and has been picked apart. Which is exactly what you deserve when you are stupid about tracking a candidate.
Congratulations Tom, another stellar moment to go into your memoirs, and Carol Andrews definitely should think about a new career...she isn't too good at her current job.
Who cares?
She's a public official in a public place. Get over it. If she's scared of what she might say in public, maybe she should shut it. Too bad she votes with Bush 77% of the time. Can't run from that.
I hope the tracker shows up in a Big Bird outfit next time. Maybe she'll catch Susie in a "macaca" and the race can finally be over.
Not so smart eh?
Did you see the list my friend? Like seriously look at the list? She voted with Bush the second least of all Republicans (one above our own Olympia Snowe) Ben Nelson of Florida a D voted with Bush nearly as much. That is a cop out for Democrats to try to pin a RINO to Bush. You have to be a complete moron to think that Susan Collins is a Bush enabler, she's a Democrat with an R next to her name. Allen voted with the Democrats in Congress 97% of the time...the same Democrats that enjoyed a whopping 8% approval rating earlier this spring. So your savior Tommy is a partisan hack who has no backbone to stand up to Nancy Pelosi while Maine is struggling to keep up with the rest of the country.
And by the way...the race IS over, Tom Allen has lost already. There is no catching up to Susan Collins now. The only Makaka moment in this election will undoubtedly come from the mouth of our less than esteemed congressman. As his communications staff needs to be round up and simultaneously given a spanking for the terrible job they've done.
In closing to all of you political "insiders" out there trying to make a non-issue a winning talking point...try something that your candidate can actually WIN on. Voting records is by far the lowest item on that list in this race.
She's still
77% of the time with Bush. Especially her Bush tax cut votes (yep, there were more than one). How many Mainers did that help, Susan?
asdf
I really love this:
A baseball cap and sunglasses? No wonder I have such a hard time finding friends at baseball games - they're all in disguise!
Right... Honest?
Collins is exactly right. Trackers have no place in Maine politics and if she, in fact, uses them also, she should be ashamed of herself.
Maine has for so long risen above negative, petty politics. We've enjoyed positive campaigns, with cordial candidates.
But this season, Tom Allen is fighting with every pawn in his army to eventually lose the election. One of those pawns is apparently a tracker who thinks she's some amazing political operative breaking the next big Watergate. She's not, unfortunately -- but let's just keep it our little secret that she's not that cool.
Going beyond that, if you truely feel a tracker is necessary -- the disquises are not. Grow up. At least Allen's last tracker -- 'Rick' according to the BDN -- got close enough to Collins that she could count the freckles on his face. He didn't care about being identified. If you're willing to do something so ridiculous and 'track' a candidate, at least have the guts to stand up for what you are doing and face it with your real identity. She must really love her job if she feels the need to hide.
FINALLY, Andrews' comment about Collins using trackers is absurd. So far Collins' campaign has produced artwork two or three times, while the Andrews/Allen crowd has produced nothing. If Collins is using so many trackers, post a picture! Let's see the proof. Until then, Tommy can enjoy his month-long vacation campaigning toward the end of his political career. Enjoy it.
Post new comment