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   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-   
   dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070605271.html   
      
      
   Democrats digging harder than ever for dirt on Republicans   
      
   By Philip Rucker   
   Washington Post Staff Writer    
   Wednesday, July 7, 2010    
      
   The Democratic Party is moving faster and more aggressively than in    
   previous election years to dig up unflattering details about Republican    
   challengers. In House races from New Jersey to Ohio to California,    
   Democratic operatives are seizing on evidence of GOP candidates' unpaid    
   income taxes, property tax breaks and ties to financial firms that    
   received taxpayer bailout money.    
      
   In recent weeks, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has    
   circulated information to local reporters about Republican candidates in    
   close races. Among the claims:    
      
   -- That Jim Renacci of Ohio once owed nearly $1.4 million in unpaid    
   state taxes.    
      
   -- That David Harmer of California received $160,000 in bonus and    
   severance pay from a firm that got a federal bailout.    
      
   -- That Jon Runyan of New Jersey got a legal break in property taxes for    
   his 25-acre homestead by qualifying for a farmland assessment thanks to    
   his four donkeys.    
      
   Renacci's campaign said the candidate did not believe he had tax    
   liabilities for a trust fund and eventually paid all that he owed. A    
   spokesman for Harmer said criticizing him for the money he lawfully    
   earned is a "severe twist of the facts." Runyan's campaign said his    
   actions were legal.    
      
   Jon Vogel, executive director of the DCCC, said Democrats are merely    
   pointing out that some Republican recruits in competitive House races    
   are "flawed candidates."    
      
   He added, "We have made this election a choice. . . . They're trying to    
   run this national message in part about fiscal discipline, but they've    
   recruited a number of candidates not credible to carry that message."    
      
   Opposition research has been a part of political campaigns for decades,    
   but the 2010 cycle is different. In many states, Republicans have    
   steered clear of candidates with long political track records --    
   eschewing state representatives and veteran city council members who    
   have cast thousands of votes ripe for scrutiny -- in favor of political    
   outsiders. The top GOP recruits include several former professional    
   sports stars, as well as doctors and businessmen.    
      
   Democratic leaders are trying to frame the November midterm elections    
   not as a national referendum on the party in power but as local choices    
   between two candidates.    
      
   "We can win the contrast, but not the referendum," Democratic strategist    
   Steve Murphy said. "What is critical in this election cycle is for    
   Democratic candidates to hold Republican candidates accountable for    
   their views."    
      
   Republicans see the Democrats' strategy as a sign of weakness.    
      
   "When the issues are cutting against you, it is typical for a party in    
   trouble to resort to other means," said Ken Spain, spokesman for the    
   National Republican Congressional Committee. "With the unemployment rate    
   unacceptably high and President Obama's approval rating falling, they    
   have nothing left to run on other than character assassination."    
      
   Democratic officials are advising campaigns to hire trackers to follow    
   their Republican opponents to public events with video cameras, ready to    
   catch any gaffe or misstatement. And the Democratic National Committee    
   last week issued a call to the public to submit any embarrassing audio    
   or video of Republicans, as well as copies of their direct-mail    
   advertisements.    
      
   Party officials would not say how many staffers are working on    
   opposition research. Such work used to be farmed out to campaign    
   consultants, but the DCCC brought research operations in-house in 2008    
   to be more nimble. "It may appear to be more aggressive this cycle    
   because what we're finding on Republicans is so rich," Vogel said.    
      
   In Ohio, Democrats are trying to exploit Renacci's business record in    
   his race against Rep. John Boccieri (D). Renacci, who owns a Chevrolet    
   dealership, nursing homes, real estate investments and sports teams,    
   among other interests, has faced a string of lawsuits related to his    
   businesses.    
      
   Democratic operatives circulated a report in April that Renacci owed    
   nearly $1.4 million in unpaid state taxes, interest and penalties.    
   Renacci fought the assessment, believing the money he was holding in a    
   trust was free of state tax liabilities. But after losing a dispute over    
   his liability, Renacci paid everything he owed, said his campaign    
   manager, James Slepian.    
      
   "This is a story that the DCCC was pushing pretty hard," Slepian said.    
   "It's unfortunate that John Boccieri has chosen to conduct his campaign    
   by slinging mud from behind Nancy Pelosi's desk rather than talking    
   about the issues that really matter."    
      
   But Democrats say the strategy paid dividends in the May special    
   election for the Pennsylvania House seat of the late Democrat John P.    
   Murtha. Republican Tim Burns framed the race as a referendum on Obama    
   and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), both unpopular in a district    
   that Obama lost to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008. But Democrat Mark    
   Critz won handily after tailoring his message to local concerns and    
   attacking Burns for saying he would protect tax breaks for companies    
   that ship jobs overseas.    
      
   "Some years you ride the wave, and other years you paddle your canoe,"    
   Democratic strategist Paul Begala said. "Democrats, they've got to    
   paddle like hell. So what you do when you're paddling is, as the    
   Republicans seek to nationalize, you localize and personalize."    
      
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