1600PennAve: For The Record: Josh Mandel, Akron Press Club, And The Campaign Fishbowl
On March 29, 2012, the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue blog wrote:
Following the Mandel event, media reports surfaced that the Mandel campaign attempted to prevent opposition trackers from recording Mandel’s speech to the Press Club. Since I was present at the event and since questions continue to be raised, I wanted to post, for the record, my thoughts about what transpired.
Dick Lugar's Even Worse Week
Earlier this month, American Bridge put together a compilation video highlighting Dick Lugar's awful week. It turns out last week was even worse!
Etch-A-Sketch Redux
Last week top Romney campaign advisor Eric Fehrnstrom's now-famous Etch-A-Sketch remark ricocheted around the internet at warp speed, and many of the stories featured or mentioned American Bridge's Etch-A-Sketch rapid response video. Check out just a few of the shout-outs below.
Politic365: Can Jeb Bush Save Romney From Himself?
On March 24, 2012, Politic365 reported:
That might explain why almost four months after saying he had an immigration plan, Romney hasn’t revealed it. Already, Democrats are pressuring Romney to unveil his proposal, suggesting that he either does not have a plan or he is reluctant to share it with voters.
POLITICO: George Allen's Amended NCAA Bracketology
On March 23, 2012, POLITICO reported:
The sharp eyes over at the Democratic oppo firm American Bridge notice that in an attempt to alter his picks to potentially pander to teams with a homestate following -- a move below almost no pol -- Allen littered his bracket with errors.
NY Times: Romney Campaign Gaffe Steps On Good News, Again
On March 22, 2012, the New York Times reported:
nd they will be aided in the coming months by liberal allies who are literally tracking every word Mr. Romney and his associates say. The idea behind groups like American Bridge 21st Century and others is to catch the Republicans in misstatements, flip-flops, embarrassing moments and gaffes.
POLITICO: For Romney, It Could Be Worse
On March 15, 2012, POLITICO reported:
“Every campaign has to make decisions about what type of organization they want to build and what their priorities will be. Mitt Romney has been very fortunate that none of his opponents, from Perry to Newt to Santorum to [Tim] Pawlenty, have seemed to place a high value on research. He is an incredibly flawed candidate and every day we see opportunity after opportunity to highlight his hypocrisy,” said Democratic strategist Ty Matsdorf, war room director for the research-savvy group American Bridge. “Yet it seems his Republican opponents can’t even muster the simplest of pushback.”
Huffington Post: Tommy Thompson, Senate Hopeful And Former Governor, Says He's Not A 'Professional Politician'
On March 13, 2012, the Huffington Post reported:
In all, Thompson has served 35 years in public office and another four years as a Cabinet official, not counting the time he spent running for office. Thompson is 70 years old, meaning that he has spent at least half his life in politics. Nevertheless, on Tuesday, Thompson insisted that he is not a "professional politician."
POLITICO: Santorum Clings To Team Of Pals
On March 12, 2012, POLITICO reported:
“Every day we track as the Romney campaign touts endorsement after endorsement from lobbyists. So for the Santorum campaign to not fight back and show that Romney’s attacks are totally hypocritical is asinine,” said Ty Matsdorf, senior adviser at the oppo-slinging Democratic independent group American Bridge. “If it was malpractice for Gingrich to take four months to fight back against Romney’s Fannie/Freddie attacks, this is even worse because given how weak Romney is, with a little bit better of an organization Santorum would be cruising to the nomination.”
Huffington Post: Josh Mandel Senate Campaign Aides Block Democratic Trackers
On March 9, 2012, the Huffington Post reported:
When Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) formally kicked off his Senate campaign earlier this month, a scuffle in the back of the room drew attention away from him. A Mandel aide was using his hands, body, head and hair to block a state Democratic Party employee from filming Mandel as he spoke and gladhanded around the room. The practice of taping opponents' public comments, known as tracking, is common but some in Ohio said Mandel's campaign is the "most aggressive" in blocking it.