Panic at the D-Trip

TO: INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: NRCC COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2010
SUBJECT: PANIC AT THE D-TRIP: DR. STEELE SENDS DEMS SPINNING

What does panic look like at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee? Today’s response to developments in Michigan’s 15th Congressional District paints a stark picture. When Politico reported this morning that Democrat insiders were growing concerned over the flailing campaign being run by lifelong politician John Dingell, heads turned inside the beltway and beyond. In a response that doesn’t exactly telegraph confidence in the Dingell campaign, the DCCC hastily released a memo outlining a detailed path to victory with repeated claims that the congressman is running an “aggressive” campaign.

The unfortunate truth for the DCCC and Congressman Dingell is that they have plenty of reasons to be concerned about the 15th District. With unemployment in Michigan still hovering above 13 percent, voter discontent threatens even the most entrenched Democrats. A devastated economy, combined with Dingell’s vocal support for job-killing legislation like government-run healthcare and a National Energy Tax, provide a difficult environment for any Democrat on the ballot this year – especially a member of a political dynasty who has held his seat for nearly six decades.

Dr. Robert Steele’s campaign is evidence that neither Dingell nor national Democrats have any reason to feel comfortable about their position in this race. According to a recent poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the campaign, Dr. Steele is running a highly competitive race against Congressman Dingell – an ominous sign for an incumbent who hasn’t had to run a competitive race in several years. With Steele trailing by only 11 points (51-40) and only 37 percent of voters willing to re-elect Dingell to another term, it’s easy to see why Dingell and the DCCC are eager to distract from what is actually happening on the ground in the 15th District.

Dr. Steele, who reached ‘Contender’ status today in the NRCC’s Young Guns program, is a breath of fresh air for Michigan voters who have grown weary of the Democrats’ failed agenda. In a year when record-high unemployment and the Democrat majority’s failed economic policies will largely steer the trajectory of the election, Dingell and the Democrats could quickly find themselves with a problem on their hands. There’s simply no denying the whiplash that’s in store for Democrats when voters across the country reject their policies in November. The shores of Lake Erie will be no exception.