Rick Weiland, the Democratic Senate candidate in South Dakota, effectively accused the national party Monday of sabotaging his campaign.
During a Monday press conference, Weiland charged that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee became involved in the South Dakota Senate race only to help the independent candidate, former GOP Sen. Larry Pressler — and that the DSCC ran negative TV ads against Republican Mike Rounds in order to damage South Dakotan opinions of Weiland himself.
The DSCC came into the race in the last few weeks as polling showed a tightening race, counter to earlier expectations that the seat would be an easy pick-up for the GOP. But newer surveys have shown Rounds re-establishing a significant lead as Pressler dropped off.
Weiland still appears to think that the national party was conspiring against him. Here is how he portrayed the situation, according to the Argus Leader’s David Montgomery, who was at the Monday press conference held by Weiland.
I’m at @People4Weiland‘s campaign office, where he’s about to issue a “challenge” to the @DSCC. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says the @DSCC‘s $1M for #sdsen “was intended… to help Larry pressler.”
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland on @DSCC: Ads attacking Rounds have “been counterproductive to my campaign.” “Go positive or go home,” Weiland says. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland: “I need a positive message (from the @DSCC) that reinforces why I got into this race.” #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says @DSCC *deliberately* was trying to drive up his own negatives with anti-Rounds attack ad. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says that Harry Reid’s comments bashing his chances “were intended to dry up my fundraising.” #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
National Democrats’ lack of involvement in the South Dakota Senate race had already been at the center of a Democratic feud between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Majority Leader Tom Daschle that surfaced earlier this fall. Reid had said at one point that it was “more than likely” that the party would lose the seat and he had preferred another candidate for the race.
The Weiland campaign and the DSCC did not immediately respond to TPM’s requests for comment.
This is not going to help you one bit, Mr. Weiland. It makes you look whiney, not to mention its going to make any bridge mending after the campaign that much more difficult.
And speaking of whiney…he complained about NOT receiving support from the DSCC, and then complains when he does receive ad buys from them.
Sort of like a cat with a closed door. Doesn’t matter which side it is on, its upset that the door is closed.
In Weiland’s case, it is a cat with its tail caught in the door.
I am a true blue progressive Democrat, and in this case I do kind of agree with him. There are times where Reid lets his ego get in the way of what is best for the party. In this instance this petty turf war fight between him and Daschle was counterproductive, as I am sure that in South Dakota, Daschle is far more popular than Reid is, whom I am sure is even more unpopular than the President is there.
Reid acting like a spoiled child from the beginning, when his guy was not the chosen one, and basically immediately writing off Weiland’s campaign was not at all helpful, especially in a midterm election, where we are at risk of losing the Senate. That is the time when Dems need to not act like that other party, and work together. I realize that the money has to go to the most critical races, but Reid’s immediate refusal to do anything to support this guy was just childish. This is why, along with the times he has been less than supportive of this President, adding to his problems, I have often tired of the Dems keeping him as majority leader.
Not to play semantic games, but incompetence is not the same as sabotage, Weiland. Choose your words more carefully.
South Dakota was written off long before Weiland became the candidate. And while I get the general motive behind your comment, consider this…
Since that poll in the first week of October was released, Presser has lost about half of his support. That is a sizable number of voters (about 15% give or take) that were quite willing a few weeks ago to vote for someone else than Rounder. Weiland has been unable to pick up hardly any of them since.
Thats a pretty good indication that A) the electorate in SD is decidedly right leaning and B) Weiland is not that great of a candidate. And quite possibly both.
In my opinion, that’s a pretty fair deduction on Reid’s part while determining how to parcel out limited funding to numerous races. Should we really open the floodgates and drop 10-20 million on an iffy candidate running in a very red state, and risk GA, NC, AR, AK, CO and KY? Every race this year is tight, so we simply don’t have that luxury…someone has to pick the potential winners and the obvious losers. It sucks, but its politics.
It really sounds like Weiland needs to follow some old DC wisdom…if you want a friend, buy a dog.