I just got off the phone with Daniel McElhatton, spokesman for Delaware Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons. Although the conversation was mostly about the race against Christine O’Donnell (more on that tomorrow), I asked McElhatton about the comment from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Coons is Reid’s favorite Senate candidate. “He’s my pet,” Reid told the Hill.
“We’re hoping the Majority Leader will apologize to Chris’ wife, because she’s the only one who gets to call him that,” McElhatton responded with a laugh. It’s the campaign’s official line, but I then asked about how the “pet” remark might play in the race against O’Donnell. It’s well known that Republicans are going to hit Coons hard for raising taxes as New Castle County executive. Won’t Reid’s enthusiastic embrace feed the narrative that Coons will go along with every big-spending, tax-raising Democratic initiative in Washington? “Chris is not anyone’s pet and will not be a rubber stamp for anyone,” McElhatton answered.
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From the moment Reid’s words were reported, Republicans knew they had a new line of attack against Coons. That left Coons with little choice but to declare his independence from Washington Democrats. But at the same time Coons had been preparing to attack defeated Republican candidate Mike Castle for voting against Democratic initiatives like Obamacare and the stimulus. Now, with O’Donnell, who opposes virtually everything the Democratic Congress has done, Coons will be stressing his independence at the same time as he defends the Democratic line. It won’t be an easy task.
