Novick Hit By National Blogger on DSCC Hypocrisy

Underdog Oregon Senate candidate Steve Novick’s primary opponent, Speaker Jeff Merkley, gets DSCC support. It is well known, we get it, Novick and his supporters aren’t happy about it. So yesterday, when the amount of DSCC assistance was reported, Novick’s fundraising appeal was no surprise:

I need your help to tell the D.C. establishment that Oregon’s primary election isn’t for sale….
Your contribution of $100 right now will help make that happen and send a message back to Washington: Oregon’s elections are not for sale!

However, I’m sure Novick didn’t expect the blow back to be as big, as national blogger and commentator, Senate 2008 Guru, took him to school:

If Mr. Novick is true to his principle (and isn’t just trying to take a quick shot at Speaker Merkley for enjoying some establishment support) that Oregonians, and only Oregonians, should be the ones to pick the nominee, and out-of-state fundraising is contradictory to that principle, will Mr. Novick agree to return every financial contribution to his campaign that comes from outside of Oregon? Surely, he wouldn’t want the financial contribution of a Washingtonian or Californian impacting the electoral decision of Oregonians. Will Mr. Novick further eschew financial support from the DSCC should he win the Democratic nomination (and willingly put himself at a major financial disadvantage against Gordon Smith, who will no doubt enjoy some support from the NRSC)?If Mr. Novick isn’t willing to return every out-of-state financial contribution, then this alert rings hollow. If Oregonians alone should pick the nominee, and Mr. Novick extends that sentiment to financial support, he ought to return every contribution that has come in from outside of Oregon, lest his charge seems hypocritical, like the argument of a candidate who shuns “establishment” support not for any principled reason against it but rather for no better reason than he simply lacks “establishment” support.

The Guru is right on with his comments. If Novick does indeed win the nomination, he will need the DSCC to bail him out with huge amounts of cash, to shore up his awful fundraising efforts, which only garnered $125k in Quarter 3. It is hypocritical for Novick to say that the DSCC is trying to buy the election and then if he wins go Oliver Twist begging them for money to help Novick buy the election the day after. If you believe the DSSC is buying the election, they either should get to buy the election or not. Primary or general it doesn’t matter.

Novick continuing these diatribes will only further Gordon Smith’s lines of attack against Novick. If Novick accepts the DSCC support needed to win, he would be participating in, what he calls, selling the election. No matter which election or which office your running for, hypocrisy is always a huge issue with voters. Novick needs to make a decision: either the DSCC and out of state help is evil or it isn’t. He can’t have it both ways. Novick should return all out of state money and pledge not to take anymore, or he should discontinue this attack against the DSCC and Merkley.

Forward Oregon asked the Novick campaign for a comment on the Senate 2008 Guru article, as of yet they have not responded. When or if they do I will update with their take on the issue.

UPDATE: Novick Campaign Manager Jake Weigler just got back to me.

When asked if Novick would return and forgo out of state funding to comply with his criticism:

“Unilaterally disarming by refusing to accept money from outside Oregon would do nothing to address the DSCC’s attempt to put their thumb on the scale in this primary.”

Also when asked if they would accept DSCC funds in the general: “Of course once the Democratic primary is complete, assistance from the DSCC is no longer a Democratic Party institution favoring one Democratic candidate over another – it is help in defeating a Republican. That assistance is completely consistent with the mission of electing more Democrats to the U.S. Senate.”

So, as Senate 2008 Guru suggests, Novick’s stance is clearly not principled, but merely a cheap ploy. Further, I don’t understand how Weigler can suggest that the DSCC would pick the wrong candidate for Oregon in the primary, but would pick the right candidate in the general. It seems like either the DSCC doesn’t know whats best for us, or it does.

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Tags: SteveNovick, DSCC, Jeff Merkley, OR-Sen, 2008 Democratic Primary, Senate 2008 Guru