Really?!

"why did Paul Hodes give them millions in bonuses?"

That is the question Fred Tausch asks in yet another clever STEWARD mailer destined for the mailboxes of Granite Staters. On the heels of the hard-hitting direct mail piece slamming Obama for comparing the ill-conceived Air Force One NYC flyover photo-op and his spending program,

Tausch turns his sights on Paul Hodes– Democratic candidate seeking the nomination to run for Judd Gregg’s seat in the 2010 US Senate election. And, in targeting the present congressman from NH’s 2nd District, he skewers him in fine fashion– using his own words. The STEWARD mailpiece points the bony finger and calls Hodes what he is:

A Hypocrite on the AIG Scandal

Steward explains. Working off the above-noted March 18, 2009 statement by Hodes, the mailer shreds his supposed concern: 

Arrogance? Paul Hodes volunteered to help President Obama sell his "stimulus bill" to skeptics and cost-conscious Americans, using words like "investment" and "accountability" to spin the right message.

Incompetence? Congressman Paul Hodes voted to pass President Obama,s "stimulus bill" which includes provisions specifically directing AIG executivves to receive millions of dollars in windfall bonuses.

Greed? Congressman Paul Hodes has sought and received nearly $500,000 in campaign contributions from labor unions eager to repay him for his support of big labor handouts.

Indeed, this STEWARD piece paints a pretty dismal picture of Hodes with regard to the AIG matter. With the election still a ways off, the question is, how much of this stuff can he withstand before it has a real effect on his chances of following Jeanne Shaheen in taking a SECOND NH senate seat for the Dems? My guess is that Paul Hodes, along with the Democrats both in the Granite State and in Washington DC –and perhaps to a lesser extent, President Obama– have begun to lose their luster in the eyes of the electorate at large. What will be interesting to watch from this point forward is who will step up to the plate and give them a run for their money. These hard-hitting mail pieces arriving in peoples’ mail on a regular basis will no doubt help grease the skids for those wanting to take a crack at it…

According to its website, the STEWARD of Prosperity seeks

to hold politicians from both parties accountable through  a series of economic studies and detailed analysis of the impact of actions on New Hampshire’s working families. 

And sharing it far and wide. Nice job, Fred!