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Anti-Trump super-PAC’s secret weapon: John McCain
The Hill ^ | February 4, 2016 | Jonathon Swan

Posted on 02/04/2016 5:29:12 PM PST by jazusamo

The anti-Trump super-PAC that spent more than $2 million slamming the billionaire in Iowa is preparing to launch a new secret weapon in New Hampshire -- John McCain.

"Probably the only significant strategy shift is we are going to remind voters in New Hampshire about the disgraceful things that he said about John McCain," said the leader of Our Principles PAC, Katie Packer, who was Mitt Romney's deputy campaign manager in 2012.

Trump offended many Republicans when he mocked McCain's Vietnam War service last July, saying "he was a war hero because he was captured. ... I like people who weren't captured."

Pundits predicted the remark would spell the end of Trump, but the billionaire not only overcame it, he strengthened his standing in the polls.

But Packer believes the line may come back to hurt Trump on Feb. 9. McCain has long and deep ties to New Hampshire, where he took a surprise victory in the 2000 presidential primary race against George W. Bush, and then won again in 2008.

"John McCain is very highly regarded by Republican primary voters, largely because he's considered to be a war hero," Packer said.

A McCain-focused attack ad, mail pieces and a newspaper advertisement running Sunday are being prepared by the super-PAC, Packer says.

Packer says her group had seen a surge in donor interest since spending at least $2,017,000 on TV, direct mail, digital, newspaper ads and phone calls against Trump in Iowa, where the billionaire underperformed in Monday night's caucuses.

The super-PAC has already spent at least $566,000 against Trump in New Hampshire, according to Federal Election Commission records, but Packer indicated it will amplify the Granite State attacks in the coming days and go on to spend aggressively against Trump in South Carolina.

Packer will continue her strategy of using Trump's own words , and past liberal positions, against him.

Veteran Republican strategist Charlie Black, who is unaligned in the 2016 presidential race, says he has been impressed with the super-PAC and agrees that hanging Trump with his own words is the right strategy.

"It's a real effort and it might have done some good in Iowa," Black said of the anti-Trump super-PAC. "He's not Teflon anymore now that he's a loser."

Packer refuses to say who is funding the group. She supports Marco Rubio in the Republican primaries but says she is not working for the Florida senator. She also says the work her consulting partners are doing for presidential candidates -- they are variously working for Rubio, John Kasich and Chris Christie -- does not benefit her financially.

Like many GOP donors and strategists, Packer sees Trump as much more vulnerable after Iowa. On Thursday morning, she tweeted out a clip from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "Predator" in which the action hero says, " If it bleeds, we can kill it."

"I think that that's what we showed [in Iowa]," Packer said. "He was getting a lot of great publicity because of this air of inevitability and that nothing could take him down. ... [But] we started seeing his negatives go up considerably almost immediately after we went up in the air and started dropping mail."

Packer says she is far from done with Trump. She sees the third voting state of South Carolina as a place to take down the billionaire.

"We have a little bit more time in South Carolina which is nice, so we will be able to hit with more content," Packer said. "You can expect to see some more delving into his business stuff as we move into South Carolina.

"Because we have more time to put more lead on the target."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona; US: Florida; US: Iowa; US: Massachusetts; US: New Hampshire; US: New Jersey; US: New York; US: Ohio; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2016election; 2ndamendment; arizona; banglist; bencarson; chrischristie; election2016; florida; flyers; frontpage; gope; guncontrol; iowa; jebbush; jimhoft; johnkasich; johnmccain; katiepacker; katiepackergage; lieurway2whitehouse; marcorubio; massachusetts; mccain; mittromney; mittromneystooge; newhampshire; newjersey; newyork; ohio; ourprinciplespac; romney; rubio; secondamendment; senatorjohnmccain; senatormccain; smear; smeartactics; tedcruz; texas; trump; trumpquestions
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To: crz

41 posted on 02/04/2016 6:08:06 PM PST by petenmi
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To: jazusamo

Oh noes.... not John McCain!!

He’s going to have as little effect as Jim my Carter.


42 posted on 02/04/2016 6:08:54 PM PST by ObozoMustGo2012
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To: jazusamo
....preparing to launch a new secret weapon in New Hampshire -- John McCain.


43 posted on 02/04/2016 6:09:41 PM PST by SoFloFreeper (I am undecided between Carson, Cruz, Rubio & Trump...)
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To: jazusamo
No I don’t and haven’t looked but Packer was a Romney stooge.

Thanks, I saw that about Romney and that Packer herself "supports" Rubio.....but I find it really odd that I can't find anything about even ONE person connected to this organization beyond Packer.

44 posted on 02/04/2016 6:09:51 PM PST by TXSearcher (Longtime Lurker......now a newbie)
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To: CPT Clay

Actually, this about McCain all came up when he was running for president. And, I agree. A “hero” does not get captured. There are rumors that he sung like a songbird to the enemy. Don’t know if that’s true.

But he’s a rabid RINO who agrees with liberals more than republicans.

Cruz and McCain had a row a while back too.

But Trump is very non PC, and saying what he did offends the PC crowd, so it is what it is.


45 posted on 02/04/2016 6:10:33 PM PST by FrankR (You're only enslaved to the extent of the charity that you receive!)
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To: ObamahatesPACoal; Nachum; SunkenCiv

Ya know, they just may be right: If McCain DID endorse trump, Cruz would get a lot of voters ...

Now, if we can only get McCain to admit he wanted Bush to win, but his is “happy” with Rubio .....


46 posted on 02/04/2016 6:13:14 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: jazusamo

These super PACs truly are clueless. We don’t want to save the GOPe, we want to destroy it. Rolling out McCain simply reminds us of the problem.


47 posted on 02/04/2016 6:14:20 PM PST by Flick Lives (One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast. -- Heinlein)
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To: jazusamo

All Trump has to do is tell the truth about Juan McLame.

BOOM !


48 posted on 02/04/2016 6:26:01 PM PST by PraiseTheLord (have you seen the fema camps, shackle box cars, thousands of guillotines, stacks of coffins ~)
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To: jazusamo

This old coot is going to sink rubio


49 posted on 02/04/2016 7:04:08 PM PST by ronnie raygun
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To: ronnie raygun

Agree, and it’s only right. :)


50 posted on 02/04/2016 7:09:58 PM PST by jazusamo (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: FrankR

He must be retired this year.


51 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:00 PM PST by CPT Clay (Hillary: Julius and Ethal Rosenberg were electrocuted for selling classified info.)
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To: jazusamo
"New secret weapon in New Hampshire -- John McCain." Bawa ha, ha, ha. He's as scary and effective as geriatric Viagra boy Bob Dole!

Some talented graphic artist Freeper please Photshop and post a picture of McCain as Bogart/Lt. Cmdr. Philip Queeg (The Cain Mutiny) rolling balls around in his hand and delusionally babbling about "strawberries"/"Tea Party, conservatives".

52 posted on 02/04/2016 10:42:15 PM PST by Jmouse007 (Almighty God; deliver us from this evil through your Beloved, Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen)
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To: jazusamo
UNDOCUMENTED DEMOCRATS!!


53 posted on 02/06/2016 2:07:46 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Delegate count to date: CMruz 8, Trump 7, Rubio 7, Carson 3, Bush 1, Paul 1)
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To: jazusamo

Phyllis Schlafly: Disqualify Marco Rubio for Lying About Amnesty in Spanish

http://www.breitbart.com ^ August 18, 2015 Katie McHugh
Posted on 2/4/2016, 2:59:01 PM by NKP_Vet

Phyllis Schlafly, architect of the modern conservative movement and tireless opponent of mass immigration, says GOP hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)79% should be disqualified from the race for dishonestly saying one thing about amnesty in English and another in Spanish.

“If Jeb’s candidacy falters despite the $114 million he raised, the establishment’s next choices, Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, have basically similar views,” she wrote in her Monday World Net Daily column:

Kasich said the 12 million illegals should be “legalized once we find out who they are,” and Rubio said Obama’s executive amnesty “can’t be terminated because there are already people benefiting from it.”

Rubio’s statement was made in Spanish on the Spanish-language network Univision, which is reason enough to eliminate him from serious consideration. When somebody is running for president of the United States, why should we have to get somebody to translate his remarks into English?

Why indeed? Bilingualism has corroded political discourse rather than strengthened it. Lying in a different language is a becoming bipartisan pastime. Democratic Rep. Luis Gutirrez mocked Kathryn Steinle’s death during a Spanish Telemundo interview, calling it a “little thing.” Steinle was allegedly murdered by an illegal alien. Gutierrez exploded with rage when an expert immigration witness calmly called him out during a congressional hearing.


54 posted on 02/06/2016 2:09:21 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Delegate count to date: CMruz 8, Trump 7, Rubio 7, Carson 3, Bush 1, Paul 1)
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To: jazusamo

Si, and Gringo Rush and Faux are backing you 24/7, Amigo!

55 posted on 02/06/2016 2:14:15 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Delegate count to date: CMruz 8, Trump 7, Rubio 7, Carson 3, Bush 1, Paul 1)
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To: Grampa Dave

Rubio sure is amnesty’s last hope. Hope McCain loses the next election. Anybody who considers him a hero should watch on YouTube how he treated the families of POWs. It is outrageous.


56 posted on 02/06/2016 2:21:16 PM PST by Dante3
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To: Grampa Dave

The graphic is right on!

Love Phyllis Schlafly and she couldn’t be more right about amnesty pimp Rubio.


57 posted on 02/06/2016 2:22:51 PM PST by jazusamo (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Dante3

Hopefully some Navy guys, who served with McCain will do a Swift Boat on him.


58 posted on 02/06/2016 2:29:59 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Delegate count to date: CMruz 8, Trump 7, Rubio 7, Carson 3, Bush 1, Paul 1)
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To: jazusamo

Thanks FRiend
Time to take McAinal and his pet puppy, the Rube out of politics unless they want to run on the rat side, out of the closet.


59 posted on 02/06/2016 2:32:10 PM PST by Grampa Dave (Delegate count to date: CMruz 8, Trump 7, Rubio 7, Carson 3, Bush 1, Paul 1)
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To: Grampa Dave

That would be great.


60 posted on 02/06/2016 2:54:09 PM PST by Dante3
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