More and more, Peter DeStefano is emerging as someone who's haunting South Jersey Congressman John Adler as Democrat Adler attempts to hang onto his power.
And, as we approach Halloween (and Election Day, Novemebr 2) that's not good news for Adler.
Newspaper reports say that the Camden County Democrat Committee and people from Adler's campaign were behind the scheme to place DeStefano on the ballot as a Tea Party candidate and thus split the vote of Adler's opponent, Jon Runyan.
The story was first unveiled by Jane Roh, an exceptionally enterprising reporter for the Courier-Post.
Anyway, DeStefano is on the ballot under the heading "New Jersey Tea Party" even though official Tea Party leaders and members say he's not a member of their group and they have nothing to do with him.
From the moment this story first emerged, the local, county and state Democrats have been busy trying to evade or dodge any questions about it. They don't answer phone calls. They're unavailable. And when they are confronted, they try to change the subject or pass the ball to someone else.
And DeStefano's been inarticulate on the subject (at best) when he's not downright obscure.
Well, as a public relations practitioner, I can tell you that the more you try to avoid bad news, the more it will stalk you. And The DeStefano Affair is hanging over the Democrat campaign machine like a dark cloud.
You can't court reporters' favor and seek positive news coverage one day and then hide from them the next.
Things don;t work that way.
If you have bad news fess up, put it on the table, come clean and get it over with.
The other night at a debate in Cherry Hill Adler was asked again about his campaign's alleged role in the DeStefano candidacy. And once again he tried changing the subject. The crowd wasn't happy. They booed and jeered and shouted: "Answer the question, answer the question."
For the record, Adler says: "As far as I know, we have nothing to do with it."
"As far as I know . . . "
Anyway, evidence has been presented by the media which would lead one to have serious doubts about the manner in which the denying Democrats are conducting themselves.
It does not look good.
And the story is not going to go away. In fact, it has attracted national attention and it continues to draw interest.
And now a complaint has been filed with the federal Election Commission in Washington over possible reporting failures by Adler's campaign -- failures allegedly related to the DeStafano imbroglio.
In the PR business we call this a story "with legs."
Once again this morning, this story has captured headlines and made fodder for searing opinion columns.
And I'm led to believe there will be more to come.
I know that John Adler has lots of money to spend in this race and it's a good bet that he's waiting to unload a barrage of TV ads in the final stretch. This has been the pattern for the powerful Camden County Democrat Committee -- a slick, no-holds-barred operation that always plays to win, often at any cost.
But if you've lost credibility with the public -- if people no longer trust you -- what do the ads matter?
Corzine spent tons and tons of money. But people tuned him out because they no longer trusted him.
New Jersey voters can be very discriminating (and rather unforgiving) when they want to be.
Anyway, here's a roundup of recent stories related to this sorry chapter in the annals of New Jersey politics. Note that this is only a small smattering of the many stories being written about this matter:
Jane Roh's story in today's Courier Post: "Adler targeted in GOP complaint."
Cynthia Burton's story in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "John Adler denies . . . "
Jane Roh's story in the Courier-Post: "Fake Tea Party case . . . "
Bob Ingle's column for Gannett New Jersey: "3rd Congressional District plant is more dirty Jersey politics."
A Letter to the Editor from James Bo Horan of Cherry Hill in today's Courier-Post: "No Surprise"
A story from the Associated Press: "GOP asks for probe . . . "
A story from Fox 29 TV in Philadelphia: "Adler denies . . . "
Terry Hurlbut's story in The Examiner: "NJ Dems fess up to Adler-DeStefano link"
Sean J. Miller's story in The Hill: "NJ GOP Wants . . . "
Patrick McIheran's column in the Milwakee Journal-Sentinel: "The Tea Party put-up job."
Bob Holt's story from New Jersey Newsroom: "Adler trying to distance self from . . . "
Matt Friedman's story for the Newark Star-Ledger: "NJ Republicans accuse . . . "
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