House democrat incumbent takes page from Herrera play book: Runs shill to rip off votes from opponent.

By now we pretty much know that David Hedrick's continued involvement in the WA03 primary was part of the plan by Ridgefield Barbie's handlers to take votes away from the only Republican running qualified to actually serve us in Congress, David Castillo.

It was a brilliant, if typically for Herrera underhanded and unethical plan, and it served it's purpose.

Well, a democrat incumbent tried a variation of the Herrera Plan... except he's been caught.

Democrats: Adler campaign backed Tea Party candidate

JANE ROH • Courier-Post Staff • October 7, 2010

Congressman John Adler's campaign and the Camden County Democratic Committee recruited ""NJ Tea Party'' candidate Peter DeStefano to confuse conservative voters and hurt Adler's Republican challenger this fall, Democratic operatives say.

"The goal was to take 5 percent of (Republican Jon) Runyan's vote,'' said a Democrat with direct knowledge of the Adler campaign and CCDC operations.

"Steve Ayscue designed the plan with Geoff Mackler following is lead.''

Ayscue is a high-profile Democratic consultant who runs the CCDC. Mackler is Adler's campaign manager.

Several South Jersey Democratic operatives with direct knowledge of the Adler campaign and CCDC operations spoke to the Courier-Post on condition of anonymity because of what they described as ethical qualms with Adler's campaign.

"From the beginning, orders have flowed from Cherry Hill,'' said one Democratic operative, referring to CCDC headquarters at Garden State Pavilions shopping center off Route 70.

Adler, who is in a knife-fight with Runyan in the conservative-leaning 3rd district, is aware of the DeStefano plan, Democrats said.

Regional Tea Party groups had never heard of DeStefano until the Adler campaign released partial results of an internal poll last summer that indicated he might be a viable third-party spoiler.

Up until and immediately after a July 19 Courier-Post story on DeStefano's candidacy, the Adler campaign was largely unresponsive to media queries. In early August, at a grand opening of his Marlton campaign office, Adler told the Courier-Post, "I know we weren't part of it.''

The Democratic operatives - one of whom helped Adler's 2008 bid but is not on staff this time around - said there was immediate disagreement among the rank and file about the DeStefano plan.

Democrats said Adler's recent allegiance with conservatives on a number of issues was calculated to help him hang on to his seat, held for 25 years by Republican Jim Saxton. Which is why the DeStefano plan, announced before three dozen young party volunteers at CCDC headquarters last May, struck some as foolish.

"Everybody thought this would be a very scrutinized race,'' said a person who attended Ayscue and Mackler's May 26 presentation.

"A lot of people said, 'This is not how you win.'''

Read the rest of the story in Friday's Courier-Post.

Reach Jane Roh at (856) 486-2919 or jroh@gannett.com

As we all know by now, Hedrick made up bogus, nonsensical website where, with made up numbers, Hedrick declared himself "the leading Republican" in the congressional race... which, of course, he never was.

The similarities are startling.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
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