WASHINGTON — Democrats are mailing in their latest attempt to talk about Rick Scott and his increasingly controversial policy agenda.
In a political stunt taken from the pre-digital age, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this week is mailing — literally mailing — a copy of the senator’s plan to two dozen Senate Republican candidates across the country.
Party operatives say they have made only one small alteration to the multi-page proposal, highlighting in yellow marker a passage that says “all Americans should pay some income tax” and attaching a sticky note to the page. Otherwise, they simply printed out the plan, slipped it into an envelope and included the appropriate postage.
“Every Republican Senate candidate owns their party’s plan that would raise taxes on millions of seniors and hard working Americans — which is why we are personally making sure they have a copy,” said Eli Cousin, a DSCC spokesperson, in a statement.
Since its unexpected debut last week, Democrats have made a robust effort to turn Scott’s agenda into a political liability for the whole GOP. Even White House press secretary Jen Psaki has gotten in on the act, highlighting a portion of the senator’s plan she said would raise taxes on most working Americans.
Democratic strategists say they plan to continue to push the Scott-centric message for months, happy to try and divert public anger away from President Joe Biden and toward a policy plan they think will be a political liability in November’s midterm election.
Of course, Democrats aren’t the only ones criticizing Scott’s plan. Not anymore at least.
After a week in which GOP strategists privately grumbled that he had put their campaigns at risk, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday forcefully distanced his caucus from the agenda, saying that the party had no plans to raise taxes on Americans or consider doing away with popular programs like Social Security.
It was an unusual public rebuke from McConnell, and one that underscores just how serious some party strategists see the political stakes surrounding Scott’s agenda.
DSCC officials say the mail will be delivered to Republican candidates in nine states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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