Schmidt's denegration of Paul Hackett's candidacy smacks of the evil hand of Karl "The Trashmeister".
It doesn't sound as if she is bright enough to have thought of it herself. So I can only conclude that she sought the counsel of KR....he did it to McCain in South Carolina (and to numerous candidates in Texas before that). He orchestrated the dishonorable Swift Boaters' attack on Kerry and, me thinks, he (KR) assisted Saxby Chamblis the redneck rube from Georgia in trashing Max Cleland. Jack Germond commented that ".... it was the ugliest, most dispicable thing he had ever witnessed in politics."
So thank you maha for the insight. And let's not forget the "Trashmeister".....keep the heat on to rid the administration of this miscreant.
Blu Flame