We all knew that Katherine "Cruella de Vil" Harris' Senate campaign was going badly, to say the least. In fact, if it weren't for the Repubs' comical efforts to dump Hillary in New York, this would probably be the most incompetent Repub Senate race in the country.
But whodathunk that the Repubs would beg her to drop out?
State Republican officials acknowledged Monday that Florida GOP Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan personally wrote the Longboat Key congresswoman May 7 and took the unprecedented step of urging her to get out of the race.
"The polls tell us that no matter how you run this race, you will not be successful in beating Bill Nelson, who would otherwise be a vulnerable incumbent if forced to face a stronger candidate," Jordan wrote, in a letter co-signed by national committeewoman Sharon Day and national committeeman Paul Senft.
Three months later, Jordan still says that Harris shouldn't be in the race.
Florida Republican Party spokesman Jeff Sadosky said the letter was intended to remain confidential. He added that Jordan first made her plea to Harris over lunch about two weeks before the letter went out.
Now, almost three months later, the sentiments expressed in the letter remain unchanged, he added.
"They continue to have a personal friendship," Sadosky said about Harris and Jordan. "But as far as the campaign goes, the same concerns exist."
Harris' response? "That was then, this is now."
Harris' campaign issued a statement quoting her as saying "this letter is not applicable today," emphasizing the last three words. And Harris herself told The Associated Press that the leaders were pressured into their move by "the party elite."
"I knew the background, I knew the pressure that was applied," Harris said. "I knew the motivation and I knew the players and I knew they had no choice."
I have to wonder--when was the last time that a party trying to take a Senate seat threw the only credible challenger overboard? None of the other three Repubs in the primary has the money or the name recognition to beat Nelson, who would smoke Harris almost 2 to 1.
Stick a fork in Cruella de Vil. She's done.