Calvert, Hedrick Get Into Slapping Fight over Oil Spill

By Spencer Kornhaber Thu., May 6 2010 at 8:39 AM

Categories: Main, Politics

calvert.house.gov

Calvert, right, with oil company lobbyist.

The campaign staff for Democratic congressional candidate Bill Hedrick has made a habit this year of sending out near-daily e-mails documenting some reason why they thinks that incumbent Ken Calvert is a fat, corrupt, corrupt fatso. Honestly, the messages sometimes come off as pretty shrill and silly. But this latest one seems to have hit a nerve.

On Tuesday, Hedrick sent out a message saying "Don't Drill California." In it, he slammed Calvert for having previously called for an expansion in new offshore oil leasing--beyond the expansion that the Obama administration had proposed. With the catastrophe in the gulf, expect to see this tactic deployed by Democrats against their Republican opponents across the country.

On Wednesday, though, Calvert mounted a slick (GET IT?) defense.

"I think it is despicable to try and raise campaign money off an accident in which eleven hard-working people were killed. President Obama and others have asked the American people to offer their thoughts and prayers to the affected families, while sadly Bill Hedrick is asking people for money for his campaign. Every American agrees that the Deepwater Horizon accident raises legitimate policy and regulatory questions, but using the accident for political gain is beyond the pale. I think Bill Hedrick owes the families of those killed in this accident and everyone in our community an apology."

Burn! (GET IT?) Hedrick=crass. Okay.

Today Hedrick fired back. Unfortunately, he didn't use spell-check on his subject line or in the headline to the blog post on his website. The below is totally [sic]:

We're talking about policy. He's politicizing a tagedy.

Hedrick does go on to apologize, though, as Calvert asked. Well, not quite as Calvert asked:

Well, here's my apology. I'm sorry, Ken Calvert, that the policies you've consistently supported for the last 18 years to secure more profits for your Big Oil buddies have put American workers and the environment at risk, and that we have tragically seen the consequences of the irresponsible and dangerous 'drill, baby, drill' mentality that has driven our energy policy for the last 50 years.

How passive-aggressive is that? We'll call a winner in this squabble based on which candidate comes in first in the race to hold a photo opp showing them helping to scrub the feathers of some poor, glooped-up Gulf bird.

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