Political Dirty Tricks

John McCain's Republican presidential run collapsed in South Carolina eight years ago after what his campaign later acknowledged was a critical mistake: hesitating before responding to false accusations that the candidate's wife was a drug addict and that he fathered an illegitimate child.

Recorded phone calls to voters that falsely imply the Santa Ana teachers union supports a ballot measure extending City Council term limits are "dirty tricks," the union president said Friday. In addition, the recording does not identify who is paying for the call, a violation of state law. Measure D, heavily funded by developers and businesses, would extend City Council members' terms from eight to 12 years.

A federal judge Thursday acquitted a former Republican Party official accused of taking part in a plot to jam state Democratic Party phone lines on election day 2002. James Tobin, the former regional chairman of President Bush's reelection campaign, was convicted in federal court in 2005 of helping to arrange more than 800 hang-up calls that jammed get-out-the-vote phone lines set up by the state Democratic Party and the Manchester firefighters' union for about an hour. Republican John E.

Prompted in part by misleading campaign tactics that marred elections in several states, Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would criminalize lying to or otherwise intentionally misleading voters to keep them away from the polls. Among the controversial 2006 elections was a U.S. House race in Orange County, in which thousands of Latino citizens received letters wrongly suggesting they could go to jail for voting.

The House Judiciary Committee on Friday broadened its investigation into the firing of eight top federal prosecutors, calling on the White House to provide legal documents and make current and former senior officials available for interviews -- including former White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers.

As hundreds of thousands of people view a brief, provocative video clip on the Internet slamming Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's run for the presidency, federal election law suggests that whoever paid for, produced and posted the spot might never be known. The reason: The Federal Election Commission last year issued regulations leaving Internet political communications all but unfettered.

A Democratic operative with ties to Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign claimed credit Wednesday for creating and posting a mystery video on the Internet that slammed Obama's main rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama's campaign repeated its denial of any involvement in the matter. The operative, Philip de Vellis, said he created the spot and posted it on YouTube while employed by a firm that is advising the Illinois Democrat on his Internet presence.

Charges of petty theft and vandalism against a city councilman accused of stealing an election sign before being voted into office will probably be dropped, authorities said Tuesday. Orange Councilman Denis Bilodeau, 39, is accused of stealing a sign that read "Dump Denis" during last October's campaign. The daughter of opponent Carol Rudat shot a grainy video allegedly showing Bilodeau removing the sign.

Investigating magistrates Friday accused one of France's most powerful men over the past decade, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, of using intelligence operatives to try to smear President Nicolas Sarkozy when the two were aspiring presidential contenders. After questioning De Villepin, the two judges formally named him a suspect in a case involving a fabricated list of political personalities said to have received kickbacks.

With just over two weeks to go before Costa Ricans head to the polls to vote on a free-trade agreement with the United States and six other countries, Alfredo Volio should be a happy man. As head of the "yes" campaign championing the pact, known as CAFTA, he has watched public support climb in recent months.