The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

. While Smith is given the edge in the Republican primary because of his incumbency, Sununu, son of the state's former governor and Bush I chief of staff, has the backing of the Republican Party -- partly because polling numbers which have Smith losing to Shaheen show Sununu beating the popular two-term governor straight up. /p>

Shaheen's people clearly are more concerned about Sununu. How else to explain the whispering campaign in New Hampshire, Boston and New York that has seen Democratic fundraisers asking prominent Jewish donors to pony up $1,000 donations for Shaheen in order to keep Sununu from winning the seat.

"They say that Sununu is of Arab descent and will side with the Palestinians," says one donor who heard the pitch at a recent dinner party fundraiser in New York City. "I don't know anything about him, or her, for that matter, but it bothered me that my party would spread rumors about him, especially now." Sununu is a devout Roman Catholic, who has focused much of his time in the House on budget and constituent issues.

"Get real, this is the kind of thing Republicans and Democrats do to each other all the time," says a DNC fundraiser not involved in the Shaheen race. "I can't say I haven't done similar things for other races. That Senate seat is important to both parties. I'd love to hear what Smith and Sununu people are saying about Shaheen. The reality is the Jewish vote probably doesn't mean much in New Hampshire, but if you can raise an extra $100,000 for that race in New York or Boston by scaring some donors, most fundraisers would do it in a second."

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