Meanwhile, Back At The Party Of No New Ideas ...

Via Democratic Underground and the Kansas City Star:

Rep. Chris Carney was walking down a Capitol Hill street whensuddenly - bam - an anonymous Republican with a video camera who had been following him asked him a question that was intended to embarrass the Pennsylvania Democrat.

The interviewer asked first about a single provision in the massive economic stimulus bill, then asked if Carney was going to be "ready to vote tomorrow."

An irritated Carney answered: "Like I told you before, if I see the damn package, I'll have an answer."

A "macaca" moment meant to replayed on the Internet and possibly wound a vulnerable Democrat?

Yes, as the article concludes.

Now, we know that each party tracks the other, has video cameras on each other all the time. But there's a difference between what happened at the so-called "macaca" moment–Former Virginia Senator Allen didn't need to be handed the rope. The tracker for the Webb campaign stayed out of the way. Senator Allen pointed him out before taking the safety off his mouth and shooting his foot with it.

That's not the same as stalking your opponents, getting the drop on them with a video camera, and asking them a pointed question in order to get them to give you a tell. If I may stretch the rope/hang-ones-self metaphor a bit much, this is forcing someone to take the rope you want them to hang themselves with and, when they refuse to put the noose around their neck, trying to pin them so you can force it on them yourself.

I guess coming up with new ideas is hard for Republicans to do. It's easier to manufacture 'gotcha' moments.