Political press release norm?

I haven't worked outside of sports in several years, and when I was working on the "other side" of the newsroom back then, I don't think I ever saw something like this passed off as a press release.
So I have some questions:
How is this a "press release"? I read it and thought editorial -- not sure there are any facts in it. Are Democratics putting out shit like like this? Is this sort of thing going on only in S.C.?

As an aside -- has the GOP decided to use Barack Obama's middle name permanently as some sort of a scare tactic?

Either way, this is one of those things I see and thank God I don't have to see it every day.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2006

Johnny Joins the Circus

John Edwards wants to be president…again

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Smooth-talking trial lawyer and blindly ambitious liberal politician John Edwards, a pro-abortion one term Senator and failed vice-presidential candidate, joined the three-ring circus better known as the 2008 Democrat Party Presidential Primary field on Thursday. The South Carolina Republican Party today highlighted Edwards’ liberal record, which he conveniently failed to discuss in declaring his candidacy for the presidency.

“South Carolina Republicans aren’t surprised to see a run-of-the-mill liberal politician like John Edwards join the Democrats’ three ring circus of a presidential primary,” said South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson. “John Edwards is going to team up with Al Gore, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Hussein Obama, Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich as a part of what will surely be an election season of bloopers and gaffes, the absurdity of which will be the greatest show on Earth.”

Edwards rose to fame as a trial lawyer filing frivolous million-dollar lawsuits.

South Carolinians believe that the men and women in uniform of the U.S. armed forces must have the resources needed to win the war on terror and in Iraq. Surprisingly, Edwards voted against equipping the men and women of the U.S. armed forces with the tools they need to win. Edwards voted against an $87 billion package and another $5 billion package, which would have provided for equipment and training needed to win the war on terror and in Iraq (Ron Fournier, “Edwards Says He’ll Vote Against Iraq Package,” AP, 10/14/2003).

Not only do South Carolinians fiercely support the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, they also support the pro-growth economic policy of President George W. Bush, which has cut taxes by more than $1.35 trillion and returned money to American workers. In May, 2001, Edwards opposed President Bush’s tax relief package (Vote 170, 5/26/2001). Just a year later, Edwards opposed a permanent repeal of the death tax (Vote 151, 6/12/2002). Worse, Edwards supported a continued tax on gasoline in 2000 (Vote 80, 4/11/2000).

Edwards failed to mention his healthcare record in the Senate, too. Edwards supported abortions at military facilities (Vote 134, 6/20/2000). Edwards voted against a ban on partial birth abortions (Vote 340, 10/21/1999). In 2001, Edwards supported taxpayer-funded needle exchanges for Washington, D.C., drug users (Vote 328, 11/7/2001).

For more information, contact Rob Godfrey at (803) 988-8440.
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I hate, hate, hate those sort of bullshit releases...and it seems like Republicans are the ones who are the worst at sending them out. (Democrats are generally more incompetent than obnoxious) When I worked at some rag 10 years ago, we got all sorts of bullshit faxes from Steve Forbes...like people in south Louisiana really care what this rich twit thinks about a treaty to ban chemical weapons. Of course, the problem is there's no way to stop getting those things. If you would e-mail those folks, saying "drop me from your list" they would either ignore you or go bonkers about how you were biased against them. Probably the best solution is an editorial on "This is why people hate politics" and quote the whole stupid thing....

 

State of the art, I'm afraid.