Washington Times: Seeking U.S. House seat, GOP’s Comstock defends ‘08 Obama vote in Dem primary
Delegate Barbara J. Comstock’s congressional campaign attempted to stiff-arm reports Monday that she voted for Barack Obama in Virginia’s 2008 Democratic primary by claiming it was part of a conservative bid to affect the Democratic presidential primaries six years ago.
The campaign defended the vote for Mr. Obama by arguing that it was part of Operation Chaos, a movement spearheaded by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh in late February 2008 as Mr. Obama’s campaign was picking up steam and had won several consecutive primaries over Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The Fairfax Republican “had participated in Rush Limbaugh’s 2008 ‘Operation Chaos’ to keep the Democrat primary going and nominate who she thought was the weakest candidate who Republican John McCain could beat,” campaign manager Susan Falconer said in a statement.
The movement, however, was originally meant to ensure Mr. Obama got “bloodied up” politically, Mr. Limbaugh told Fox News in May 2008 as Mr. Obama was on the cusp of securing the nomination.
“He was riding the messianic trail,” Mr. Limbaugh said at the time. “The McCain campaign had sworn they were not going to criticize Obama. Who better than the Clintons to do it? But for that to happen … she needed to stay in.”
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