Ganske requests investigation over secretly taped meeting

Republican U-S Senate candidate Greg Ganske and his supporters are calling for a criminal investigation of an incident they say is reminiscent of Watergate. About 24 Ganske backers met privately with Ganske September 3rd in a Des Moines hotel, and a transcript and audiotape of that strategy session has now surfaced. The Ganske campaign is accusing opponent Senator Tom Harkin of being behind it. Ganske campaign manager Bill Armistead says “just about every Iowan would agree this is not anywhere close to normal,” and that the bugging “crosses the line.” Iowa Republican Party chairman Charles Larson was quick to try to link the incident with Watergate, a political scandal involving a bungled burglary and the resignation of a President. Larson says it’s disheartening to see a new generation of political operatives go down that road. Iowa Democratic Party vice chairman Rob Tully issued a written statement on behalf of the Harkin campaign this afternoon, saying no staff of the Iowa Democratic Party or the Harkin campaign “attended or recorded private political meetings of the Ganske for Senate campaign.” Tully said “any assertion of illegal activity here is completely ludicrous.”