20 months before election, Democrats attack Wilson

With almost 20 months before the November 2008 general election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began running radio advertisements in the Albuquerque market today attacking U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M.

The 60-second radio spot focuses on Wilson’s call to former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias in October 2006, and is the first in the 2008 1st Congressional District race, for which the Democrats don’t yet have a candidate.

“October 2006. A phone call is made. A scandal begins,” the ad starts.

It goes on to include Iglesias’ testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which he claimed, under oath, that Wilson inquired about whether there were any sealed indictments in an ongoing investigation into kickbacks related to the awarding of contracts for the construction of government buildings in Bernalillo County.

Wilson admits making the call and inquiring about the investigation, but says she never asked about indictments.

“Serious questions remain about Heather Wilson and violation of congressional ethics rules,” the ad states. “It’s time for Heather Wilson to release her phone records and come clean. It’s time for Heather Wilson to tell the full truth.”

I’m not sure what phone records would reveal, since Wilson has admitted making the call, but the ad confirms that Wilson is one of the top targets of Democrats in the 2008 election.

That was expected. In 2006, she beat Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid by 861 votes out of more than 211,000, and the U.S. attorney scandal is certain to weaken her.

Now all the Democrats have to do is find a candidate.

Also interesting is the fact that no House Democrat has filed a complaint that would trigger an ethics probe. In the House, a complaint is required. If they’re already on the attack, why have none filed a complaint?