The Other McCain

When Janice Hahn’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to KTTV Fox 11 — trying to stop the Los Angeles station from following up on its 2008 investigation of Hahn’s controversial “gang intervention” progam — they probably didn’t expect this. “Large mistake, madame,” says the award-winning Ace of Spades. Because KTTV and Chris Blatchford not only stood by their original coverage, they followed up with an in-depth eight-minute report that devastates Hahn’s credibility:

The special election is Tuesday, and so the final weekend of the campaign is going to be all about Hahn’s gang-bangers.

Da Tech Guy is on the story.

The Lonely Conservative is on the story.

Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints is on the story.

Bryan Preston at PJ Tatler is on the story.

Every blogger’s on it now, or they’ll be on it soon. There is an Army of Davids on the march. We buy our pixels by the metric ton, and this story is likely to dominate the news right up until Election Day. So if by some miracle Janice Hahn loses this otherwise “safe” Democrat seat . . .

Hey, remember that “offensive” ad from Ladd Ehlinger Jr. that every officlal Republican denounced? It worked.

It worked like a $3,000 Swiss watch. Slate’s Dave Weigel explains:

But had the ad never run, is it likely that Fox11 would have revisited its 2008 report on Hahn’s gang rehabilitation program? A report that ends with the anchor telling voters that she dodged their questions and sent them a cease and desist letter?
This is actually how “offensive” ads often work; it’s how the “Willie Horton” ad worked. The campaign distances itself from the imagery (and Huey really had nothing to do with Ladd Ehlinger, Jr’s latest opus) but the question is begged.

Rock on, Ladd.

UPDATE: National Journal has a comprehensive report on the 36th District special election, with this important quote:

NRCC communications director Paul Lindsay said “these new allegations prove that Janice Hahn’s disturbing ties to gang members threaten what once was considered a guaranteed victory for Democrats in a deep-blue district.”

And dude: She’s broke. Busted. Pissed away a million dollars on post cards.

“Buh-bye, Janice!”

UPDATE II: The Pro from Poca: “A Republican win in a congressional race in California?” Believe it, baby!

UPDATE III: Andrew Breitbart’s got the video.

Fox Nation is on the story and — what did I tell you? — Army of Davids, baby!

UPDATE IV: Mike Flynn at BigGovernment.com on Hahn’s idiotic legal threats against KTTV:

This isn’t just dumb, this is a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad-day kind of dumb.
Now, the 36th is a Democrat district and I can’t overstate that this is in California. Still, this has to be beyond the pale even for California voters.

Stephen Tawney at The American Pundit is also on the story.

UPDATE V: Welcome, Instapundit readers and, yeah — this isn’t about Jessica Hahn, the chick who did Jim Bakker and also later was Sam Kinison’s girlfriend.

UPDATE VI: Linked by Aleister at American Glob — thanks!