That now infamous snippet of video that's causing RNC Chairman Michael Steele so much grief was shot by a tracker for the state Democratic party.
Just how did a Democratic operative with a video camera (or cell phone) find a way into a GOP fundraiser at a Noank restaurant that was supposedly closed to the press?
State Democrats wouldn't discuss the matter on the record but they say the video was shot from a public part of the restaurant, behind a rope line (visible in the clip) and not in the area that was cordoned off for Republican dignitaries.
The incident illustrates the increasingly important role trackers play in modern, high-stakes political campaigns. Steele's comments on the war in Afghanistan are exactly the type of gotcha! trackers are primed to catch.
By the way, who was the fundraiser at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough for?
Most media reports said it was for the party, but the New York Times tonight is reporting that it was "a fund-raising event for Linda McMahon, the party's candidate for the United States Senate in Connecticut."
McMahon, a multimillionaire who has said she may spend up to $50 million of her own money on the race, doesn't seem to need fundraisers. She has said she will only accept donations under $100.
Besides, wasn't Rob Simmons in attendance at the event? He's not someone you'd expect to find at a McMahon fundraiser.