Last week, Governor Romney named former Bush campaign spokeswoman Julie Teer to replace Shawn Feddeman, who left for the private sector. Teer was the communications director for the New Hampshire GOP during the 2003-2004 primaries. Romney has, understandably, taken some criticism from Democrats for hiring someone from an important primary state with presidential campaign experience.
"It is no coincidence that Gov. Romney has a press spokesperson with presidential campaign experience," state Democratic Party spokeswoman Jane Lane said, referring to Romney's newest spokeswoman, Julie Teer. Lane predicted Romney will use Teer for his "presidential campaign."Such criticism, I think, misses the bigger picture. Teer's job during the runup to the Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire was to issue press releases attacking the Democratic nominees, and generally wreaking as much havoc as possible with the purpose of making sure the process produced the weakest Democratic candidate possible. That way, the President could keep his hands clean until after the Democratic nomination was secured.
Romney didn't just hire Teer for his own presidential ambitions, but to do the same to the Massachusetts Democrats as she did to the national Democrats. Look for her to sew discord during the 2006 gubernatorial primary. She will be tasked with responding to any criticism leveled at Romney by Deval Patrick, Tom Reilly, or anyone else seeking the Democratic nomination.
UPDATE: Chimes at Midnight rightfully takes me to task for forgetting that Teer was the Republican in charge of communications for the one state that the Republicans won in 2000 but lost in 2004. Not only that, but the Republican incumbant governor was unseated. We can only hope she follows up with a repeat performance here in Massachusetts in 2006.
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