TX19: Arrington hires “smear merchant” as campaign manager

Robert Pratt

When I learned that Texas 19th Congressional District GOP runoff candidate Jodey Arrington had brought in a new campaign manager, the first headline on the man I found was: “Maryland’s Matt Rosendale Hires a Smear Merchant to Help His Congressional Bid”.

The more I researched the new Arrington campaign manager, the more clear it became that Scott Yeldell is a perfect fit. Yeldell is, like Jodey, a former DC-staffer and has developed a reputation as a hatchet man to save struggling campaigns. The man called a “smear merchant” in headlines is said to be an operative “who usually operates closer to U.S. congressional circles” according to the Dallas Morning News.

Yeldell is also the man who blew Republican Quico Canseco’s re-election bid in the giant TX23 district to former state Rep. Pete Gallego. Already Yeldell has blown in to the TX19 district like a dirt storm with his first public action being to blow-up a previously scheduled Arrington and Robertson forum hosted by Texas Tech College Republicans.

The SandStormScholar.com reports: “After failing to get his way with the organization Yeldell announced that Jodey Arrington would not participate in the college Republican sponsored debate.

“We had members who were supporting Arrington. Not anymore. We tried to call Scott Yeldell this morning and he hung up on us,” explained Megan McMillan, TTU College Republicans President. “We are still going forward with the event and having Mr. Robertson come,” added McMillan.

So Arrington has brought in more of his DC-insider buddies to do whatever it takes to make it back to the Washington insiders’ club. Yeldell is an odd choice given his “smear merchant” reputation and Jodey Arrington’s recent whining about tough political ads which accurately expose his past.