Christine O’Donnell: I’ll Make Money Attacking GOP

BY Aliyah Shahid
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Christine O'Donnell may not have gone to Yale, but the Tea Party favorite thinks she has a smart campaign strategy to raise money: scaring voters and bashing the GOP.

The Republican Senate candidate in Delaware told party insiders that have expressed skepticism about her ability to win that she has "Sean Hannity in my back pocket, and I can go on his show and raise money by attacking you guys."

Two top GOP insiders told the Huffington Post that O'Donnell -- frustrated that the Republicans aren't supporting her -- made the statement at a strategy meeting last week.

The O'Donnell campaign did not return requests for comment.

On Thursday, O'Donnell went on the Fox News radio show and slammed the National Republican Senatorial Committee for not playing hardball and funneling her any serious cash.

O'Donnell, who was endorsed by former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, pulled off a stunning upset over nine-term Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican Senate primary. But she's now lagging behind in the polls by 19 points to her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons.

Since her victory, she has been slammed over allegations relating to a trail of bad debts, allegedly living off of campaign funds, and fudging her education history. The criticism has also come from within her own party, including from Republican strategist Karl Rove who has said "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."

O'Donnell insists she has a chance and has fired back at the GOP, calling the accusations "political cannibalism," and putting out a series of ads, including one where she infamously declares that she did not attend Yale like her opponent.

Hannity warned the GOP to not criticize the Tea Party leader Sen. Jim DeMint and gave O'Donnell a positive review of her recent debate against Coons.

One strategist expressed puzzlement to the Huffington Post regarding O'Donnell's latest strategy of criticizing the GOP.

"Why would you tell the world that no one in the party likes you?" asked one.

• More political coverage from the Daily News.
• Check out a roundup of political cartoons on the 2010 campaigns.
• Follow the money in Congress.

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