Republican aide resigns over blog escapades

Political campaigns have never been immune from controversy, but the explosion of blogs about the topic appears to be taking the potential for shenanigans in this November's contest to a new level.

On Tuesday, the policy director for a Republican congressman stepped down on amid revelations he had posted blog entries aimed at deceiving supporters of his boss's Democratic opponent.

According to an Associated Press report, Tad Furtado, a top aide to Rep. Charles Bass of New Hampshire, posted messages to political Web sites in which he backed Democratic rival Paul Hodes but suggested the candidate had no chance of winning, despite recent polls indicating he was tied with Bass. Employing the monikers IndieNH and IndyNH, Furtado urged Hodes' supporters to give up on Hodes and divert their campaign donations elsewhere.

"Tad Furtado posted to political Web sites from my office without my knowledge or authorization and in violation of my office policy," Bass said in a statement quoted by the AP, adding that he had referred the matter to a House standards and conduct committee for review.

The congressman, who has served in the House of Representatives since 1994, went on to apologize to "anyone whose Web sites may have been disrupted by these posts."

A spokesman for Hodes minced no words, telling the AP that the posts were "at best a dirty trick and at worst a serious offense."