Brownback’s autocalls against Tancredo and Romney

Sam Brownback’s campaign has been making phone calls in Iowa with solid facts. He has been attacking Tom Tancredo:

Brownback’s campaign has been making phone calls in Iowa that criticize Tancredo for taking campaign money from a Planned Parenthood backer.

Tancredo says Brownback is a longtime friend who “is well aware of my lifelong commitment to the unborn.”

Tancredo’s campaign has accused Brownback of trying to divert attention away from illegal immigration.

This is something that Brownback had mentioned previously. The point of this is pretty clearly to make Tancredo unpalatable to Iowa caucus-goers and Ames-goers. Brownback is playing a dangerous game. On the one hand, all of his facts are totally solid. On the other hand, that may not be enough for politics.

He also hits at Mitt Romney:

“Mitt Romney is telling Iowans he is firmly pro-life. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said the Brownback campaign’s phone message.

The message goes on to attack the former Massachusetts governor’s wife, warning, “His wife, Ann, has contributed money to Planned Parenthood.”

Romney spokesman Tim Albrecht expressed outrage at what he called “despicable, negative phone calls.”

“They should apologize to Ann Romney and Governor Romney for this personal attack,” Albrecht said.

These seem to me to be aggressive but not wrong on the facts.  In the past, Brownback has repeatedly beat up Romney on this issue. And I have been struck that in previous years Romney’s position(s) would be prima facia not pro-life. But these are funny times for the GOP.

Also, the real goal here is probably the earned media from Romney. I wonder if Tancredo voters are basically anti-immigration voters, and they aren’t moving…