Secret Audio Tape Exposes Mitch McConnell's Plan to Attack Ashley Judd

UPDATE: Mitch McConnell has requested an FBI investigation into the possible bugging of its campaign headquarters. McConnell and others are even going so far as to suggest that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was complicit in the recording and leak. The DSCC is denying any involvement.  

Uh-oh. Someone didn't know they were being recorded. When the news came out that Ashley Judd was considering running for Congress, Mitch McConnell and his aides were not happy. They were so nervous about it that they held a secret meeting to discuss tactics to take her down. Though McConnell is relatively silent through out most of the discussion, his aides are obviously joyful at the apparent myriad of problems Judd has faced in her past. The audio from these meetings was obtained by Mother Jones. It shows that the Republican leader was interested in using Judd's history of depression and religious views against her. 

"She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it's been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s."

Ashley Judd has always been open about her history of mental health issues, as part of her desire to decrease the stigma that surrounds getting help for psychological issues. Instead of seeing that as a liability, the McConnell campaign sees it as an opportunity to depict Judd as unstable and wacky. The aides continue to delight in Judd's comments about America, abortion and religion. They can hardly contain themselves as they read aloud Judd's previous commentary on American consumerism. 

The campaign aides attack Judd on all fronts, traditional values, church, where she calls home, every part of her life is under intense scrutiny. Listening to these people coldly discuss the destruction of another individual is more than a little unsettling. 

Here's the full recording, the transcript of which can be found here: 

Since the release of this audio the McConnell campaign has since contacted the FBI regarding the release of these tapes. The McConnell team alleges that a recording device was placed within the campaign offices without consent or knowledge.

Yikes. Mitch McConnell should go back into his turtle shell until this thing blows over.