GOP candidate bashes Obama as 'outsider' but welcomes Giuliani's help

As the race for the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly held by the late Teddy Kennedy unexpectedly tightens up, the national Democratic Party has begun frantically attempting to revive Martha Coakley's lackluster campaign, providing large infusions of cash, a dose of negative advertising, and even an appearance by former President Bill Clinton.

This surge of activity led Republican candidate Scott Brown to respond pre-emptively on Wednesday to a rumored appearance by President Obama, warning that he "should stay away and let Martha and I discuss the issues one on one."

"The machine is coming out of the woodwork to get her elected," added Brown, currently a Massachusetts state senator. "They’re bringing in outsiders, and we don’t need them."

It seems that Brown, in addition to his fondness for mixed metaphors and his use of "I" where proper grammar calls for "me," is also shaky on the definition of the word "outsider."

The Associated Press reports that even though the Republican Party has "withheld campaign appearances by national GOP figures who could hurt Brown ... former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani will visit Massachusetts on Friday to vouch for the candidate's anti-terrorism credentials."

Guiliani's own terrorism credentials, of course, have recently been called into question by his claim that "We had no domestic attacks under Bush."

Giuliani's appearance had been a closely guarded secret until it came out on Wednesday. Boston radio host Michele McPhee gushed on her Facebook page, "Rudy Giuliani will be in the North End of Boston to campaign for Scott Brown. I've been dying to blurt out the secret - but the secret is out."

Giuliani, of course, is also known as a Yankees fan -- although he did root for the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series -- which may dim his effectiveness as a campaigner in Massachusetts. However, the ultimate effect of his appearance on Brown's campaign remains to be seen.

Chris Cillizza at the Washington Postreports that "Senate Democrats and affiliated outside groups are outspending their Republican counterparts by an almost two-to-one margin on television in the final week of the tight-as-a-tubesock special election."

Although one poll last week still showed Coakley up by 15 points, others put the race much closer or even have Republican state senator Scott Brown ahead by a percentage point.

A flurry of Democratic ads has attempted to reverse the momentum by tying Brown, who "has cast himself as an independent and downplayed his conservative credentials," closely to Republican Party leadership.