海角大神

In Dr. Monica Wehby, Republicans think they have a strong candidate to oust US Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) of Oregon 鈥� part of their strategy to regain control of the Senate.

Ms. Wehby is an attractive candidate in a state known for strong moderate Republicans 鈥� a pediatric physician without tea party baggage 鈥� who won her primary election this week.

But Wehby finds herself having to bat back reports of past domestic spats 鈥� one with a former husband, one with an ex-boyfriend. Nothing particularly salacious, violent, or illegal, mind you. Just break-ups that appear to have gotten a little out of hand on her part. Her ex鈥檚 aren鈥檛 making a big deal out of it.

At the very least, however, the stories have become a distraction for the Wehby campaign as it prepares to do battle with Sen. Merkley, a freshman senator who ousted Oregon鈥檚 last Republican in the upper chamber 鈥� two-term incumbent Gordon Smith (like Wehby, a GOP moderate) in 2008.

In a flurry of emails to reporters Friday, Wehby went on the attack 鈥� accusing the Merkley campaign of planting the story, then keeping it alive. Naturally, the Democrat denies that.

The race looks to be tight. Two polls cited by RealClearPolitics have very different results: Wehby ahead by four percentage points in one, Merkley ahead by 12 points in another. A third tracking poll cited by HuffPost Pollster has Merkley ahead by 20 points.

Perhaps more significantly, reports the Oregonian newspaper in Portland, 鈥淰oter returns [in the GOP primary Tuesday] show that Wehby's support levels dropped precipitously as elections workers counted mail ballots cast in the last few days of the election.鈥� (Oregon elections are conducted entirely by mail.)

鈥淩epublican voters who cast their ballots in the last days of Oregon's primary 鈥� following news stories about Monica Wehby's 鈥榮talking鈥� incident 鈥� were less likely to support her in Oregon's GOP Senate primary,鈥� the Oregonian鈥檚 Jeff Mapes wrote.

鈥淪talking?鈥� That sound serious.

As first reported by Politico, Wehby was accused by her ex-boyfriend last year of 鈥渟talking鈥� him, entering his home without his permission and 鈥渉arassing鈥� his employees, according to a Portland, Oregon police report.

Lumber company owner Andrew Miller said he considered getting a protective order against Wehby, the police report states, but did not seek such an order.

Earlier, Wehby and her husband at the time were going through a difficult divorce, including one episode when (according a 2007 police report) Wehby was said to have engaged in 鈥渙ngoing harassment.鈥�

In both these episodes, apparently, everybody cooled down and no damage was done.

No damage, that is, except politically 鈥� although to whom is not exactly clear.

In a statement this week, Wehby said: "Like a lot of women, I've gone through a divorce that was a very trying time for me and for my family. I'm deeply saddened that such a personal matter, which bears no relevance to my Senate campaign, has been used as a political weapon to attack my character."

Merkley has said he learned about the Wehby stories in the press, calling it a private family matter. But an Oregonian investigation showed that an employee of the Democratic Party of Oregon was the first person to request the April 2013 police report regarding Wehby鈥檚 breakup with her ex-boyfriend (who now supports her candidacy, as does her ex-husband).

This has opened the way for Wehby and her supporters to claim dirty politics and sexism.

Wehby is Democrats' 鈥渨orst nightmare,鈥� Wall Street Journal editorial board member Kimberley Strassel wrote this week.

鈥淎 nationally recognized pediatric neurosurgeon who was on the board of the American Medical Association, she got into this race to fight ObamaCare. She's a policy wonk, able to run rings around Oregon's junior senator, especially on health-care reform,鈥� Ms. Strassel wrote. 鈥淪he's pro-choice (personally pro-life) and supports gay marriage and medical marijuana 鈥� so the left can't hit her with the social-issue agenda. She's a fiscal conservative and a tort reformer 鈥� positions that hold appeal even among Oregon's more liberal electorate.鈥�

That Oregon鈥檚 health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act failed massively is a strong talking point for a Republican who draws on her experience as a medical doctor specializing on children.

And given at least one state Democrat鈥檚 apparent involvement in probing Wehby鈥檚 personal affairs for political purposes, the story gives a different slant to any 鈥渨ar on women.鈥�

But at this point in political campaigns, just about anything in a person鈥檚 past is fair game, no matter the candidate鈥檚 gender, Jennifer Lawless, the director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University,聽told the Daily Beast.

鈥淲hen you are heading into Election Day, to the extent that your opponent has any information that would lead voters to question your leadership, your competence, your integrity, or your empathy, it鈥檚 fair game,鈥� Ms. Lawless said. 鈥淚f a male candidate had engaged in behavior that could potentially be used to make him look unstable, we鈥檇 be just as likely to see that in the news.鈥�