“My name is Annette Capella. I’m a senior citizen living in St. John’s County, Florida.”
That’s how a Florida woman trotted out by the Democratic National Committee on Monday to criticize Republican Sen. Marco Rubio introduced herself during a DNC-sponsored call.
In press advisories promoting the call, the DNC referred to Capella solely as “a Medicare recipient from Florida.”
The purpose of the conference call was for DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Capella to slam Florida Sen. Marco Rubio before he gives the Republican response to the State of the Union this week.
“As his constituent, I sincerely hope he decides that America’s seniors are more important than Tea Party politics or protecting generous tax loopholes for Donald Trump and Big Oil,” Capella said during her remarks.
But it turns out that the DNC was hiding pertinent information about Capella’s background: She is not just your average senior citizen in Florida. She is a former leader of the St. Johns Democratic Party and a state Democratic committeewoman.
When a reporter busted the DNC and asked Wasserman Schultz during the call asked whether Capella is the same person who served as a Democratic Party official in the state, the DNC chairwoman responded, “Annette can answer the … question.”
“I stepped down as chair,” Capella explained. “I’m now a state committee woman.”
Reacting to this on Monday afternoon, Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Miller tweeted at DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse with the phrase, “Smooth move.”