In a story called "Extreme Makeover? Angle Hires Mainstream GOP Team For Her Outsider Campaign," TPM notes the Republican challenger to Harry Reid has hired on Pittsburgh's John Brabender:

The team of consultants has a tough job ahead of it. Angle is facing a hostile local media, a skeptical national media and an opponent in Sen. Harry Reid who has made it clear he intends to put her on the defensive over some of her more extreme positions.

. . . • John Brabender, Media Adviser -- Another veteran of the losing side of the 2008 presidential race, Brabender was an adviser to Rudy Giuliani's campaign two years ago. As The Hill reported, Brabender's career includes a long stint with a man closer to Angle's end of the political spectrum than Giuliani: former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), of Jack Abramoff scandal fame, is a past Brabender client. So is Lousiana Sen. David Vitter -- no stranger to scandal himself.

In a 2006 article, Salon's Joe Conason reported Brabender has "a reputation as a smart, tough and sometimes nasty competitor."

Photo: TPM