Progressives understand very well that they cannot be honest about their political agenda, and that in order to win they need to demonize Republicans. This systematic program includes generalized propaganda (Republicans are mean! Republicans are racist! Republicans are stupid!) that media allies blanket the public with, in news programming and in popular culture, but it also includes a program called "trackers," which consists of following Republican candidates around and videotaping them, hoping for a gaffe that can be trumpeted throughout the media.

The first great victory that was achieved through tracking was the defeat of Senator George Allen when he used the word "macaca," which has no particular meaning, but which was trumpeted by the media as a racial slur. The Washington Post, which has a large readership in Northern Virginia, endlessly harassed Allen over this videotaped gaffe, and he lost his seat.

Inspired by this victory, a Democrat-inclined group called American Bridge, "a progressive research and communications organization committed to holding Republicans accountable for their words and actions and helping you ascertain when Republican candidates are pretending to be something they're not," has hired staffers following around Republican candidates.

Well, American Bridge has crossed a bridge too far. Alexis Levinson of The Daily Caller reports:

Democratic opposition research organization American Bridge apologized on Monday for sending someone to follow New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte at a funeral this weekend, after a reporter and the New Hampshire Republican party attacked them for the move.

Ray Burton, New Hampshire's longest serving executive councilor passed away in November,* and the crowd in attendance at his memorial service on Saturday included a number of politicians, including former New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, and New Hampshire's two Senators, Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen.

Also in attendance was a Democratic "tracker," someone who follows around candidates with a video camera capturing moments that can potentially be used to attack them later. The tracker was sent by the Super PAC American Bridge to follow around Ayotte.