As Republicans who've been watching their party's presidential primary are painfully aware, primary campaigns -- in which there are few actual policy differences between the candidates -- can easily become mean-spirited and personal. Moorpark Councilman David Pollock today showed that the contest among Democrats in Ventura County's new 26th Congressional District will be no different.

In an email to supporters, Pollock took direct aim at Supervisor Steve Bennett of Ventura. As I reported in The Star last week, the two held repeated conversations over at least two days in an attempt to narrow the Democratic field. Pollock asserts that all the talk was about the possibility of Bennett dropping out and endorsing him; Bennett says the discussion included other options, including the idea of Pollock getting out of the race.

Now this is what Pollock has to say about Bennett: "Unfortunately, another Democratic candidate, Steve Bennett, has chosen to distort the facts and mislead voters into questioning my commitment to this race. He has a long history of political in-fighting and has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to undercut Democrats. Just as when he supported Republican Linda Parks to chair the board of Supervisors over a fellow Democrat."

That last allegation is a little over the top. The fact was that Democratic Supervisor John Flynn had so badly burned his bridges with his fellow supervisors that when he nominated himself to become chairman of the board, none of the other four supervisors would second the motion. Bennett's support for Parks as chairman (as well as Democrat Kathy Long's support) had nothing to do with any scheme to "undercut" a Democrat.

There is a candidates' forum scheduled for Wednesday evening in downtown Oxnard. If both Bennett and Pollock attend, it could get interesting.