Dirty tricks

Bush campaign manager warns aides to watch for 'dirty tricks' from Rubio camp

By Alex Isenstadt

With the hours counting down until the New Hampshire primary, tensions between the Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush campaigns are intensifying.

On Sunday afternoon, Bush campaign manager Danny Diaz convened top aides for an afternoon conference call in which he told them to expect "dirty tricks" from the Rubio campaign in the run-up to voting here, according to one source on the call.

The source said Diaz, a hard-charging veteran operative, was not more specific.

The conference call came as the Huffington Post reported that a pro-Rubio super PAC had sent out a mailer in the state that highlights remarks from Bush's mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, that the country had grown tired of political dynasties.

The stakes are high for both candidates on Tuesday — but especially for Bush, who has made New Hampshire the cornerstone of his campaign. There is a growing sense among some of Bush's top supporters that a less than impressive performance will make it harder for the former Florida governor to continue on his campaign.