Offshoring the Bush Campaign — At least they are putting a stop to it after the complaining began. Has anyone yet to catch the Kerry folks pulling this stunt? Note: only the press in India seems intent on covering this sort of story. This comes from the Telegraph in Calcutta.

The Texas outfit may have actually got away with its outsourcing exercise if it had not been for the poor training given to Indian telemarketers who handled the job. Sources here said the India-based operation was exposed when one American who received a fund-raising phone call on behalf of the Republican Victory Committee wanted to know where the call was coming from.

“The Washington DC of Virginia,” the caller answered. Washington, the US capital, is actually in DC, short for District of Columbia, and Virginia is its neighbouring state.

According to reports here [in India], the Republicans have contracted 75 Indian telemarketers through HCL eServe, a subsidiary of HCL, but efforts to confirm the contract have been stone-walled by the Indian company on the ground that it does not discuss client relations.

I found the whole thing amusing.