Today in GOP Minority Outreach
Story #1
Manuel Miranda is a former GOP Congressional staffer (who was involved in a scandal stealing information off of computers of the Democratic caucus) who is leading a conservative group pressuring Republican senators to filibuster Sonia Sotomayor. (Yes, this Manuel Miranda.) He spoke in front of the Heritage Foundation and said the following:
“Hispanic polls, Hispanic surveys, indicate that Hispanics think just like everyone else. We’re not like African-Americans. We think just like everybody else. When I was on the leader’s staff, someone called me once and asked me: ‘What’s Senator Frist’s Hispanic agenda?’ I said, ‘low taxes, better education, more jobs … what are you talking about?’ And that’s how Hispanics are. This is an opportunity to educate them on all of our issues and they will resonate in the way that they resonate with everyone else.”
Wha?????? WTF?????
Story #2
Marcus Epstein, speechwriter and PAC directer of former Rep. Tom Tancredo (and former GOP presidential hopeful) pled guilty to attacking a woman on the street. Epstein has also worked for Pat Buchanan.
On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. [REDACTED], who is African-American. The defendant uttered, “N_____,” as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. [REDACTED]’s head.
Words fail me.
Tags: Republican Crazy
Epstein was just using the “Reach out and touch someone” method. Interestingly, Epstein is also about to start law school, so at some point he will have to explain his behavior to be allowed to practice law. Too bad that explanation will likely be private.
Both men soundly rejected by anyone in today’s GOP close to any actual decision-making.
McConnell’s decision on whether or not to filibuster the Sotomayor confirmation will tell us if FSP is right or (as usual) wrong.
Upstanding Dems:
Barney Frank-male prostitution in home
Dodd- sweeheart deal Country Wide
Bill Clinton-Impeached, fined, loss of legal license
Blago- total crook
John Edwards- stand up guy
Sheila Dixon- Baltimore Mayor obstruction of justice
William Jefferson- $90 K in fridge
Kwame Kilpatrick- romance and perjury
Eliot Spitzer- enough said
These chumps were all top level Dems not lower level political operatives.
Mike Protack
I disagree FSP. Miranda is working for leading conservative groups and was hired by the Bush Administration after a couple years break from his over aggressive tactics which where not as aggressive as some Democrats used.
Manuel Miranda did not commit some lifetime crime in fact he did not commit any crime. What he did was wrong. He deserved to be fired. He had to leave for a couple years and I am glad to see him redeem himself. I recall that Democrats doing the same type of incident did not even lose their jobs. The Democrat Congressman who had tapes of Republican leaders calls did not resign, he just toughed it through.
Miranda is a smart, dedicated, and knowledgeable about the opposition. If Michael Vick can seek redemption in your eyes, this man who committed no crime can surely work again 5 years later in a non-governmental position.
As for the other guy, he is a criminal and a jerk maybe suffering from some breakdown. You had to troll pretty hard to find such an insignificant character didn’t you. He doesn’t work for the party and is not employed by any candidates. Notice the use of former. I don’t even see what he had to do with the post.
I don’t know any Republican activists who would endorse his criminal actions. I can give you a list of Democrats who cheated people, embezzled money, or had child pornography. Then act as if it represents the party. Maybe I should just to play the same silly game to illustrate how absurd this is.
“Miranda is a smart, dedicated, and knowledgeable about the opposition.”
David — The guy said that Latinos think like everyone else and African-Americans don’t. That alone gets him kicked to the curb in my book.
This is pretty much the universal reaction to Miranda today:
“It’s unfortunate that one disgraced former employee of previous Senate leadership has decided to air out his grievances rather than join the conservative effort to examine Judge Sotomayor’s record,” said a senior GOP Senate aide. “Not only did this guy steal the Democrats’ playbook, he seems to be implementing it.”
Thank you for some sanity FSP. Miranda is also the one who made the “limp-wristed” remarks about McConnell.
Epstein is still a staff member in good standing in Tancredo’s PAC.
Perception. Perception. Perception. Read your own blog, David. Smitty wrote about this.
Usually, I have advice for you guys, but I’m at a loss since you’ve ceded leadership to the likes of Rush, Buchanan, Tancredo, O’Reilly, etc. Talk about amplifying a negative. Do you have any idea how offensive your new “voice” is?
May I suggest a leash and a muzzle?
Hey, the PAC’s have a right to choose whomever they want. I have no influence, but his qualifications are obvious. I am more intrigued by FSP’s quote from him which I have never heard or read. I will have to search it unless Dave is kind enough to give me a source. Surely, they would know if something like that is out there. Otherwise I will question their judgment.
“The guy said that Latinos think like everyone else and African-Americans don’t. That alone gets him kicked to the curb in my book.” I would like to see that quote. That would be disturbing indeed.
That would be far more disturbing to make a person who says such as a front man than the fact that he was fired for a wrongful action 5 years ago and has another job. He is in no position to repeat his previous indiscretion.
The link (and comment) are in the post. Here it is again.
Ummm…David. I’m talking about the comment he made. I only highlighted his actions 5 yrs. ago to point out that we’ve seen him before.
Thanks, Pandora. That statement seems like a great start to his PR career. However, he was speaking in terms of public policy preference not cognitive methods of reasoning. Do to the unique history and challenges, African Americans often do have a different perspective than many other voters on some issues. If other people had the exact same circumstances, they would as well.
He is disingenuous to say that Hispanic voters also do not have unique concerns because of the challenges that uniquely face them. So do union workers, gun owners, business people, and many other voters. Jewish voters have some unique concerns as well. To act as if only African Americans have a special set of concerns is at best a misunderstanding of political reality and at worst insulting.
My disagreement btw was that you can’t really say that he was rejected by the party when Bush hired him to be a legislative expert for the Iraqis and most conservative think tanks and PAC’s consult him. He is a controversial figure rejected by Senate Republicans for embarrassing them and wrongly crossing an ethical line 5 years ago.
I think his quote my illustrate why Latinos and African Americans have yet to form a solid political alliance. There is a lack of understanding. None the less, I think it is ironic that he would criticize the judge for her quote when his is as outrageous. I haven’t judged her for one quote and I won’t judge him, but I will deride it some time in the future. These groups should know that he has to clarify and apologize for the tone of that quote before making him the public face of anything. It is explainable in context in that he was speaking of issues. Every pollster knows that there is a racial divide on a certain set of issues. The problem was the flippant and insulting way he characterized it. (They don’t think like everyone else….)
Then again maybe that is why many conservative groups have problems attracting sympathetic minorities. Statistically, there is no reason conservatives can’t get 40% of the African American vote, 50% of the Latino American vote, and 60% of the Asian American vote. They don’t care that tone is as important as substance. They poke fun of Bill Clinton’s empathy, but the last time I looked that was not a vice unless you substitute it for reason. Zig Ziglar said people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
It will be interesting, but unless the pro-gun democrats get nervous, this nomination is signed, sealed, and just waiting delivery.
Let’s be fair about this: The media keeps going to “former” officials because current ones won’t say these inflammatory things. The usual GOP discipline has broken down when people like Tancredo and Gingrich will make their comments without worrying about what it does to those actually holding office.
David: I don’t see where his comment was any worse than what Obama said during the campaign about rural voters. And I agree that “our worst guys aren’t as bad as your worst guys” is a stupid game to play.
Epstein is now un-admitted to UVA law school.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/11/14/boxer-aide-arrested-distributing-child-porn-media-mostly-mum
I can’t seem to find the Boxer Aid arrested for child porn in your archives. Will you please give me the link? I must be overlooking it.
And your point is what, exactly?
The child porn guy was fired the day he was arrested. He hasn’t been a featured and valued speaker at liberal think tanks since he got the sack. This guy has been set loose — unlike repubs who don’t mind hanging on to their own even when they misbehave.
Protack –
Former Congressman Bob Bauman (R-MD) – guilty of soliciting an underage male prostitute in downtown DC.
Jim Guckert – male prostitute with a White House press pass -wrote for GOP & rightwing blogs.
Ken Mehlman – closeted former NRC chair; mouthpiece for W’s anti-gay policies.
David Drier – GOP Congressman whose closet is so open that everyone in his district knows, yet he votes for anti-gay legislation.
Matthew Joseph Elliott, former aide to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child.
Vito Fossella, former Republican member of Congress from New York City, admitted to police to having a child out-of-wedlock when stopped for drunk driving.
Robert “Bob” Allen, anti-gay Florida state Rep. Arrested in the afternoon at a Veteran’s Memorial Park for solicitation of prostitution from an undercover male officer inside a restroom. According to the papers Bob “offer[ed] to perform oral sex for $20”. Bob Later claimed that his offer had something to do with his being afraid of black people.
David Vittner, junior Senator from Louisiana, became one of the few high-profile politicians to be implicated as a client of “D.C. Madam” Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
Let me know when to stop – I have hundreds more examples of your party’s hipocrisy.
MJ: Remember, in the Michael Steele age it’s not hypocracy — it’s “hip-hop-cracy”!
Let’s see you want to compare consensual sex or people allegedly being in the closet to criminal behavior against children. I don’t think that even deserves addressing MJ.
Cass, are you saying the panda pervert wasn’t fired? Foley wasn’t forced to resign for his harassment? The point Cass was while DP condemns Republican flakes, you guys tend to miss the Democrats in the news. Then claim the problem is only Republicans because you only reported on Republicans. Bulo seems to be the exception.
Bob Bauman was how far back? You had to go back to the 70’s.
Matt Elliot was never affiliated with the Romney campaign and associated with the PAC all of what a month. The accused activity occurred after he left so the PAC is now suppose to be clairvoyant. Sorry, but he did not work with Romney. It was a good try.
Hey, if we have a 30 year window we could fill up many pages of scandal from both parties and third parties as well. That of course misses my point. Most of the people live good lives and certainly don’t exploit children. They do not represent either party.
If you want to play games though, I can find more truly disgusting Democrats than Republicans. I take it that is because there are a few more Democrats than Republicans, but I could assume it is because of your situational values. That is if I wanted to play games.
BTW Geezer on this we agree. It is a silly game, but you have to admit that it is theater.
The point Cass was while DP condemns Republican flakes, you guys tend to miss the Democrats in the news.
Not really. Dems tend to get rid of their flakes — send them off to some edge of whatever. You guys keep them around. Miranda — altho disgraced, fired and really sorta nuts — is still around lecturing to your guys in think tanks. So when the Dem perv ends up giving talks in front of the Center for American Politics, you may have something to compare.
Actually David Dumbass, Bauman was arrested in the 80’s. And soliciting a 16-year-old cannot be considered consensual, even if the 16-year-old is hustling on the streets. And I’m sure you’ll remember Congressman Jon Hinson, darling of the Moral Majority, who not only survived a deadly fire at a porn movie house, but was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover cop at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Is nothing sacred?
You want to play the dozens, David, I’m ready.