This local newscast, posted by the always excellent BuffaloPundit, shows just what a clown show the special election in NY-26 has become. Because Tea Party candidate and self-funding millionaire Jack Davis is threatening to upset the sure thing election of Jane Corwin, Republicans parachuted in some other “Tea Party” organization to give Corwin their useless endorsement. But that weak effort is drowned out by the collapse of the Republican establishment in the face of a combined Democratic and (real) Tea Party assault.
After Republicans posted a highly-edited video purporting to show Jack Davis assaulting Corwin’s chief of staff, and after Republicans refused to post the rest of the video, wanted posters are out for Corwin’s employee, who has disappeared. The Republican claim that the batteries were dead on a second camera has been thoroughly debunked, and now Corwin and Republican operatives are falling back on “that’s all in the past” statements that satisfy nobody.
This is all sideshow bullshit, but Corwin is the one who needs to rebut the (true) charge that she supports the Ryan plan to gut Medicare. With all the fussing and fighting, that message isn’t getting out.
Dennis G.
Yep, that’s a clown show. And it also tells folks all they need to know about the front group “Tea Party Express”.
Shouldn’t their five minutes be up by now?
Kane
According to TPM, Corwin is now running ads accusing Kathy Hochul of trying to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits for seniors. How Rovian.
ChrisS
It’s getting a tid-bit ridiculous.
What really frightens me is that in a economy struggling to rebound in any meaningful metric, economic optimism in the shitter, and three foreign wars, the GOP is hellbent on blowing the whole thing up so that they can say they won (something) and screw the poor back to 1890s … and they’re still taken seriously.
jayackroyd
Please don’t call the House Republican Budget “the Ryan plan.”
It’s John Boehner’s, GOP, exploding-deficit, Medicare-killing plan.
And if you won’t go that far, can you just refer to it as the “Republican Budget”?
Brian S
That press conference didn’t seem to go well for Corwin at the very least.
cathyx
All this proves is that the tea party is willing to fight for their beliefs. If it takes lying, cheating or even stealing to get it, then that shows you how driven they are. May the better candidate win! God Bless America.
Steve
Even by Upstate standards, this is one whacked election. The game of “see if you can get film of the candidate shoving someone” seems to have become de rigeur.
Special Patrol Group
I’m with ChrisS. Sure this is a high level of unintentional comedy, but holy fucking shit, one of these assholes could become a member of Teh Congress. Also, too: George Allen: Confederate enthusiast, father of Forrest Allen, and occasional utterer of horrifying and mean-spirited racial epithets. He’s polling good.
keithly
I don’t think Corwin expected her mettle to be tested. It’s interesting to observe how she’s responding to the pressure. For those keeping score at home: not well.
aimai
The Two-Camera theory? On the grassy knoll? What *is* it with up state New York? We have our share of backwoods crazy Republicans in MA but the rural republican awfulness never degenerates this far–pace our pink hotpants senator, of course, but he did it all with such style.
Also: Love the nickname “Republican Horshack” for the missing camera dude.
aimai
Shrillhouse
WTF? I haven’t really been following this election, and it’s taken me a little while to figure out what’s going on.
So, basically, the GOP candidate should be cruising to an easy victory, but the entrance of a crazy, self-financed pseudo-Teabagger is now splitting the vote, and allowing a long-shot Dem candidate to have a credible shot at winning.
And the GOP candidate is now getting her cheif of staff to pretend to be beaten up on camera, just to make the Teabagger candidate look crazy (or, at least even crazier then he already is).
Have I got this straight?
Gin & Tonic
@Special Patrol Group:
Fucking Rand Paul is a U.S. Senator. Keep that in mind.
burnspbesq
OT: Conan the Impregnator.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0517-arnold-20110517,0,1994592.story
Special Patrol Group
Also, too: Oklahoma (take your pick).
WereBear
@burnspbesq: Gee, you mean he got his wife to stick up for him by lying?
Family values for thee and not for me…
someguy
Davis is a Democrat for all intents & purposes, including donations in the last couple election cycles. Corwin’s going to lose and one way or another we’ll pick up a seat.
Even if she doesn’t maybe there’s a recall process we could initiate. Anybody know anything about NY election law?
Roger Moore
@burnspbesq:
Too bad this couldn’t have come out in time to deep six his political career. Having a Democratic governor for the past few years would have been very helpful to good government.
maya
@jayackroyd: How about calling it; The Raw Deal
benjoya
This is all sideshow bullshit, but Corwin is the one who needs to rebut the (true) charge that she supports the Ryan plan to gut Medicare.
exactly. does hochul have some ads that say just that?
Amanda in the South Bay
Maybe its just because we have a couple of front pagers from upstate NY here, but it seems like theres always a special election going on in that neck of the woods?
Xecky Gilchrist
a combined Democratic and (real) Tea Party assault
There’s a real Tea Party?
ChrisS
@Amanda in the South Bay:
No upstate is just fucked up politically.
ChrisS
@someguy:
Davis is a Democrat for all intents & purposes …
Whaaaa?
Fred
BAhahaha. What a bunch of clowns. You can almost see Corwin’s sphincter puckering up as the reporter asked those questions.
Fred
@Xecky Gilchrist: Yea, put on by little girls with imaginary friends.
jayackroyd
@maya:
I really think it lets Boehner and his caucus off the hook when the House Budget is referred to as “the Ryan plan.” They passed that mother, overwhelmingly, sent it to the Senate, to be signed by the President.
Republican control of the House should mean they get called on their Big Lies, and forced to cop to their desire to gut the New Deal.
James E. Powell
@jayackroyd:
Totally agree. It is THE Republican Budget; they voted for it.
It would be nice to have a Democratic Budget with which to compare it.
Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937
@Steve: Every candidate MUST be shown assaulting a camera man!
Fred
@jayackroyd: I’m guessing you know more about checkers than chess!
JCT
@Fred: Absolutely — she seems a bit tightly wound. Guess she expects to always get her way on things. How Republican of her.
Bet she really puckered up when she saw this: http://www.janecorwin.org/ Too perfect.
burnspbesq
There is a special election in SoCal today, to fill what used to be Jane Harman’s House seat. I haven’t been paying much attention, but there is one highly qualified Dem in the field of 16 (what is this, the Kentucky Derby?). Debra Bowen was until recently Secretary of State, and she ran an honest and highly efficient shop up in Sacramento. Hopefully she will win without the need for a runoff.
jayackroyd
@Fred:
I’m thinking neither is a very good analogy. Obama is doing what Obama wants to do, IMO.
rea
@someguy:
You can’t recall a federal congressperson or senator–it’s unconstitutional.
urknoid
Criky, this contest has been more fun than Daffy’s Pipeful Of Fun Kit #5.