Facebook Stalker…Awesome

“You cant take my mouse away….”

Congressman Mike Rogers’ office is vandalized

Michigan’s 8th District made the front page of Drudgetoday, but not in a wat that anyone should be proud of.  Apparently some vandals decided to let Congressman Mike Rogers know that they do not agree with his stance on the Iraq war bydefacing his district office. 

Very productive you morons….

I will keep you posted if I here of any arrests..hopefully these cowards are caught and made an example of.

Roger’s Chief of Staff had this to say:

“It is unfortunate that a few criminals decided to attack the 8th District Congressional office in the middle of the night. This is an office which provides mid-Michigan citizens with assistance regarding Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies.”

 ”The aggressive destruction of federal property and vandalism was a callous attempt to intimidate Congressman Rogers and his staff.”

“We all are entitled to our own opinion on the situation in Iraq but we are not entitled to destruction of taxpayer property and intimidation of federal officials. With an office in Lansing, regular office hours throughout the district, rapid response to constituent concerns and a 24-hour online office, Congressman Rogers prides himself on his constituent service and ensuring all voices are heard. Despite this vicious attack last night, the office continues to serve constituents today and we encourage folks to continue calling the Congressman for assistance, appointments and other information they may need.”

 

Some more good stuff over at today’s Hotline, McCain vs. the Club for Growth, Romney not flinching in Florida

Hotline has been doing a great job of covering the proxy battle going on between the McCain Camp and the Club for Growth:

Here is a video of the Club for Growth’s response to McCain:

Here is a video of an interview on McCain that Hotline says is a response from the McCain Camp:

 

In other news, Hotline has some great news for Team Romney from down in Florida that might just offset the whole Castro debacle…This is a huge pick up for Romney and it could not come at better time for him in Florida.

Romney Scores “King Midas”

Normally, the addition of a single name to a roster of 77 fundraisers wouldn’t be noticed, but this is different: Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney has won the support of one of the most high profile, influential entrepreneurs in all of Florida — a major GOP fundraiser to boot. This get will earn him some positive Sunshine State press. H. Wayne Huizenga is #153 on the list of Forbes’s 100 richest Americans. His nickname in South Florida: “King Midas.”

Romney is under attack by the Boston Media

It is no secret that the Boston media market has been very critical of the states former Governor and current GOP Prez contender, Mitt Romney.  However this week the media generals have launched into DEFCON 5 with their assault.

The cover of the Boston Herald, which I picked up over at Hotline is focusing on Mitt’s recent “fumbleia…fumblerooski” from down in Miami.  (I had original thought this would be something that would be taken as just a simple mistake) but has since really picked up some steam as something that people are really upset about. 

The article states that, “Cubans in Miami are steaming mad at former Gov. Mitt Romney for shooting his mouth off in stumbling Spanish, mispronouncing names and erroneously associating a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters. “

The Romney camp, who has to be in full fledged damage control mode by now with this one (so much so that a video of the speech that Eye on 08′ had found has since been removed from the net) is running with this talking point to cover up the mess:

 “The point is, the phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn’t belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn’t belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba.” 

Personally, and I think that most people out there understand, that a mistake like this is obviously the result of some poor research and some bad advice from someone in the Romney camp rather than a purposeful stab by someone who is trying to run for President, but things like this effect different people in different ways.

I think that the message delivered by my personal idols, Matt Stone and Trey Parker (the creators of South Park) from this seasons first episode really rings true in this case.  (As it will forever shape my outlook on situations like this in the future.)

The episode focuses on the use of the “n” word, which I will admit is some different than the situation surrounding Romney debacle, but I think the over all message still applies. In this case, Stan can not figure out why his dad’s use of the “n” word on national TV, since it was used by mistake and in a non threatening fashion, continues to bother his black pier Token.  Stan’s main argument becomes a classical defense fallacy in cases of this sort, “its was just a mistake and it is just a word.” 

This does not seem to appease Token as he continues to give Stan the cold shoulder for the rest of the episode.  In classical South Park fassion, Matt and Trey hit us with the underlying message behind the episode right at the end when Stan comes to the realization that “he doesn’t get it.”  Instead of trying to apologize and justify the action Stan realizes that he must simply admit that “he just does not get what it feels like to have someone use that word.”

I think that defenders of Team Romney in this case would be well served to use this type of defense in their handling of this situation rather than the generic fallacy that I laid out above.  I think it is wrong to criticize people that get upset by things of this nature, and I think it is wrong to blow it off as merely a mistake and “not that big of deal.”

When it is all said and done most of us will never really understand what it feels like to be put in a situation where words offend us and why they do so.  Since the entire situation blossomed from a certain level of ignorance, I think it is better to use ignorance as an “excuse” if you will, rather than apathy.

Again, I will admit that I view this situation as a simple mistake and something that Romney should not take a ton of heat for, but then again I am just unable to grasp why certain people would view it as offensive, so my opinion really does not matter.

This video kinds of explains the philosophy behind my argument since I was unable to find the actual clip online because VIACOM sucks!!!!!

Whew…now back to the original point of this post…

I also came across this article from the Boston Globe in which the writer, who is obviously fed up with what he views as numerous “flip flops” from Romney for political benefit launches into a bunch of hypothetical situations where he can envision Romney going on certain issues to get political benefit when things are not going his way.

In the writers own words:

“Now that Mitt Romney has flip-flopped on, deep breath here, abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, immigration policy, and campaign finance reform, what’s left to reverse? Maybe this:

July 20, 2007

DES MOINES — Trailing by double-digit margins in the polls to thrice-married Rudolph Giuliani and twice-married John McCain, presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced yesterday that he was seeking a divorce from his longtime wife, Ann.

Sept. 30, 2007

GREENVILLE, S.C. — With the public rallying around Rudy Giuliani in his public estrangement from his son, Mitt Romney called a press conference to announce that he had severed all ties to his five boys.

Dec. 5, 2007

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Presidential candidate Mitt Romney denied ever being governor of Massachusetts, telling supporters at a private fund-raiser: “Check the records. I was never there.”

I think you get the gist of where the article goes from there.  Now it is obviously written with heavy sarcasam, but I think it sets a very important tone for the future of the Romney candidacy.

Romney is someone who many insiders are siding with in the early stages if the GOP battle for the nomination, and he has prove to be a very formidable candidate as far as fundraising potential goes; maybe even the best in the field.  However Romney has been plaugued throughout his campaign by bad press and is at risk of letting the negative attacks from the media shape the general publics perception of him rather than allowing his campaign the ability to do that themselves, and in a much more positive light obviously.

If this current trend continues and his pole numbers remain in the cellar than no amount of endorsements and no amount of money will be able to pull him out of the abyss…just ask John Kerry.

Yet another Michigan Poll

Clinton, McCain and Giuliani lead in Michigan polls
KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. – New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic favorite while Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are tops among Republicans, according to a new poll of likely Michigan voters released Monday.

When 454 Democrats were asked who they would vote for if the presidential primary or caucus were held today, 45 percent said Clinton while 29 percent said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards came in third at 16 percent, while New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden each got 4 percent.

Two percent said they were undecided.

Among 392 Republicans polled, 30 percent said they’d vote for McCain, while 26 percent chose Giuliani. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was picked by 21 percent, while 16 percent chose former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and 1 percent chose Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. Four percent were undecided.

Two percent of Republicans volunteered that they’d vote for former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who plays district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC’s drama “Law & Order.” Thompson has said he’s pondering a run but has not yet decided if he’ll be a candidate.

Both polls were conducted March 12 through Sunday by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA. The margin of sampling error for the poll of Democrats was around plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, while it was plus or minus 5 percentage points for Republicans.

Asked if they had a favorable opinion of the presidential hopefuls, Democrats gave Clinton a 78 percent favorable rating, while Obama got 72 percent.

Nearly 40 percent or more didn’t recognize the names of Democrats Biden, Richardson, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Clark and Kucinich were unsuccessful presidential candidates in 2004.

Fifty-three percent of the Republicans polled had a favorable opinion of Giuliani, while 50 percent had a favorable opinion of McCain. Thirty-three percent thought favorably of Gingrich, while 29 percent had a favorable opinion of Romney.

But around 40 percent or more didn’t recognized the names of Brownback, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, California Rep. Duncan Hunter or Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel. Brownback, Huckabee and Hunter are all in the race, while Hagel has said he’ll announce his presidential intentions later this year.

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http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/politics/16935781.htm