WP: Freshman Republican Weathers Backlash

[kskiska]

Rep. Jean Schmidt flung the word "coward" at a decorated war veteran from Pennsylvania last week, but the Ohio Republican's comments landed with a splat in her own Cincinnati district, where some supporters are backing away as she scrambles to explain what she meant.

(snip)

Many people are unsympathetic. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" lampooned her, the Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial page -- which endorsed her congressional bid -- said she was "way out of line," and the friend she claimed to be quoting on the House floor last week declared yesterday that he had said no such thing.

(snip)

Schmidt recalls their Friday phone conversation somewhat differently. "I wrote down what he was saying," she said in the interview. "He did ask me to send a message to Congress, and he also said send a message to 'that congressman.' He did not know that congressman's name, but I did. Neither one of us knew he was a Marine."

Schmidt said she had not noticed the numerous references to Murtha's military background in the newspaper, radio and TV accounts of his troop-withdrawal proposal, made Thursday. "They keep us pretty busy," she said.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/22/AR2005112201699.html

[Oceansaway]

1. poor Jean...........

:nopity:

[babylonsister]

3. No. She "weathered criticism". nt

[nickgutierrez]

21. Exactly.

The spin here is just absurd. It suggests she is not only past the criticism, but somehow is almost made stronger by it, despite the fact that the story itself says her comments fell "with a splat".

This is right out of "How to lie with headlines 101".

[skipos]

2. "She had not noticed." Yup, them facts is hard to git.

[mcctatas]

4. Facts?

she's a repuke...she "don't need no stinking facts". :rofl:

[sandrakae]

5. What a F@cking B@tch.

[klook]

6. "Neither one of us knew he was a Marine."

Bullshit!! Then why the comments about Marines, then? If you're going to be vicious, it's best not to be an idiot, too.

And another thing. Am I the only one who thinks Schmidt looks like Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman) in High Anxiety?

[TheDonkey]

9. If she didn't know that makes her look even worse.

A clueless bimbo going on a tirade about how this man must be a coward and not a real man like a marine... but he actually is a Marine!!

Does Ohio have recalls ;)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. It was all over the media prior to her rant that Murtha was....

...a former Marine. She's telling more lies to attempt to cover for her first set of lies.

She knew how decorated Vietnam veterans McCain, Cleland and Kerry had been treated by the NeoCon Junta in the media, and she thought she could get away with it, too.

[blitzen]

11. You're right...Of course she knew!

Otherwise her comment would have just been plain loopy...Not only is she a horrific person, but she's a pathetic liar.

[0007]

18. She's a dead ringer......good catch. n/t

[pinto]

7. Pathetic....

[Skittles]

8. not only is she a bad politiciam, she's a bad liar too

and obviously she has no real idea how egregious her actions were

[kskiska]

10. Update from Josh Marshall

It just gets better and better, doesn't it?

Late Update: Actually, wait! I was wrong. It gets better still. According to the Dayton Daily News, Schmidt is now saying that "she has been made a scapegoat by a media disappointed that Congress didn't vote to withdraw troops from Iraq." Local Republicans seem not to agree, judging by the fact that two challengers from the GOP primary in her race are now saying they may run against her again.
-- Josh Marshall

[CottonBear]

13. She's toast. Stick a fork in her, she's done.

Hi kskiska! Last year, I posted a question RE: who was the first DUer to ever post and it was you! Thanks for helping to make DU a wonderful forum for Democrats! :toast: :hi:

[DesEtoiles]

12. Go suck on a scrunchie, lady. Geez.

[DiverDave]

15. Another example of repuke's over reaching.

The real reason they will lose is their habit of going too far.

They think that they can get away with anything, but sometimes even the most ardent of supporters of this junta see a glimmer of the "real" neocon.

Yep, she is toast.
Is there any Democratic candidate that can challenge her?

[davepc]

16. It's a tough district for Democrats

That's why Paul Hackett's campaign against her got so much positive attention here.

[Toots]

20. I think Paul Hacket would win this time around but I also think he will

win his bid for Senator instead. I am sure a Democrat will come forward and eventually even the thickest headed of the Republicans will start to see a little daylight and the path to get their heads out of their rear ends and look at the world again...

[cassiepriam]

17. Looks like she had faulty intelligence.

What idiots.

[Toots]

19. If they didn't know he was a marine then what was the point she was making

It was a point from one marine to another. It was directed and delived to a Marine about marine conduct from a REMF reserve marine whom had never seen combat. Her statement is a bald faced LIE that she is even to stupid to undestand. Why would she speak of Marine conduct if not referring to a Marine?

[Norquist Nemesis]

22. How did she get elected?

Seriously! She's obvious a lying, hate spewing, hack who cares nothing about doing good for her constituents. It's all about the zero sum game for her.

People in her district should march into her office in protest for her comments, just like they did here in Illinois with Eckhardt.

[DemoTex]

23. Mean Jean, the lyin' machine.

Schmidt said she had not noticed the numerous references to Murtha's military background in the newspaper, radio and TV accounts of his troop-withdrawal proposal, made Thursday. "They keep us pretty busy," she said.

What a disingenuous crock of shit from a vile, hate-spewing, harpy! "It's hard work, I know, the Chimpy told me so."

[VolcanoJen]

28. Schmidt: "I don't listen to the news in DC."

Un-freaking-believable.

I'm sure all constituents in the Ohio 2nd are pleased to read the following comments from their elected representative to Congress:

"I don't listen to the news in D.C. because it's not my news environment," said Schmidt, who conducted the interview with The Enquirer with her chief of staff, Barry Bennett, sitting nearby. "I watch something light-hearted, and then I go to bed."

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051123/NEWS01/511230359/-1/all

Your political career is DOA, Mean Jean. Thank goodness.

[tanyev]

31. Just like her beloved Pretzeldent.

Shouldn't the people in charge of running the country at least be required to be interested in what is going on in the country?????

:banghead:

[Cha]

24. schmidt has a new name..

"dumbschmidt" :+ ..too busy to read the fine print of a fellow Congressman's status in the Marines..37 years and decorated.

They say "ignorance is bliss"..I say "ignorance is ignorance" and how ironic that the district in Ohio who "voted" for schmidthead could have had an intelligent being.. Paul Hackett.

[freedomburn]

25. OMG! What a freaking idiot! What she said in Congress was,

"A few minutes ago, I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message: that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."

AND NOW? Now she has the temerity and the gall to spin this by saying, "There's no way that I remotely tried to impugn his character." (!)


How can this be interpreted as anything other than calling a decorated veteran with a 37-year record of meritorious service a coward?? If that is not impugning someone's character, I don't know what is! And now she says she didn't know he was a MARINE! Come on!! This is such an obvious spin job and a lie that it just buries her deeper.

A steam-shovel would not be enough to dig her out of this pile of horse manure. Schmidt is not just stupid, she is EXTRA stupid. I hope she enjoys her very brief single term as a representative of the good people of Ohio.


This would have gone into the Congressional record despite many Repukes requesting that she withdraw the statement and have it stricken from the record. I think she had the good sense to eventually do so, but was too late. The damage had been done, but the attack backfired. Murtha is a bigger hero than ever, and Schmidt is the coward who is looked at with disdain. This is a perfect example of Repukes acting like they are the ones with the market cornered on correct policy and morality and damn any coward who opposes them.

It's evil.
Evil evil evil.

Bad Repuke, no donut.

[0007]

26. Weathers the Backlash???????

Mean Jean got the Smegma knocked out of her.

[Kber]

27. ew!

[0007]

29. It should be EEEW!!

[madmark]

30. Well not only is she unpleasant; she's either disingenuous or moron.

Probably both.