The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Persisting in obtusely addressing as Indians witnesses from US government agencies, Priceless

    By jollyroger on Sat, 07/26/2014 - 8:24pm |

    It's hard out here for a voter in Florida's 19th Congressional District (Tampa/Ft. Meyers)

     

    First they awoke one morning last year to learn that their landslide elected (62%) first term representative, Trey Radel (late of talk radio--are you listening, Rush?) had been caught buying coke from a snitch in a Washington D.C. sting operation.

     

    Then they had to put up with months of bullshit, including a month of residential rehab for alcoholism (wtf?) while he squirmed to avoid resigning.

     

    When, at last, he did the right thing, he was replaced by world class Teabagger doofus Curt Clawson, who is guaranteed first-year-of-eligibility induction into the Doofus Hall of Fame.

     

    If you watch only one scrap of C-Span content this year, watch this brief segment from testimony on US-India trade policies, before a committee on which  Clawson  serves, where his questions to two witnesses who work for the US Departments of State and Commerce betray his utter cluelessness as to their national origin.

     

    Hey, who could blame him, they are obviously brown!

     

    Thus:

     

    Having your Congressman buy a gram of coke from snitch, roughly $100.

     

    One month in rehab to stave off resignation, $40,000.

     

    Special election and replacement of congressman with teaparty supported doofus, $500,000.

     

    Having that doofus engage in colloquy where he persistently tries to send messages to the government of India, (even after getting helpful hints from the witnesses sent over by Commerce and State to testify before his committee)... PRICELESS!

    Comments

    Well, what can I say.  FL-19 is a wealthy district and yet we get stuck with people like that.  Rick Scott lives there too.  I didn't pay real close to the special election but I think one of the ads talked about a company that he was CEO failed.  So I am not surprised that he is clueless. This district is just south of me and we pick up TV from there over the air.  

    Democrats have a very good candidate in that district for November's election.  Her name is April Freeman. She used to be a Republican that turned Democrat.  I think she was only active in the Republican Party but never held office.  Party went to far right for her.  We have several women that are prominent that have publicly left the Republican party. They have made it easier for other women to make that leap.  


    by trkingmomoe on Sun, 07/27/2014 - 2:06am

    Ya gotta figure that fairchild's chances just went up a few notches.  I'm sure we're gonna see that shit eating (white man's burden) grin of Clawson's as he patronizes the "visiting dignitaries" with "I love your country" in a loop once the election ad buys begin in the fall.


    by jollyroger on Sun, 07/27/2014 - 10:05am

    She was on the ballot for the special but from what I can tell is staying in the race for fall.  She had announced that she was running long before Tray was caught with cocaine. The poling just before the special election show 41% undecided so he did not go to DC with a mandate even though he won with 67%. In other words they held their nose and voted Republican. The turn out was low. This is a ruby red district. 

    I don't expect her to win but she is helping to build the Democrat vote down there.  She gives women a voice in a district like that and also setting an example that it is OK to leave the party that beats up on women, children and minorities.

    Florida is going to have it's districts redrawn before 2016 so building up the party with new voters will really help down the road. 


    by trkingmomoe on Sun, 07/27/2014 - 4:50pm

    I'd never thought I'd want to see more C-SPAN. Where's the rest of that C-SPAN clip? I want to see the part where Rep. Clawson finally realizes his mistake. (It was eventually pointed out to him, no?)


    by Verified Atheist on Sun, 07/27/2014 - 7:40am

    Judging from the article in politico, I don't think the light ever went on until after the committee recessed.  He is quoted as saying "I shot an airball", from which I deduce there was no  moment of clarity during the proceedings.


    by jollyroger on Sun, 07/27/2014 - 9:53am