Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Gary Who?
Manuel reads the GOP their Miranda Wrongs:0 comments
Marginal Cost:
The risk of running up the score on the Roberts confirmation vote.
I do admit to loving the sound of Republican squabbling in the morning...
I also love the WSJ's attempts to rehabilitate the ever-popular Gary Bauer.
Here is their description of Bauer, before offering a quote of his decrying the political correctness of the White House's approach to handling Supreme Court nominations:"former GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer"
While technically true, his seeming 48 hrs. of running for high office ended not at all well—humping a young campaign staffer, and having the rest of his staff turn on him for it. Here's leadership for you.Despite his evangelical crusades, Bauer's personal behavior has been the subject of sharp criticism from his employees and political allies. He was accused of adultery by his 2000 presidential campaign staff, who "charged Bauer with ill-advised private meetings with a 27-year-old female campaign aide. In October, campaign manager Charles Jarvis and almost half the campaign staff left Bauer over the charges of impropriety."
When Bauer called his own press conference to combat the rumors of adultery, he refused to answer questions about which campaign he thought was spreading the rumors (although he had claimed a rival campaign was doing it), and whether or not any of his former colleagues had approached him about his seemingly inappropriate behavior with the female aide.
According to the People for the American Way, after Bauer dropped out of the 2000 presidential race, The Family Research Council's [which he co-founded] "Board of Directors quickly confirmed that [Bauer] would not be back—no surprise, as FRC had previously given Bauer a thinly veiled notice of expulsion when it released the results of a poll conducted among their staffers. . . In addition, Bauer had reportedly angered James Dobson, founder and head of Focus on the Family, mentor to Bauer, and underwriter of much of the FRC, when he decided to run for president."
Plus, this pleased the wingnut leadership no end:When Bauer dropped out of the presidential race, he endorsed the campaign of Sen. John McCain, which drew criticism from conservative leaders: "On his 700 Club television show, Pat Robertson, who himself sought the GOP's presidential nomination in 1988, said, 'I don't think the Bauer thing makes one hill of difference. He didn't do anything anywhere all over the country... I would think, frankly, that his political activity is pretty much over."
Despite his attempts to become a leading member of the religious right, he has been known for "scaring the hell out of the Republican establishment... Bauer is leading his flock toward a moralist economic philosophy that often seems more Democratic than Republican...The China debate drew Bauer into an open alliance with liberals. He coordinated strategy with House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), attended a Kennedy family dinner, staged a press conference with the AFL-CIO, and dined with Richard Gere after they shared the same stage at a rally."
Just so we don't overlook Bauer's long-held worldview:Bauer is currently the president of another organization named American Values. He was also a signatory on the Project for the New American Century's letter to Bill Clinton advocating an overthrow of the Iraqi government.
So, this allusion in the WSJ to "his constituents" becomes laughable. And slimey on the Journal's part. Bauer has never held office, so has no constituency—only followers, and even those he's had trouble hanging onto.
So, Bauer's comments on the internal conflicts within the GOP are enlightening to everyone in the congregation, I'm certain.
Plus, anyone having lunch with Richard Gere is icky just on general principles.
posted by Gotham 3:08 PM
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