Good work by the folks at PJM:
Fire Chief Dan McKenzie cast more doubts on The Politico’s chief political correspondent Roger Simon’s version of events at McKenzie’s Waverly, Iowa fire station in Simon’s article “Fred Thompson: Lazy as charged.” Questions had been raised about Simon’s article based on a video of Thompson’s appearance, which seemed to show the candidate behaving in a radically different manner from the one described by The Politico correspondent. In interviews with Pajamas Media, Chief McKenzie similarly refuted Simon’s characterization of Thompson as “lazy” or “sour” at the event and the editor of the Waverly Democrat refused to confirm the accuracy of comments attributed to her in Simon’s article.
After reading the article on Friday evening:
Unlike Simon’s characterization of a “sour” Thompson, McKenzie recalled that the firefighters were joking with the Thompsons during the visit, which corroborates the CBS News video that captured part of the event. He stated further than any attempt to portray the event as Simon described was the work of “someone who had their own agenda.”
Unprompted, McKenzie stated that he was well aware of the dangers of politicians wearing hats, and he and his fellow firefighters understood why Thompson declined to wear the helmet. He also stated that he understood that someone might want to make an issue of Thompson wearing his helmet, and that it seemed that when Thompson declined, “someone decided to make an issue out of it anyway.”
Chief McKenzie concluded that the Waverly firemen was very appreciative of Thompson’s visit, as they would be of any presidential candidate that took the time to stop by.
Simon went on to use a quote he claimed to recieve by a local news editor who he said trashed Thompson as “vague” in a private email to him. When Pajamas Media contacted the editor, here is what happened:
When reached for comment this afternoon, Dimitrova stated that she had a newspaper edition that she was trying to finish. She also made clear that she did “not want to get in the middle of this.”
When asked to confirm whether or not the words Simon attributed to her in the article were accurate, Dimitrova declined.
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:15 pm
That we’re even discussing this is sad.
How much do things like this matter in a President’s job?
If people will stop seeing subliminal crosses, parsing Romney’s words or worrying about Thompson’s hats, maybe we can move to each candidates plans.
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Is must be the silly season, huh?
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Fred really is a good guy, but won’t be President. I’m guessing he will be the first major candidate to drop out.
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Jesus! Jay Cost was right. You know – Romney is running th most transparant campaign out of everyone. McCain starts to rise and now Romney attacks McCain. That’s fine – but get a load of what he said.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071222/D8TMMCRG2.html
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. (AP) – Taking aim at a rallying John McCain, New Hampshire front-runner Mitt Romney said Saturday that his GOP presidential rival had failed “Reagan 101″ by twice opposing President Bush’s tax cuts.
So McCain failed “Reagan 101″? Well that’s too bad. But Romney never even signed up for Reagan 101.
Seriously. Just as I come around to say that I could support Romney (and I still would if he is the last one standing next to Huck) he has to reaffirm his status as the biggest Ass Clown in the race.
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Jonathan Martin over at Politico has a post about Huckabee asking Martin for Rush’s phone number so he can talk, or if Martin gets Rush’s ear to ask him to call Huckabee.
Huckabee says, “Ask him. I don’t know. … All I can do is hope that Rush loves me as much as I love Rush.”
Listen, I’m watching the movie “Elmer Gantry” right now, where Burt Lancaster plays the part of Gantry – a revivalist preacher back in the 1920s.
He reminds me so much of Huckabee I can’t believe it. Gantry even mentions the miracle of the little boy with the loaves and fishes.
The way he slips and slides around every issue — twists and turns and spins everything just so — it makes me think that this must have been Huckabee’s favorite movie growing up as a child — because he’s got it down quite well.
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Adam, Marc Ambinder has the counterblast back at Romney:
“From his claims of being a ‘lifelong hunter’ to receiving the NRA’s endorsement to marching with Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s clear that Mitt Romney has trouble with the truth. His latest attacks are yet another example of his complete inability to level with the voters of New Hampshire. The facts are clear: Romney refused to endorse the Bush tax cuts he now claims to champion, maybe because he was too busy raising taxes in Massachusetts by over $700 million per year — more than any other state in his first year in office. New Hampshire voters expect and deserve integrity and authenticity in their leaders, not someone who changes his positions to fit the politics of the moment and can’t seem to tell the truth.”
Har, har!
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 pm
is anybody suprised. the media are so ridiculous is drive me crazy. they have no respect for the power they hold. it makes me sick.
simon and all those reporters are idiots. who is objective anymore?
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
I’m just so sick of this Romney guy. It’s just appalling that all of his attacks on other candidates are on issues where Romney has dubious conservative credentials at best. He lectures McCain for “failing Reagan 101″. Where was Romney during the Reagan years? He certainly wasn’t interested in Reagan. He was an Independent. Right? Yet he lectures McCain as if he is some sort of authority on the matter. He was fine with McCain/Kennedy immigration reform and called it “very different than amnesty” yet he lectures Giuliani on “sanctuary cities” all the while he has illegal latinos doing his yardwork. Yes I know, Romney supporters – it could have happened to anyone. But you would think that if Romney had any sense of honor he would tread softly on such issues instead of just acting with that holier than thou face that he is a martyr. And you would think especially that he would EMPHASIZE OTHER ISSUES instead of acting as if he is above criticism. Even though on issues, at least where Romney is now, I can tolerate the guy, but on a personal level if I didn’t fear incarceration and I ever met him in a parking lot I would give him a knuckle sandwich.
Every time I want to like him I keep thinking that of all the candidates on either side, Romney’s the one I want to punch in the face more than the rest – even though I’d rather see him get the nomination more than Huckabee. He has SUCH a face. That stupid “I’m Mr. Perfect on every issue” condescension that he gives everyone is just maddening.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Adam,
Perhaps you should take a breather. They all are throwing punches at each other. Your just buying the McCain line over Romney’s.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Jason,
This is a pattern though. Why would he say something like that? I don’t even care that he attacked McCain. Why does he have to say “Reagan 101″? To me that just brings up one more time where Romney is claiming to be on the right side of things when in reality the engine of his car is still warm because of how recent his journey from there to here has been.
It’s insulting to me to see this guy invoke the name of Reagan to attack McCain. If Reagan were alive today it would be nowhere near clear that he would support Romney over McCain. In fact, if I had to guess it would be quite the opposite.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Why is team Thompson extending this Fred is Lazy story?
No too smart!
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
10 – Adam, I don’t know if you saw the Republican debate where the moderator asked the candidates if they thought the Surge was working — but it kinda went like this:
The Moderator asked Mitt what he thought. Mitt said that it seemed that the Surge was working. (The context was that Gen. Petraues was going to be coming out with his assessment at the end of the week. Mitt, being the kind of person that likes to get all his facts and data in before making a decision, gave the answer he gave.)
Then McCain shot back: The Surge IS working. It IS working.
I thought it was a cheap shot at Romney – to make Romney look weak on defense, but it worked, and McCain had his own surge after the debate.
I still think Romney was correct to wait to announce it was definitely working until after Petraues’ statement, but that’s politics, you know.
Adam, they’ve been going at this thing for quite awhile.
I wouldn’t look at any one candidate and single them out for attack ads.
This primary season has been hard for me. It’s the first one I’ve been involved or interested in, and it’s really tough seeing Republicans attacking other Republicans, but I guess that’s what the vetting process is all about.
Whoever is left standing when it’s all over – goes into an even tougher arena – against the Democrats.
From what people tell me, the General will make the Primary Season look like an elementary school dodge ball game.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Between Thompson’s silly hats, the Romney’s MLK march, McCain’s hushed NY Times story, Huckabee’s floating crosses, and Guiliani’s supposed public-funded mistress adventure, it looks like this is MSM-tries-to-take-down-Repubs-by-creating-scandals month. It’s a big whirlpool of journalistic adulteration. Let’s look at their positions on the issues and their records.
December 22nd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Tommy, you and I both know that Fred Thompson is far too classy a guy to have behaved like that idiot Simon tried to make it appear.