One is the $$ guy and the other is trying to run on TEA coattails? Does this mean monied coattails? Kinda seems that way
I had started to go into some of the details but got sidetracked by both the RightOnline conference and then long hours for work in San Diego. So, once again, time for a restart and continuing. After all, leaving things undone is just so….unsightly and messy. And engineers hate slipshod. So let’s recap, via a timeline, shall we?
- The Prequel – April 15, 2010 in Portsmouth. TEA Party organizers torqued off as an invitation to speak (and to be fair, helping with some details for the event) turned into a campaign video. After being specifically told that this was NOT to be such. In talking with the organizers of the Portsmouth event, they felt they had been hi-jacked. Period. I personally called or emailed every TEA Party organizer I knew (and being a co-founding member of the NH TEA Party Coalition, I know them all), not one had any memories of Mahoney speaking or offering to help prior to this event. Not one. Period.
- Making It Local – 7/16 – I recognized where this presser was held – after all, I had posted up the outside earlier. I also chuckled at it being "a press conference" – knowing the size of the former showroom (as it is only about 10-15 minutes from my house and have passed by it for years) – there must have been a whole raft of media people there – 2 maybe?
- The TEA Party Claim: from my local paper was this:
Asked about his participation in the Tea Party movement, Mahoney said that having attended and spoken at many of its events around New Hampshire, he understood the frustration of many of its members with government. He said the energy of the Tea Party has caused the GOP to focus back on "the very founding principles of our government."
So, having already ticked of folks within the TEA Party for the first stunt, my first thought on this was "no one in the media has challenged him on this assertion?"
- The Call – so I called the campaign office, at the phone number listed. I politely introduced myself as Skip Murphy, that I had read the article I asked if the campaign could back up that statement of "many of its events". The young staffer immediately wanted to know why and who I was "with". I promptly told him I was with GraniteGrok. I was then asked if I was with any campaign; I promptly said that I had endorsed Frank Guinta but that it was NOT about the campaign – it was ALL about the TEA Party and not letting ANYONE take a false credit for it.
If Sean had just mentioned the one event, I would have let it go by. But, having been an integral part of the movement here in NH, and have also blasted Bass for attempting the same stunt, I was not going to just let it pass. And yes, the "conversation" got a tad heated. I wish I had recorded it (but yes, that would have been illegal!). The main takeaway was that this young staffer (name intentionally redacted) just could not get out of the "political state of mind"; I knew that I was being headed off at the pass. So, label me stubborn…
- The EMail: I sent the following to the young man and to someone I thought was "a friend of the campaign but not working for it" – like my status with several campaigns right after the phone call:
Good Afternoon, <redacted>!
Here is the article in the Laconia Sun [er, that should have been Citizen -Skip] that I was referencing. I have also BCC – Pat Hynse on this (with an email address that I will release).
http://citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100717/GJNEWS02/707179888/-1/CITNEWS
Asked about his participation in the Tea Party movement, Mahoney said that having attended and spoken at many of its events around New Hampshire
I appreciated the fact that you have already categorized me as part of the Frank Guinta media team, so let me spell it out more slowly for you (without you ALREADY thinking I’m going for a smear):
* YES, GraniteGrok IS an opinionated blog
* YES, GraniteGrok HAS endorsed Guinta
* YES, GraniteGrok is looking for substantiation for the claim of the word "many" used by Mr. Mahoney in his conversation with the Citizen.That has NOTHING to do why I called Sean’s campaign office and ended up with you, sir. Now, sir, here’s the REAL reason why I’m asking for the list of events so as to justify the use of Sean’s word choice of MANY:
* ADD to your knowledgebase that GraniteGrok was one of the original co-Founding members of the NH TEA Party Coalition
* YES, GraniteGrok has reason to believe that the word "stretching" will not cover the claim of "many".
* YES, I know pretty much all of the TEA Party Leaders
* NO, they have not, up until he did the event with <redacted> and <redacted> in Portsmouth, heard much from Mr. Mahoney – I know because I started asking right from the get go (right Pat? You and I have already gone round on this)
* NO, it has NOTHING to do with my endorsement of Guinta; it is ALL about someone who may be trying to wear the mantle of a TEA Party person when they are quite late to the movement.
* YES, I have excoriated others in the past for such; Exhibit A is Charlie Bass for his attempts at appearing to be "in" with the TEA Party movement here in NH
* Unlike what Trent Lott wants to see happen, my goal is to keep the TEA Party movement, where and whenever, from being seen as having been co-opted; in this respect, Sean is no Jack Kimball (and yes, Alex, GraniteGrok knows Jack well and has endorsed him BECAUSE he comes directly out of the TEA Party movement).Yo, Hynsie – a little more instruction for the staff in NOT effectively calling folks "stooges" for the opposition when people ask for information. And yes, Pat, where I was rather laid back on this issue for a while, but since <redacted> decided to go to the mat and challenge me for being a shill for Guinta, I’ve gotten real prickly all of a sudden….
-Skip
And that was the reason for this post. And yes, on this topic, on this issue, I’m just like this:
Having ALREADY been warned, a decision was made to ignore it – remember folks, decisions have consequences.
And that’s when I was reminded of what happened to me during the McCain campaign...’cause I started getting the phone calls…
And since it is late, I will continue this tomorrow…and in detail.
Oh yeah, this was MY prequel.
