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Icky Endorsements
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ShareFebruary 22, 2008 12:33 PM
ABC News' John Berman Reports: Who would you rather have backing your campaign: The alleged Casanova of the can, the purported purveyor of prostitutes, or the alleged land-scam lawmaker?
For the presidential candidates this year, these are just some of the rather unfortunate endorsements they have received.
Today Republican Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona was indicted on charges of extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other matters in an Arizona land swap scam. Renzi is also one of the Arizona state co-chairs for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.
But McCain is hardly the first candidate this cycle to garner an endorsement he might like to give back.
Republican Senator Larry Craig was a big-time backer of former Gov. Mitt Romney, before being accused of soliciting sex in a Minnesota men’s bathroom.
And Senator David Vitter was a big part of Team Giuliani, before his name turned up in the blackbook of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey's. Vitter was forced to apologize for "a very serious sin in my past." (By that he mean soliciting prostitutes, not backing Giuliani.)
It is a bit if a conundrum for candidates. They obviously want as many endorsements as they can get, and they don’t have much control what their supporters do when the lights are off and no one is looking.
But how they handle their relationship when the chips are down is a bit revealing. Today, McCain expressed more concern than anger when he learned of the Renzi indictment.
At a news conference in Indianapolis, he said, "I’m sorry obviously, you always feel for the family as you know he has 12 children. But I don’t know enough of the details or anything to make a judgment, this kind of thing is always, is always very unfortunate. I rely on our department of justice and our system of justice to make the right outcome.”
Mitt Romney on the other hand chose the nuclear option when dealing with the Larry Craig matter. He called Craig’s reported actions, “disgusting.”
This wasn’t particularly appreciated by Senator Craig, who in an interview later said, “ "I was very proud of my association with Mitt Romney. I'd worked hard for him here in the state. I was a co-chair of his campaign on Capitol Hill. And he not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again."
Maybe Craig had the last laugh. He is still a Senator, and Mitt Romney is no longer a presidential candidate.
Can anyone think of any other examples of endorsements candidates might like to give back?
February 22, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (9)
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How about Clinton's ex-RI Co-Chair, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, who has been barred from her campaign events in RI because of fear that firefighters will protest the events because of a 5yr old contract dispute with the union...
Posted by: Rob | Feb 22, 2008 12:39:23 PM
Is it too late for "None of the Above?"
Posted by: cba | Feb 22, 2008 12:50:01 PM
Why should McCain have anything but condolences for Renzi and his family? He's afraid that the investigation is leading back to his own front step. McCain is and has been as much or more involved in this whole process as Renzi. I hope they get the story on that before he's coronated
Posted by: choosewisely | Feb 22, 2008 1:00:05 PM
No coronation, Shock the country Huckabee! Utilize this process and let the people stand with a vote. Convention not coronation! We will coronate to elect a president. This coronation has a time and place, like everything does. Let the election process get exercised by the peoples best interest not this media/tv influence.
Posted by: noregion5 | Feb 22, 2008 1:52:06 PM
As African living in the USA, I follow with passion the primaries between Clinton and Obama. Not because the front runner is from Africa but because I feel that america is now ever on the brink of breaking a latent monogarchy. the Bush-Clinton empire. The father and the son were Presidents. The Husband and the wife were Presidents. Does it sound right? oh sorry the Husband was President and the wife is looking forward to be it. The problem with the country of uncle Sam is the death of the reel State man! The governors are administrators and not real politicians" the senators and congressmen have lost the passion of non-partisan politics. Do you understand why O and Mcain have a lot of success? because there are the only one there who looks like a state men and a politicians. what can I as african learn from all this showdown?
Posted by: konan | Feb 22, 2008 3:21:50 PM
Renzi and Rezko. Anyone else detect a pattern? : )
Posted by: Mark | Feb 22, 2008 5:20:51 PM
Konan: maybe you don't have voting priveleges yet, but if you do, you should check out the Huckabee campaign at www.mikehuckabee.com and go to issues. He is a truly fairminded and consistent guy. He is a real statesman and a real person, not overly propped up by big business or special interests.
Posted by: Lauren | Feb 23, 2008 12:40:45 AM
Obama is only half black.
Huckebee is a lier that is stealing Ron Paul`s stance on everything.Huckebee has nothing of his own.
"Song Bird" McCain hid the POW papers because he is afraid we will find out that he may have played a part in the deaths of America Pilots.
Hillary has never told the truth.
AND!! our youth is voting in favor of more war,so! what is there to look forward to?
Posted by: Jerry Alexander | Feb 23, 2008 4:00:15 AM
Jerry, Huckabee stealing from Ron Paul? If that is the case, then he started doing it back when he was a governor. Besides, when has Paul had so many great ideas that anyone wanted to steal them? Mike Huckabee has implemented many of the things he talks about in his own state, and that is why he knows that it works. If you are talking about the FairTax, he, like Paul I am sure, looked at it and reasoned it out and decided it was good, just like others who have signed on to it.
Posted by: Lauren | Feb 23, 2008 11:21:03 AM
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