O’Donnell IN
Mar 9th, 2010 by David Anderson
Who: Christine O’Donnell, Candidate, United States Senate (R-DE)
2010 Special Election.
What: Christine O’Donnell officially announces her candidacy for the November 2010 Special Election for the United States Senate.
When: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 10:30 am (please arrive early, as the Press Conference will begin promptly at 10:30 am)
Where: University of Delaware, Wilmington Campus
Academy of Lifelong Learning
Goodstay House, Gold room
2700 Pennsylvania Ave
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302)573-4417
–
-Vincent Martorano
Vincent@Christine2010.com
The swallows have returned to Capistrano, and the Pigeon has returned to Wilmington- from where?
Make all checks payable to:
My Boyfriend’s Utility Fund
Delaware Electric Cooperative
Greenwood DE
Why doesn’t Ms. O’Donnell run for a lower office, prove herself and the merits of her message, and then move up?
Running against a top dog like Mike Castle, from the bottom rungs of the political universe, is a waste of time and energy for everyone.
She tries it every two years; I guess she figures practice makes perfect- she’s Mike Miller in pumps.
First let me address this idea that you must run for dog catcher before you can run for trash collector. This perception that you must work your way up through the offices is a false idea put forth by party politics. The parties, be it GOP or Democrats wish to control who runs for what office. They see the best way of doing this by telling anyone new that they must pay their dues.
The question becomes, do we want someone with new ideas and a fresh out-look, or do we want a career politician who has spent their time in office working the system to keep themselves in office ?
Now Rick, I agree with you on many issues. I have read much of what you write on the blogs and I have heard you speak on WGMD. From what I can tell , your views more closely resemble those Of Ms. O’Donnell’s than they do those of Mr. Castle’s voting record. So I’m not sure why you choose to attack her instead of supporting her. I hope that you won’t use the lame excuse of ,”Mike Castle can’t be beat”. If people such as yourself would vote acording to their views on issues, rather than voting as if they are trying to handicap a football game, then we would stand a better chance of getting good people into office instead of the same old party icons that can’t be trusted to vote as they campaigned.
If we need anymore evidence that the GOP is frightened of O’Donnell’s ability to defeat Castle, we need only look at the fact that the information that was released in an attempt to discredit her, most likely came from the GOP in some form.
If we need any evidence that we should elect anyone other than Mr. Castle, just look at the candidate that the Democrats have put up. A throw away if ever there was one. The Democrats see a Caslte win as a victory. And personally I see a Castle victory as a defeat for conservatism. If you want to lay the ground work for Beau Biden to ascend to the seat his father held for far too long, then vote for Mike Castle who at best will set in the Senate for one term.
I agree with Frank that the Parties naturally want to control who the candidate is. 15-20 of the Senate never held office prior to being Senators. I think Senator Hatch is one. There are lots of them. When Michele Rollins steps up let’s see if anybody says she should start on the School Board. I think it really is best to have somebody we know, somebody who have been in office, just from the vetting standpoint. But having said that – any citizen including O’Donnell should step in. Have a primary. Primaries are good. Real good. Part of that vetting process.
I heard O’Donnell. My beef is not that she is new, she just sounds all anti-government without an alternative. If she steps up and says lets abolish Medicare and Social Security, cut of Food Stamps, do away with the FCC, then we have something. But just to say government is the problem not the solution. That’s the same crap we hear from every empty suit. Lower taxes, get government off your back, and balance the budget. Yay. I’m conservative. Not gonna cut it anymore. Show us the program. Any boob can mouth off. We need to see the plan.
Yep. We gotta hear the plan conservatives. Even bad old Obama told us his plan.
During the last campaign 2008 he said out front he favored a major overhaul of health insurance, liked the idea of National Single Payer but said we would have to go slow. He said he wanted to emphasize Afganistan, draw down Iraq, start hitting the enemy hard in Pakistan. Invest big in Green technology. Agree or not. He had white papers we could study. Ideas on doing stuff. Tangible stuff.
Of course, right in the middle of the campaign we had the Great Economic Collapse, the emergency bailout for banks in October 2008. The $1.2 trillion deficit in January 2009 – so even though Obama campaigned to be President of a fairly normal America (if two wars is normal) he got handed a basket case. War and Economic Collapse. That’s enough to cause an agenda adjustment for any President.
But the thing we expect from newbies like O’Donnell and all the conservative anti-government Tea candidates is details. Not just government sucks and I make it unsuck.
Obama did not campaign on being anti-conservative. He campaigned on issues. Health Care. Foreign Policy. Trade Policy. We can judge how the promises are met, but the very least a genuine candidate owes us is to give us a specific plans. Government too much in our way? I will eliminate A, B, and C. It is not enough to say I hate liberals. The Country is going Socialist. That’s just cheesey politics aimed at exploiting low information voters.
Sure. Let’s make O’Donnell Senator, then she can run for President just like Obama. Most people should have to prove themselves in lower office so we can find out what a crazy wing nut they are before we put them in higher office.
12 years– O’Donnell has proven over a dozen years that she has better answers than Coons or Castle. O’Donnell is not afraid to make waves to do the right thing. You call that nutty. I call it leadership.
Good luck.
T123 the reason no one will tell Michele Rollins to “start on a school board” is because she’s run successful businesses in Delaware and internationally, including the Dover Downs and a Ritz Carlton, while Christine O’Donnell ADMITTED in an interview with Jud Bennett a few weeks ago that as long as she doesn’t work, she can live off of campaign donations.
O’Donnell has had one full time job since she moved to Delaware in the early 2000′s, it was with a conservative think tank that fired her for not doing her job, and then she sued them for sexual discrimination, she ended up dropping the suit.
I was disappointed that this site did not carry Judson Bennett’s investigation/INTERVIEW with O’Donnell, ignoring it won’t make the bad go away.
““I’m not rich, I’m not working, and it is perfectly legitimate for me to use campaign funds for my living expenses while campaigning–food, gasoline, etc. I can even pay myself a salary as long as I’m not working,” said O’Donnell.”
So what did she live off of in 2009, when she wasn’t campaigning? Or does she just run a perpetual campaign for offices that she’ll never win so she can continue to travel to the middle east, attend soirees at the Vicmead Country Club and live off of our money?
O’Donnell is not afraid to make waves to do the right thing.
What ‘waves?’ The only waves I’ve seen are in her hair.
Maybe she and Hartley-Nagle can form the “Hot Party.”
Call 1-800-HOT-POLS;
“Hi, I’m Christine…and I’m Karen. Gee, are you lonely tonight? We hotties have an idea, and you’re part of our plan. It’ll be sooooo hot. But first, we’ve got to get the party started. So youuuuu..mail us a little check, say 100 dollars? That’s not much for little ‘ol us…It’ll be sooooo fun to see you all in Washington”
So far the arguments against her that I’ve heard are….
1.) She’s attractive Fair enough…I don’t call it a bad thing but I’ll give you this point
2.) She’s throwing herself full time into the campaign and is NOT independently wealthy..so she pays herself living expenses So, what you want representing you is a wealthy financeer who’s NOT beholden by campaign contributions, to the people they support. Perhaps you believe in a government of Aristocrats? Our Founder did not. In fact, they were clear in their debates about this very issue that America would be governed by her CITIZENS from everyday backgrounds and not by only the wealthy
3.) She’s not an established Washington, D.C. elite politician I can’t tell you how many people have told me they just can’t wait for that great political incumbent to run! I can’t tell you because the answer is no one. Not one person has said to me, of the THOUSANDS I’ve spoken to on the issue every one of them says we need “a fresh face, fresh ideas” etc. I’m GLAD she’s not an insider, the better she’ll do going in with principles instead of influence.
4.) She hasn’t run for a lower office therefore is totally fresh into the government Thanks Tom Ross…that’s why the Delaware state government and by extension our federal delegation has shifted left. That explains why there are so many GOP folks beating down the doors to be in Dover right? I guess it explains how we’ve done so well in the recent state elections…Oh…that’s right…the GOP has steadily lost seats the last few elction cycles…well give it time..keep trying that failing strategy of “work your way up kid” politics and let me know how that works out for you
5.) You haven’t heard her positions on the issues. You might giver her ten minutes to unveil a website. Post position papers and schedule events. Try attending an event. You could come to the debate Founders Values is having on May 1st. I mean…that is if Castle agrees to come. Since Christine has already accepted the debate…we’re just waiting on Congressman Castle to RSVP so we can confirm everything. Maybe one of you Castle supporters could give him a shout and ask if he’d be willing to join us?
Evan,
1. Did you know that it is currently ILLEGAL to pay your living expenses from your campaign funds?
2. Did you know it is ILLEGALl to pay yourself a salary until between the filing deadline for the office (last Friday in July) and the election? And you can only pay yourself a salary that is equal to what you earned the year before? (No job, no salary, so she can’t pay herself anything.)
3. She is now her own treasurer but doesn’t know the law?
These are the laws of the FEC and she is breaking them. That makes her a crook in my book.
A Founder’s Values debate? For most people to agree to a debate, it would take a guarantee of an impartial host and moderator. Founder’s Values is hardly that. Along with this “blog,” the endorsement of O’Donnell was made long ago. You all despise Castle. Stop the charade and admit as much. Otherwise, you misrepresent yourself.
As clear as mud….Founders Values has not endorsed O’Donnell *I* have endorsed her personally. Does each members opinion count as an endorsement? Does that mean that EVERY group who has a member who votes for any candidate…endorses that candidate? Stop hiding behind a psuedonym and make yourself known…I’m not hiding it…
And Founders Values is totally impartial and the moderator will not come from within the Founders Values group (as the candidates and campaigns have been told). This is nothing more than a cop out if this is why Castle wouldn’t come. Of course, the campaign has not said he wouldn’t at this point.
Evan,
1. Did you know that it is currently ILLEGAL to pay your living expenses from your campaign funds? A.) Does anyone KNOW that she’s paid expenses not related to her campaign? If it’s against the law I’m sure she wouldn’t have done it. If the expenses are justified enough for the FEC…I’m not sure your theory of what she is doing being “illegal” holds water. (b) Prohibited use.
(1) In general. A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) shall not be converted by any person to personal use.
(2) Conversion. For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s election campaign or individual’s duties as a holder of Federal office, including—
(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.
(c)1 Restrictions on use of campaign funds for flights on noncommercial aircraft.
(1) In general. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a candidate for election for Federal office (other than a candidate who is subject to paragraph (2)), or any authorized committee of such a candidate, may not make any expenditure for a flight on an aircraft unless— Show me where she paid for any of these items from her campaign funds. (I’m willing to call a spade a spade but I need proof over allegations.)
2. Did you know it is ILLEGALl to pay yourself a salary until between the filing deadline for the office (last Friday in July) and the election? And you can only pay yourself a salary that is equal to what you earned the year before? (No job, no salary, so she can’t pay herself anything.) – So…if she had a job last year working as a media consultant she could pay up to that level?Per Slate.com…According to rules from the Federal Election Commission, candidates who meet certain criteria can receive a salary from their campaign committees. It won’t be a raise from their last job, though, since the amount can’t exceed either their earnings from the previous year or the minimum annual salary of the office they seek—whichever is less.
3. She is now her own treasurer but doesn’t know the law? Technically I guess she could pay herself as her own Treasurer if indeed she has that role. You’d have to ask the campaign about that.
These are the laws of the FEC and she is breaking them. That makes her a crook in my book. Again, if these are FEC laws, the FEC has an enforcement team and I’m sure that bureacracy is working well enough
Operating Expenditures
Payments for day-to-day expenses, such as staff salaries, rent, travel, advertising, telephones, office supplies and equipment, fundraising, etc., are permissible operating expenditures. Interest paid on a loan is also considered an operating expenditure.
Certain other expenses are considered to be permissible operating expenditures on a case-by-case basis, including meal, travel, vehicle and legal expenses. For example, if a campaign pays for the candidate’s travel and subsistence in connection with his or her campaign activities, those payments are also considered operating expenditures. Generally, as long as such expenses would not exist irrespective of the candidate’s campaign or duties as a federal officeholder, they are considered permissible. See Section 3, Case-by-Case Determination of Personal Use, for more information.
Note, however, that if a candidate pays for his or her living expenses with personal funds, the payments are not considered expenditures and are not reportable by the campaign.
Candidate Salary
The candidate may receive a salary from his or her campaign committee only under the following conditions:
1.) The salary must be paid by the principal campaign committee;
2.) The salary must not exceed the lesser of the minimum annual salary for the federal office sought or what the candidate received as earned income in the previous year;
3.) Individuals who elect to receive a salary from their campaign committees must provide income tax records and additional proof of earnings from relevant years upon request from the Commission;
4.) Payments of salary from the committee must be made on a pro-rata basis (i.e., a candidate may not receive a whole year’ssalary if he or she is not a candidate for an entire twelve-month period);
5.) Incumbent federal officeholders may not receive a salary payment from campaign funds; and
6.) The first payment of salary shall be made no sooner than the filing deadline for access to the primary election ballot in the state in which the candidate is running for office.
7.) Salary payments may continue until the date when the candidate is no longer considered a candidate for office or until the date of the general election or general election runoff. For special elections, payments may continue from the date that the special election is set until the date of the special election.