The Real Mike Castle
Sep 3rd, 2010 by Frank Knotts
Well those of us who have been supporting Christine O’Donnell in her campaign for the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate seat from Delaware against entrenched incumbent Mike Castle have been waiting for the real Mike Castle to show up. Well he has.
O’Donnell supporters have been talking about issues for months. We have been pointing out Mr. Castle’s voting record in his long, long political career. We have listed the votes that we feel have been detrimental to the nation and its citizens.We have talked about his taking of millions of dollars from special interest groups, groups that he is charged with regulating in many cases. I for one have attempted to keep the discussion about issues and policy.
Of course there have been those from the Castle legion that have, as always attempted to distract from Mr. Castle’s voting record by casting about for some personal tidbit to drag Ms. O’Donnell through the mud with. This I feel is counter productive to a free and open exchange of ideas.
Now during the past several months, Mr. Castle has been absent from the primary campaign, choosing to ignore his opponent. He has refused to debate her, has actually turned down something like four forums.
Now with less than two weeks to go before the primary Mr. Castle has begun to run ads touting his congressional achievements. He is telling the voters that he has over his long political career been a champion of lowering taxes. This despite his vote for cap-and-trade that would be the single largest tax increase on the American citizens in history.
But more importantly , Mr. Castle has put his name and approval on an ad in which he drags up the old accusations about Ms. O’Donnell’s past financial problems. In the ad the speaker questions Ms. O’Donnell’s ability to be our Senator, due to these past issues. The inference is that anyone who has had financial problem is no longer eligible for elected office.
It would seem that Mr. Castle’s message is that only millionaires are worthy of elected office. That ordinary people who may have made mistakes or who have ever had troubles in their lives, are less worthy to hold office, than he and his like, the rich lawyers and bankers who contribute so heavily to his campaign.
I understand that politics is a blood sport. I understand that Mr. Castle is bringing up questions that have been asked by other people in other forums. In fact Mr. Castle’s ad quotes the News Journal article by Ginger Gibson, that was the catalyst for much of this controversy. Mr. Castle quoting Ginger Gibson, is little more than him quoting himself. The News Journal and Ms. Gibson have been Mr. Castle’s lap dogs for some time. Not exactly an un-biased source.
Mr. Castle is free to use whatever tactics he chooses to mislead the voters of Delaware about who he is and who he would have you believe Ms. O’Donnell is. But something to remember, while Mr. Castle and his hand maidens are out there slinging mud, Christine O’Donnell and her supporters have been and will continue to talk about the issues. And to ask the question, why won’t Mike Castle debate Christine O’Donnell. Why won’t he stand up like a man and make these accusations to Ms. O’Donnell’s face on a stage where she would have the chance to defend herself against her accuser, and to challenge Mr. Castle on the real issues facing the nation, the one thing that Mike Castle is deathly afraid of having to do.
I will close by saying that I still have faith in the conservative voters of Delaware. That they have the ability to sift through all of the chaff that the Castle legion is throwing into the air, in an attempt to distract and mislead the voters. I encourage everyone to look at the voting record of Mike Castle and to decide this primary race based on the issues.
Let me add this one comment. Remember that these types of tactics were used by the “openly left”, against Sarah Palin. They labeled her crazy, stupid and un-electable. Now the “quiet leftist” is attempting to use the same tactics against Christine O’Donnel.
Poor thing. Someone needs a hug.
“Remember that these types of tactics were used by the “openly left”, against Sarah Palin. They labeled her crazy, stupid and un-electable.”
That’s right Frank, its called truth. You spend more time dodging the facts than living in reality.
And stay out of those bushes!
Frank, I agree with everything said about Castle, however COD has way too much baggage and is unelectable. Whatever the Castle camp is dishing out now will pale in comparison to what the Coon’s crew will serve up. The problem is that the state GOP has failed to build any type of grassroots organization that develops candidates. The lack of an AG candidate highlights this failure. These new groups, such as the Tea Party, that Obama has stirred to action don’t have the history to have any type of bench so they rush to support any candidate that seems credible. I said on this site months ago that you could take over the state GOP with ten supporters and a bucket of water ice at a regional meeting. If they are in for the long haul, and not just a flash in the pan, they need to become the system not fight it.
I’m praying for you Frank.
“I’m praying for you Frank.”
In your face Knotty!!
Whatever chance OD had, she lost on WGMD.
I guess it’s a ‘Hold Your Nose for Mouse’ November.
Frank
This time it’s the people that spout that they are conservatives doing the Sarah Palin style character assassination on Christine O’Donnell.
I feel that it is unacceptable and reprehensible. It will be hard to work with and trust these pseudo republicans when this is over. This is stooping to a new low for these people. I’ve personally worked with TW on campaigns and never knew that he would openly support a RHINO over a true conservative. I have lost trust that he is who he says he is. He’s become a Rhino hack!!!
These are facts and they are the only ones that count:
On the issues O’Donnell has the conservative point of view and Castle can’t be trusted to vote with the republicans on issues that really matter to the country.
Character assassination? Like, for instance, accusing your opponent of having a same-sex affair?
I am thoroughly enjoying watching Christine O’Donnell and her nutjob followers get exposed and implode on the national stage.
Castle couldn’t buy enough negative ads to do the same amount of damage that Christine did to herself just yesterday.
Speculating that Castle is going to switch parties, and/or retire to give the Democrats a free Senate seat isn’t speculation. It is lying at worst, and nonsensical crazy talk at best. All you need to know about why Castle won’t debate O’Donnell is to listen to her on WGMD the other day, the second she was asked a question she was uncomfortable she started rambling on incoherently about Castle being a millionaire, going off topic to tell people to give donations, dragging on about the voters of Delaware even when it was completely unrelated to the to the question at hand, lying about winning or tying 2 counties and not letting anybody get a word in edge-wise. Not to mention Castle is over 70 and Christine is a pretty 41 year old woman, she could read the ingredients of Chocolate ice cream off the label and some people would think she won if she smiled at the camera while she did it.
A “Sarah Palin style character assassination” on Christine O’Donnell.
Hilarious.
Hey there anontoot:
Good to have you back. Life wouldn’t be the same without you.
This time it’s the people that spout that they are conservatives doing the Sarah Palin style character assassination on Christine O’Donnell.
Personally, I still would take OD over Mouse. But, she completely fell on her face on WGMD- that isn’t character assassination, it’s my personal judgement.
..she could read the ingredients of Chocolate ice cream off the label and some people would think she won if she smiled at the camera while she did it.…GeorgeC
No way- she couldn’t pronounce xanathan.
I don’t think I can pronounce that Rick.
Poor thing. Someone needs a hug.
Then why not give her one, Trust Fund? You’ve plenty of time.
I’m not sure what I am enjoying more, O’Donnell’s utter train wreck, or Hube’s flattering attention?
Thanks for going back 14 comments Hube. You are nothing if not dedicated.
Thanks for going back 14 comments Hube. You are nothing if not dedicated.
Actually, it’s called “having to do something for a living.” Try it sometime.
The destruction of what might have been a nice career in politics or public punditry is always sad. However Christine appears to have brought it on herself with the tactics that she has chosen and her inability to control herself and her surrogates.
But she does finally appear to have gotten Castle’s attention for the first time. “I have no intention of talking to her…” he said to the News Journal. He further stated she has used “the lowest tactics that Delaware has ever seen in a campaign.”
And now….he’s mad…
The Castle campaign appears ready to go negative on radio for the first time. And apparently options are being held open for negative television advertising. According to Politico, a “top Delaware Republican” said “After yesterday, alleging the gay affair, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the campaign educate voters on what depths Christine O’Donnell will go to,”
By the way, if you look at the picture of the townhouse O’Donnell reports as her residence (but claims she doesn’t live there for “security reasons,” as if anyone in the press was paying attention to her at all before her meltdown on Gaffney), where exactly are the bushes that Republican operatives are supposed to be hiding in? Folks have called her “delusional,” and today’s story and photo in the News-Journal will convince all but the most die-hard O’Donnell lovers/Castle haters of the truth of that statement. Look at the photo on from the News-Journal and tell me where they’re hiding. I don’t know which option is more disturbing: (i) we have a candidate so willing to lie and make stuff up that is so far-fetched and thinks the voters will buy it, or (ii) we have a candidate who believes everything she says.
Here’s the link to the story in case you haven’t seen the photo yet:
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100903/NEWS02/9030345/-Followers-may-cost-O-Donnell-followers
Frank, did you ever find out what the purpose of cap and trade is supposed to be? Does it have something to do with making new energy technology more cost competitive? Putting a tariff on old energy. Getting us off imported oil for our transportation?
As things are now, soon as the Chevy Volt and all the electrics start to get popular, OPEC will lower gas prices to $1.50 and all the alternatives will wither away. Been that way for 50 years now. But the Franks of America don’t like no complicated programs like cap and trade. Like things just like they are. Screwed.
There is truth to what you are saying. So the solution is to soak Americans and make Goldman Sax, George Soros, GE, and Al Gore trillionaires. I think we can find a better plan.
David, we had two generations to find a “better plan”. It’s always the same song when it comes to energy independence. It sounds to expensive. It’s a tax. When we were paying $90 to fill our tanks a few years ago for no good reason, was that a tax? Or was it some different kind of money being sucked out of our wallets? Carter Reagan Bush Clinton Bush Democratic Congress Republican Congress. Not only no progress, more imports. Reagan was all about energy independence. They all were. So much American made wealth going to Arabs Venezuela Iran OPEC you gotta start somewhere doing something. Even shots in the dark are better than frozen in the headlights of the Arabs. Will the money shift from one set of fat cats to another? Sure. As long as the new fat cats are not radical Islamic states or petty Latin dictators. Cap and trade is a way to cap the advantages of old energy and give advantages to new American made energy. It is complex. It is comprehensive. The results are not certain. But it is action.
Okay, let me make myself very clear. I do not, I repeat do not speak for the O’Donnell campaign. Got it? The people that released that video had already left the campaign to start up whatever it is that they call it, before the video was released. I will not give them any attention by naming them. I personally think it was low. The video was hack at best.
As for the interview with Dan Gaffney, well those of you who already had your minds set against Ms. O’Donnell heard her getting ripped apart. As for myself I heard a person who has been traveling the state talking to the people for months, who has shown up at 9-12 Patriots meetings and meet and greets. Ms. O’Donnell and her staff of volunteers have been working to get out the message that we can no longer afford to allow the Mike Castle’s of the world, to run the world. I heard a person that may have been running on a minimum of sleep to be able to get up at six to talk to Dan Gaffney. But I also heard a person that didn’t back down from the challenge. I guess we all heard what we wanted to hear. Could it have gone better? Of course it could have, does it mean anything in the larger scheme of things? Not really. What we heard on WGMD was a local morning talkshow host taking advantage of the national attention that Christine O’Donnell is experiencing.