Thursday, August 26, 2010

What a tool

Just got this email today. This is a perfect example of what an ego-driven campaign looks like:
U.S. Senate candidate John Mertens attending Burning Man

John Mertens, U.S. Senate candidate in Connecticut, will attend Burning Man, an annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada next week. The event is described by many participants as an experiment in community, radical self-expression through art, and radical self-reliance. It will be the sixth time Mertens has attended

“This year will be an abbreviated stay, because I don’t want to spend too much time away from the campaign. There’s no cell phone or internet service. It’s going to be a nice break!” Mertens said. “My 22 year-old son and I will arrive in the desert on Wednesday, and depart on Sunday. I brought him for the first time last year, and promised him we would return in 2010. I’m looking forward to the incredible artwork, and camping with a lot of friends I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Now, I'm not suggesting that people who attend Burning Man might be exposed to possibly illegal substances, but I'd guess the candidate will breathe a bit easier in the knowledge there still isn't a requirement for random pee testing for those running for national office.

If case anyone forgot, John Mertens is the guy who hijacked the Connecticut For Lieberman party after the late (and much missed) Dr. John Orman legitimately stole the party to use as an anti-Lieberman vehicle, notably in 2012 should the senator decide to run for reelection. Mertens was given the stewardship of the party by Dr. Orman not long before he passed away with that understanding, and then Mertens turned around and used the ballot line for his own selfish purposes.

If Mertens can't pull enough votes in the general election (which is basically a given he won't) then the CFL will likely lose ballot line access in 2012.

What a tool!

1 comment:

cored said...

I'm not clear on how someone writing an article about a candidate attending a festival is an "ego-driven campaign." At least, I'm not clear on how it's more ego driven than any other campaign.
And I've got to ask about this:
"John Mertens is the guy who hijacked the Connecticut For Lieberman party after the late (and much missed) Dr. John Orman legitimately stole the party..."
"Hijacking" is bad, but "legitimately stealing" is ok?
My understanding here is that there was an issue with denying the Independent Party the ability to get on the ballot, hence Mertens using the available Connecticut For Lieberman vehicle.
Anyway, these seem like minor quibbles compared to Blumenthal's support for the "enemy combatant" designation and military tribunals, much less his grandstanding by attacking myspace and craigslist.
I guess my point is, I'd rather talk about the issues, and what specific actions can improve things rather than non-issues.