Witness if you will the implosion of a multi-millionaire fat cat Republican incumbent that's been told he's "safe" so many times by out-of-touch DC politicos, he doesn't even realize he's already lost.
In the Hayes campaign's latest public gaffe (no they don't claim Saddam Hussein drove the 9/11 hijackers to the airport this time), self professed pet "bulldog" of Robin Hayes (yes, she actually brags about her boss calling her a dog to local reporters) goes on the OFFENSIVE in defense of Robin Hayes ties to disgraced pedophile Mark Foley with this quip to AP.
"They're trying to link CAFTA to pedophilia," Hern said. "He (Kissell) is trying to score political points on a molestation issue. That makes me sick."
Nice meme there tiger! Uh, bulldog.
Kissell OWNS the rest of the article.
When asked about connecting the page scandal to the free-trade vote, Hudson said Kissell was praying for the "families that have been victimized by Mr. Foley and the others in the Republican leadership who covered up his crime just to try to hold onto one more seat in Congress."
"As for Mr. Hayes and his ties to Mr. Foley, we hope he will show the independence today that he lacked last year when he fell prey to Mr. Foley and Mr. Hastert pressing him to vote for CAFTA," Hudson said.
Meanwhile, North Carolina Democratic Party chair Jerry Meek urged the state's Republicans House members to state where they stand on the leadership of Speaker Dennis Hastert, who has said he knew of overly friendly e-mails from Foley to one underage male page but did not know about sexually explicit messages sent to others pages.
"Do they stand with Speaker Hastert, whose callous indifference could have put more children in danger, or are they willing to take a stand against the scandal in the Republican Congress?" Meek said in a statement.
Hastert on Tuesday dismissed calls for his resignation, including one from a conservative Washington newspaper. President Bush later said he supports Hastert and his call for an investigation.
I'm sure the Kissell campaign is quite pleased Ol' Yeller took the time to shop her outrage in the national press. Outrageous and bizarre indeed!
Monday's Charlotte Observer also points out the Hayes campaign's frustration and inability to attack Kissell, who's proving to be the teflon Andy Griffith of this election cycle.
And the national Republicans?
They'd fired a few shots at Kissell in the last few months, but no heavy artillery. Now, though, they're taking a closer look at the race and seem frustrated that the first-time candidate has no political record for them to go after.
So the National Republican Congressional Committee's latest shot: Kissell "won't take a position" on key issues.
Which just allowed the netroots savvy Kissell to get get his website out to a few million more readers.
Kissell's answer: His Web site (www.larrykissell.com) details his positions on everything from the Medicare prescription drug plan ("a confusing boondoggle," he says) to the war in Iraq (he favors "phasing out" U.S. troops over the next year and shifting focus to protection of America's ports and borders).
There's obviously a reason Hayes' Campaign Manager isn't allowed to talk to the press any more. Right Garth?
The Hayes campaign referred a media inquiry to the congressman's legislative office (Outrageous and Bizarre!!!), where a spokeswoman questioned the Kissell poll's conclusions but offered no figures from Hayes' own polling.
Did the New York Times need some NC 8th District constituent services? Not sure if that's quite legal there Spineless Wonder... running your campaign on the taxpayers' dime. But that's what you do when you're a Republican RUNNING SCARED!
Asked if he's worried that 2006 might be different -- given a national political climate that favors Democrats -- Hayes says he is.
"You either run scared or unopposed."