Sherman Smith of The Topeka Capitol-Journal was on hand at a Kansas Holiday Inn where Steve Bannon scheduled a rally, or as The Washington Post’s David Farenthold described it—a “micro-rally,” for Kansas Trump supporters to whip up support for Republicans in midterm elections.
The ensuing live tweeting from Smith was nothing short of hilarious. First of all, Bannon showed up wearing a pair of Nikes, something we believed had been banned by conservatives? Nevertheless, here’s Bannon greeting his huge crowd.
And by huge, we mean his security detail in the corner and these ladies, who describe themselves and Bannon’s “biggest fans.”
Bannon was in Kansas to support Steve Watkins, a Republican candidate who has been caught in a series of lies about his own history: claiming to start and build successful company (he didn’t, he was briefly a consultant years after the company launched and executives have no memory of him.) His trip to Mount Everest was disrupted by an earthquake in Nepal, Watkins claimed his fellow adventurers had testified to his “heroic” efforts that day. They hadn’t. The Associated Press tracked down Everest outfitter Guy Cotter after Steve Watkins quoted him:
“There was not really anything heroic to be able to do,” Cotter said in a phone interview from New Zealand. “We all felt quite hopeless ... because we were not there, where all the injured and dying people were, through that event. We were actually up on the mountain, so there was very little we could contribute.”
In a campaign stunt, he attempted to complete the Iditarod race in 2018 and ended up not only dropping out, but abandoning his dogs, leaving them with other people.
Musher Tara Cicatello was at the back of the pack with Watkins, and both were forced to quit 11 days into the contest because they were so far behind. She said Watkins’ chief concern after being forced to withdraw was the publicity he had lined up. He was on the phone talking about speaking engagements and left the dogs that had carried him more than 700 miles in the care of people who were already overwhelmed with other dogs, she said.
And then, there’s this almost Trump-like level of hypocritical behavior. From The Topeka Capitol-Journal:
A major thrust of Watkins’ campaign has been a pledge to rely on Kansas values, Christian faith and military leadership skills to transform the political culture in Washington, D.C. In many campaign appearances, he has shared some version of this: “I’m a Christian. I’m a family man. I’m a patriot. And I’d love to serve you and never let you down.”
In a series of interviews, sources said Watkins confided to people in Topeka that his wife, a Boston physician, was tolerant of philandering as long as Watkins didn’t share details with Liu.
Is it any wonder that when pressed, Steve Bannon couldn’t name a single attribute that would make Steve Watkins a good representative for the people of Kansas?
For Bannon and Republicans, they’ll even stand by a pathological, serial philanderer like Steve Watkins—anything and anyone to help them cling to power. In fact, Republicans even sent in their top serial liar to legitimize Watkins, giddy that there is a glimmer of hope for their homegrown serial liar.
Party officials, though, have a big reason for hope that Watkins can regain momentum. They’re eager to see if a visit from President Donald Trump, who has also faced scrutiny over exaggerations about a number of topics, can legitimize Watkins in the eyes of voters in a district that went for Trump by 17 percentage points in 2016.
How pathetic is that? And if you think his flat-out lies might be enough to sway Kansas voters, think again.
Marple said he still plans to vote for Watkins — just like many GOP officials who have qualms about the candidate.
“I’m willing to give him a term,” Marple said. “We’re just talking two years. If we come to find out that stuff’s true and he’s really not what he says he is, we’ll replace him in two years, I guess.”
Let’s hope enough Republicans find their moral backbone before November 6.