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Campaign Crawlers
Karen for Our Country
Meet the woman who’s making Debbie Wasserman Schultz sweat big campaign bucks.
The other day I was invited to attend a Meet-and-Greet for Karen Harrington, the woman who got 39 percent of the vote against Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the 2010 Congressional election. Her gadfly performance in that contest forced DWS to spend two million dollars she would rather have kept in her war chest. Still, at the time no one really believed DWS could be defeated. Voting for Karen was more in the way of a gesture. Seeing the grass-roots energy at this gathering, I could actually imagine the seemingly impossible: Harrington might actually win Florida District 20.
Participants were clearly told this was not a fundraiser. It was directed at Jewish residents of the district. The redrawing of the district had increased the proportion of Jewish Democrats in the area, a cause for concern to any Republican candidate. I wondered how many people would show up to meet Karen at this middle-class residence. This atmosphere was a far cry from Democrat events, usually held in posh elitist surroundings.
People came in droves. Without being asked, they were all slipping envelopes to the candidate. The vibe in the room was excited and enthusiastic. Every so often I would hear the name of DWS raised in conversation and it would inevitably be drowned out by a hiss of disdain.
The anti-DWS sentiment was palpable. Folks were getting a huge kick out of Karen’s secondary website, firedebbie.com, which features a photograph of Barack Obama and DWS smooching while the national debt is increasing on a mobile graphic in the background. Milling around with a drink and an hors d’oeuvre, I heard and overheard a litany of complaints against DWS. Prime among those grievances was the perception that she does nothing but parrot talking points, never adding an original thought or insight on any matter of substance.
Ms. Harrington was introduced by the hostess and she delivered a homey homily about her background and her objectives. Her parents moved to South Florida from the Boston area when she was a teenager with little more than the shirts on their backs. They worked hard to build up a family concern which includes a chain of three restaurants. Karen was until recently an executive in the business her Dad founded.
Now as a successful businesswoman, wife and mother, she has become motivated to fight in the public sphere for the restoration of American Constitutional values. She makes a lovely impression and articulates her views well. Her campaign chair is Cruz Bustamente, the man who managed Marco Rubio’s successful run for the U.S. Senate. His instincts told him that it would be wise for Harrington to campaign statewide, because DWS is such a lightning rod in Florida and national politics. This has expanded Harrington’s fund-raising reach significantly, with money coming from the rest of the state at a pace not far behind that of her own potential constituents.
She has become a fiery backer of Israel, even delivering the keynote address at the annual dinner of the Hebron Fund, a very politically incorrect group that believes in restoring all of Biblical Israel to the sole possession of the Jewish People. This kind of fearless backing of conservative causes has prompted locals to make the inevitable comparisons to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. The latter has actively endorsed her.
Technically she is not yet the Republican candidate, until after the primary on August 14. One of her opponents in that contest is Joe Kaufman, an old friend of mine who used to be the producer of the nationally syndicated G. Gordon Liddy Show on radio. She is adopting the strategy of ignoring the primary and focusing on DWS, as her success last time presupposes the likelihood of her being given another shot by the voters.
She made news last week by challenging DWS to release her tax returns, in the wake of Wasserman-Schultz noisily backing Harry Reid’s call for Governor Romney to do that. DWS tries to pretend Harrington does not exist and acts as if she will be free to spend her campaigning time on helping defeat Allen West, with whom she shares a mutually consuming passionate hate affair. After seeing Harrington in action up close, methinks that DWS may have a real fight on her own hands. Fire Debbie, eh? Not a bad idea.
About the Author
Jay D. Homnick, commentator and humorist, is a frequent contributor to The American Spectator. He also writes for Human Events. Here he speaks at the Rally for Religious Freedom in Miami on June 8, 2012.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (45) | Leave a comment
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Appleby| 8.10.12 @ 6:41AM
So she's not actually a candidate, holding a not actually fundraiser, to defeat a candidate that ignores her.
I would say that was not a really encouraging picture.
chuck| 8.10.12 @ 7:21AM
Feeling bright, cheery, and confident this morning?
Big Bob| 8.10.12 @ 10:24AM
Au contraire...if she is generating THAT much energy and interest at this level, just what do you think will happen when she gets the nod? Have you ever heard of a guy named Cruz? from Texas? If you have not, you should check him out. This sounds like a similar situation. Sounds very encouraging to me...
Mimi | 8.10.12 @ 7:54AM
I along with many wish her luck....miracles never cease ! We need every seat we can get to save this country...to replace the harmful players with Constitutional Patriots....Hopefully we can win this and many more.
Von Mises Jr| 8.10.12 @ 8:42AM
Remember Alan Grayson? What is it about Florida that they produce these Neanderthals such as DWS and Grayson?
JimH| 8.10.12 @ 9:03AM
Maybe it’s the water. At least occasionally though, you get an Allen West.
Von Mises Jr| 8.10.12 @ 9:46AM
I met Allan West, JimH. I pleaded with him to run for the Senate Seat, especially since the GOP is trying to redistrict him out of his House Seat.
So I guess we are simply discussing the level of degeneracy of Congress as our friend Minuteman78 suggests.
Once again I am forced to apologize. I apologized to Eva Peron the other day for likening her to our princess. If Neanderthals are cognizant and out there, my humblest apologies.
JimH| 8.10.12 @ 10:00AM
You do get some interesting characters in Fla. politics. My county committeeman up until a few years ago was Brian Blair, one half of the former WWE Killer Bees until he lost an election to a gay Democrat.
junkyard infidel| 8.10.12 @ 1:07PM
The former rapper and front man of 2 Live Crew, Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell running for mayor of Miami last year. He wanted to impose a license fee on the strippers to dance in strip clubs to raise revenue. Now that was a hoot !
JimH| 8.10.12 @ 1:23PM
Uncover charge?
Bob Grant| 8.10.12 @ 1:26PM
Just not at the clubs HE frequents, cause remember, he's as nastay as he want to be.
Cronyism at it's finest.
KennesawJack| 8.10.12 @ 9:13AM
Von, I'm surprised at you. I think you owe an apology to Neanderthals everywhere.
Von Mises Jr| 8.10.12 @ 3:03PM
KennesawJack, on second thought, I retract my apology to Neanderthals since all living specimens are liberal Democrats.
Minuteman78| 8.10.12 @ 9:26AM
I'm a Florida native, born and raised. (Currently marooned in NC due to unwanted job changes.) You are right, there is something unfortunately perverse about my beloved home state that attracts bums, losers, freaks, and idiots. (Pretty much sums up most of Congress, no?) Carl Hiaasen has made millions off of writing about all those characters.
Boar Hunter| 8.10.12 @ 10:09AM
You should move to California.
Within six months you would be so happy that you were anywhere else that you would realize that bums, losers, freaks, and idiots is a very relitive term.
Occam's Tool| 8.10.12 @ 10:42AM
Boar: The razor left North Hollyweird on June 18, 1993, having completed my residency. My supervisors were kind enough to realize I might need some additional time since I was moving to Alabama and consented to let me take my last two weeks off in a block (The last time I had 14 days off straight in any job, except between jobs---that had never gone more than a month, by the way.).
As lovely and wonderful as my supervisors were (and I mean it---my profs at UCLA changed me in a very positive way, and my 4 years of residency training were among the most usefully spent years of my life---UCLA San Fernando Valley Psychiatry Program does rock), I knew that California was a bad place to grow up and raise kids. Gone I am, and gone I will stay.
Dr. Emilio Lizardo| 8.10.12 @ 1:41PM
If you find yourself missing the aforementioned bums,losers, freaks and idiots, you need to pay a visit to Chapel Hill, Carrboro and to certain nests within Durham. If you're just another malcontent transplant, as the comment about being marooned in North Carolina would indicate, I offer you the same advice I do to the transplanted Yankees over in Cary who piss and moan about being in Mayberry " Delta is ready when you are" (attribution: Lewis Grizzard). Marooned in North Carolina? Please.
Terrible Ted| 8.13.12 @ 3:22AM
The one Yankee I met in Cary loves it there.
Stuart Koehl| 8.13.12 @ 12:26PM
A very nice Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic church in Cary.
Jay Stevens| 8.12.12 @ 12:43PM
MM78,
Perhaps it is a combination of too much coastline and sunshine - just like California.
FLDMD51| 8.19.12 @ 11:28PM
Grayson is in the I-4 corridor bloc. Who knows what they will do... Totally unpredictable.....Grayson is certifiable, but that doesn't mean that he WILL be. Don't judge the rest of Florida by him. There ARE a lot of conservatives in this very large state! (Paul Ryan came to The Villages and was VERY well received!)
Al Adab| 8.10.12 @ 9:28AM
Debbie is such a wonderful weapon for Conservatives, every time she speaks we gain votes, I hate to see her go. The advantage to be gained by replacing her however far outweighs that consideration. This will be a bell weather seat and we wish Karen every success. Let us hope she becomes the nominee and carries the cause forward.
Kwan| 8.10.12 @ 9:29AM
Wasserman-Schlockz's believes that if you talk loud enough and fast enough no one will realize that every word out of you mouth is a total lie.
fmm| 8.10.12 @ 9:46AM
Maybe she is Obama's sister.
chuck| 8.10.12 @ 7:52PM
I think DWS is the cow that Harry Reid is screwing.
spike59| 8.13.12 @ 5:58AM
not even harry reid, lover of farm animals, would stoop THAT low
Gary B| 8.10.12 @ 9:45AM
The Democrat Party, where the men are better looking and more feminine than the women.
Kwan| 8.10.12 @ 10:09AM
Good point. I would rate Debbie a triple-bagger although my friends think I'm being a little harsh and consider her a double-bagger. Still a real mutt no matter how you rate her on the bagger scale of infinite ugliness.
Boar Hunter| 8.10.12 @ 10:13AM
Though after falling from the ugly tree she hit every single last branch and twig on the way down, I don't fault her for the ugly on the outside.
JimH| 8.10.12 @ 1:24PM
And the sheep are nervous.
Occam's Tool| 8.10.12 @ 10:38AM
From your mouth to G-d's ears.
Doctor Right| 8.10.12 @ 10:55AM
DWS is a man, baby!
ElGordo| 8.10.12 @ 11:06AM
SEAN HANNITY should put together a panel of Gov. Sununu, Gov. Huckabee, Speaker Gingrich, Gov. Sarah Palin and for two hours weekly have them attack the sleaziness of Obama, Axelrod, Reid, Wasserman-Schultz and Pelosi.
.
It's time to emphasize the sleaze behind Obama's persona, including; killing newly born living babies that survived abortion,
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Fast & Furious that killed 300 Mexicans and 2 Americans
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Creation of Death Panels with ObamaCare. How much cancer will ObamaCare not cure because of the removal of $500 Billion Dollars.
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Millions unemployed without healthcare insurance because of the Obama economy
Gary B| 8.10.12 @ 6:26PM
Good idea...
Bob Grant| 8.10.12 @ 1:34PM
One of the few things to allow me to die a happy man would be the knowledge that DWS is defeated by a Palin-backed candidate.
cicero| 8.10.12 @ 2:24PM
Dr. E Thanks for the reference to the late, great Lew Grizzard. Readd all of his books, and miss all those that he did not have time to write.
It never fails to amaze me how the jewish community consistently elects politicians who are economically and philisophically poles apart from their own traditions and economic interests. The excuse is always that they have been Dems since Roosevelt. So get over it. already. Todays Dem.Party is not the same party as that of Roosevelt, Truman, or Kennedy. All that changed in 1972. The Dems no longer represent the interests of the working man and woman. They represent themselves, and their quest to stay in perpetual power, so they can give the money of the working man and woman to those special intersts groups who will keep them there.
However, the great thing about a ddemocracy is that the folks get to vote for what they get, so they deserve it.
Oldefarte| 8.10.12 @ 3:43PM
I literally can't stand the sound of her/DWS's screaching toincils on TV, and the declaration that she hates Allen West has increased my dislike of same 1000 fold. In essence, she literally and figuratively a PIG and a disgusting one at that. Nothing could make me happier that news of her electorial defeat [unless of course it's coupled with news of that of her mentor/savior/Supreme One @1600!!!!
Bob Grant| 8.10.12 @ 4:40PM
You gotta problem with nasally, Northeastern, JAP voices that drone on and on...and on...an on?
soljerblue| 8.10.12 @ 9:16PM
well, no more than I do with Obama's speech pattern
Petronius| 8.10.12 @ 3:52PM
I saw the rings on her finger. Ed deserves her. We don't.
Nick| 8.10.12 @ 6:03PM
Meanwhile......
Here is concrete proof that San Fran Nan Pelosi is crazier than bag of rabid weasels, or, she suffers from demonic possession:
http://cnsnews.com/news/articl.....hite-house
You democrats must be so proud!
soljerblue| 8.10.12 @ 9:14PM
I'm thinking if Harrington has Cruz Bustamente on her team, DWS is surrounded. If he could bring Marco from way behind to beat ManTan Charley Crist, he can take Harrington all the way.
Steelbutterfly| 8.12.12 @ 6:28PM
I would be thrilled if FL could get a responsible congresswoman who actually has original thoughts vs. DWS, who sounds so programmed that I keep wondering where her "Off" button is located! I am from Texas and worked to get Ted Cruz elected, and I KNOW that the principled underdog CAN beat the lies and subterfuge put out by an opponent. Looks like it is time to make a donation to Karen Harrington's campaign!
FLDMD51| 8.19.12 @ 11:23PM
For all you doubters - Karen Harrington HAS won the primary! Karen has been supported by the Tea Party and other conservative groups. I'm sure you all know what a disingenuous dipsh**t DWS is! Please help Karen Harrington get elected by going to her website - www.firedebbie.com and contributing what you can. The DNC chairman needs to retire....NOW!!