‘The only person in this race who has broken House rules is Jean Schmidt’

October 26, 2006

I noticed that both Josh Marshall and Charles Pierce referred to Rep. Jean Schmidt as “stupid” today, so I was curious what all the fuss was about. It turns out they were onto something.

You may recall that Schmidt helped drag the House down to one of it’s lowest points last year when she lashed out at Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a decorated war hero, as a “coward” because he favors a troop-redeployment strategy for Iraq. She then proceeded to lie about the source of her remark, characterize herself as a victim, and blame the media for her mistake. It was quite a sad display from one of Congress’ more embarrassing members.

Naturally, Schmidt’s Democratic challenger, Victoria Wulsin, is anxious to remind voters about the lawmaker’s shameful incident, and is running TV ads reminding the district of Schmidt’s comments. For the incumbent, that’s where the “stupid” part comes in.

Rep. Jean Schmidt blasted Democrat Victoria Wulsin on Wednesday for allegedly breaking a U.S. House rule that prohibits using the broadcast of House floor proceedings in campaign ads.

“Her continued violation will land her in serious trouble with the House Ethics Committee,” Schmidt’s spokesman Matt Perin said in a release, referring to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which the release mistakenly referred to elsewhere as the “House Committee on Official Standards and Conduct.”

Besides those errors, there’s just one more tiny problem: Wulsin, who is challenging Schmidt in the 2nd District, is not a member of the House. Not yet anyway.

Oops.

In light of the fact that it’s against House rules to refer to another lawmaker by name or to disparage him on the House floor, Wulsin’s campaign spokesperson said, “The only person in this race who has broken House rules is Jean Schmidt. If she didn’t want people to see this ad, then she shouldn’t have given that speech.”

Pierce added, “It is devoutly to be hoped that, if it does nothing else, a Democratic sweep in the upcoming elections might disenthrall the Republicans from the notion that they can collect anyone off the steam-grates of their party’s boulevards, dress them up, and throw them out there to plague and pester the rest of us.”

Hear, hear.

The ad in question is online here. Thanks to Schmidt’s, shall we say, poor judgment, the ad she wanted to keep under wraps is now getting quite a bit more play.

Stupid doesn’t begin to cover this banshee. How about Schmidt for brains?

This needs to become an ad in own right. Um…Jean Schmidt doesn’t even know her peers in Congress. Could it be she’s too busy groping goats to know…

Damn, I’m laughing too hard to think straight.

  • You have to wonder about this alleged “spokesperson” of Schmidt’s, too. Do stupid people only hire people even more stupid than themselves so they won’t feel threatened or what?

  • Well, Curmudgeon, look at the White House. So…Yes, they DO hire people even more stupid than themselves! You do what you know….

  • Pierce added, “It is devoutly to be hoped that, if it does nothing else, a Democratic sweep in the upcoming elections might disenthrall the Republicans from the notion that they can collect anyone off the steam-grates of their party’s boulevards, dress them up, and throw them out there to plague and pester the rest of us.”

    It’s rhetoric like that which makes me proud to register Democrat 😉

    “Do stupid people only hire people even more stupid than themselves so they won’t feel threatened or what?” – Curmudgeon

    Not if Boy George II’s “You’re a PhD but I’m the President” slurs are any indication.

  • I understand that Schmidt is from a highly conservative district, but Lord, help them if she truly “represents” that district.

  • Does anyone know how Schmidt and Wulsin are polling in this race as of now? The termination of Jean Schmidt’s political career is near the top of my Nov. 7th wish list . . .

  • I guess mean (stupid) Jean already lost the race in her own mind, so she figured Victoria Wulsin should follow the rules for the elected members.

    ha ha

    Talk about being up Schmidt creek without a paddle.

  • CB – How does it look for Wulsin to defeat Schmidt?

    Good question; I should have mentioned this.

    At this point, most observers consider the race competitive. It’s a very Republican district, but Schmidt has made a number of enemies, even (especially) among local Republicans. Moreover, Ohio is in the midst of a Dem sweep this year, which is expected to undermine GOP congressional candidates in every district, including Schmidt’s.

    I’d still consider Schmidt the favorite, in part because Wulsin doesn’t have a lot of money, but hopefully incidents like this one will help tip the scales.

  • Does anyone know how Schmidt and Wulsin are polling in this race as of now?

    A month ago, SurveyUSA had it Schmidt 48, Wulsin 40.

  • Kind of shows the world the class of voters that make up the majority in Schmidt’s district.

  • The rest of Pierce’s post is worth repeating

    “Among its other effects, the ‘Gingrich Revolution’ created a framework in which an incredible passel of fools, lightweights, mountebanks, kinky libertines, and public omadhauns managed to get themselves elected to Congress. I mean all of that as a compliment, by the way. It takes a formidable political machine to inflict on the rest of us such an unholy combination of The Story of O and Horse Feathers.”

    Pierce makes an obvious but little discussed point: where do they consistently get such low quality knuckleheads and why?

  • “Pierce makes an obvious but little discussed point: where do they consistently get such low quality knuckleheads and why?” – petorado

    Competent conservatives become businessmen. They let the frat boys and other losers of a conservative bent go into politics and then tell them what to do.

    The Republican’t party never gets the first string, only the bench warmers.

  • I’m in the OH-02, and there are polls out there showing Vic with a slight lead (48-45). There’s a lot of energy going into the home stretch here, and all the momentum seems to be on Vic’s side. Plus, she’s picking up some endorsements –Cincinnati Post, Dayton Daily News. Anyway, I’ve given what money I can and I’m volunteering, so we’ll see.

  • A poll by Majority Watch done on Oct. 8-10 shows Wulsin leading Schmidt, 48-45.

    At the rate this cycle is going, the “Great State of Ohio” might well provide the Democratic Party with a U. S. House of Representatives majority—all by itself….

  • Judicial races are supposed to be non-partisan but in Georgia the Republican governor and several right wingers have given their support and money to a candidate for the Georgia Supreme Court. Their candidate has next to no experience with Georgia law, has next to no court experience. He is a part of the Homeland Security group that okayed waterboarding. But to keep this on subject, his sister has a restraining order out against him, his mother sued him He’s been married three times and his first wife is afraid to talk about him. And the theme of his ads – you guessed it, family values.WHERE WHERE WHERE do the Republicans dig these guys up?

  • She is not just stupid, and mean, and a liar (see story about a doctored photo of her finishing a marathon under a timer that did not represent her time), but she is also, apparently, a funny girl.

    “Her continued violation will land her in serious trouble with the House Ethics Committee”

    House Ethics Comittee! HA! That is like saying Stop or I’ll tell the mall cops you were mean to me!

    How symbolic and friggin sweet would it be for her to get the boot!

    If you have any extra funds laying around…http://www.wulsinforcongress.com/

  • Awesome. I had no idea that OH-02 was competitive (I grew up there, so not all of us are fools!) I loathe Jean Schmidt, so since there’s a legitimate contest, I’m contributing to Wulsin!

  • Pierce added, “It is devoutly to be hoped that, if it does nothing else, a Democratic sweep in the upcoming elections might disenthrall the Republicans from the notion that they can collect anyone off the steam-grates of their party’s boulevards, dress them up, and throw them out there to plague and pester the rest of us.”

    I just had to see that one again. That is great stuff.

  • Pierce makes an obvious but little discussed point: where do they consistently get such low quality knuckleheads and why?

    what a no-brainer: “Republican” is a synonym for “low quality knucklehead.”

    I mean, look around….

  • “I understand that Schmidt is from a highly conservative district, but Lord help them if she truly “represents” that district.”

    I used to live in that district. In fact, I lived in Loveland, Schmidt’s home town in the bright red northeastern corner of Hamilton County. The people are conservative, but they’re not reactionary. They tend to be Republicans for economic rather than cultural/religious reasons. Remember Paul Hackett came within a whisker of knocking off Mean Jean in OH-02 last year.

  • […] Schmidt’s spokesman Matt Perin said in a release, referring to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which the release mistakenly referred to elsewhere as the “House Committee on Official Standards and Conduct.”

    Quite a difference (and, possibly, a Freudian slip). As a linguist, I’d vote for Dems if only to put paid to such slipshod usage of the language (on that score alone, Bush gives me an ulcer)

    Pierce’s usage, OTOH, is *impressive*

    “[…] (see story about a doctored photo of her finishing a marathon under a timer that did not represent her time) ” — MNProgressive (@18)

    I must be out of the loop… The last time I remember that photo being discussed it wasn’t the *time* she made in the marathon that was being questioned… It was her *participation* (everyone else had a shadow, except the ghostly Jean). Which made her refusal to run a marathon against Vicky (proceeds to a charity) quite understandable

    “Schmidt for brains” — TAIO, @1

    TAIO, you keep it up, and you’ll *owe me*, big. I really cannot afford to buy a new keyboard every few days; it’s a Mac-expensive one. I *almost* wish I hadn’t studied English quite so hard…

    Dale, that goes for you too.

  • Don’t forget that in the Schmidt/Hackett vote last year that Hackett won many of the counties, and the last to report put Schmidt on top. And that vote count was suspect because there were “problems”. I don’t remember all of the details, but I do hope Wulsin will surge ahead (by more than 5%) so that this race won’t get “Diebolded”.

    Hannah, who got to meet her Dem US Senator Ron Wyden at a Dem rally yesterday! Nice man, very easy to talk to, and very interested in what I talked to him about…

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