Curious as to why the Republican party is failing miserably in every last corner of this great nation? Absurdity such as this has a lot to do with it:
When it comes to college education, Donnelly said he voted to increase Pell grants to make college more affordable and voted to decrease the interest rate on college loans. He said the Kalamazoo Promise - a college scholarship program offered to every public school student in Kalamazoo, Mich. - is something that can be done locally.
The government shouldn't step in for students, Puckett said. Although the government can offer some assistance, he said it shouldn't be the first solution students look to. Young people have incredible "work ethic," he said and if elected he will be a "sideline cheerleader" to help students accomplish their goals.
Ah, just what hardworking middle class families are looking for!
Because it is common knowledge that when we run out of gas on the highway, we always resent that AAA guy who gives us enough gas to get to the next exit. Lord knows we would feel better in the end if he simply drove slowly behind and cheered us on as we made the three mile hike there and back ourselves.
In case there was any remaining doubt as to Congressman Joe Donnelly's reelection, the recent WSBT/Tribune poll should bring an end to that nonsense.
Research 2000 400 LV - MoE +/- 5% Sept. 29-30
53% - Joe Donnelly 35% - Luke Puckett 3% - Vogel 9% - Undecided
Donnelly's campaign manager, Andrew Lattanner, said the campaign doesn't pay much attention to polls, but called the numbers a "reflection of (Donnelly's) hard work."
That said, the lead in the polls doesn't translate to any kind of break for campaign staff, Lattanner said.
"We don't take anything for granted," Lattanner said. "If there's one thing about Joe Donnelly, it's that he works extremely hard."
I was really, really sad when Chris Minor dropped his bid for the GOP nomination in the fightin' 2nd CD. He was, after all, a guaranteed laugh-a-minute, and his Blackwater non-employment would have been pure gold. Alas, it was not meant to be, and once neo-Nazi Tony Zirkle got his 17% of the vote out of the way, we were delivered the goofball that is Luke Puckett.
Yesterday we found out that Puckett's pocketbook problem was going to result in the firing of his campaign treasurer. Today brings the exciting conclusion!
Puckett told The Tribune on Monday that he would be asking Willis to step down, but both Puckett's campaign and Willis said Tuesday morning that Willis resigned before that could happen.
"We had every intention of asking for it, it was just the fact that while we were laying out the case, he went ahead and offered it without our asking for it," campaign spokesman Brian Sikma said.
Hilarious.
For those of you keeping score at home, this means that Puckett and the crack-staff over there essentially blabbed to the press about firing their treasurer before they actually blabbed to their treasurer about firing their treasurer. If that doesn't scream, "I would know how to handle a congressional staff," then I don't know what does.
Here's 2nd CD candidate Luke Puckett describing his commonsense approach to pocketbook issues.
As a small business owner, I know how crucial it is to keep as much cash in the pockets of taxpayers as possible.
Sounds pretty great, doesn't it?
Now, let's see that small business sensibility in action:
Puckett's quarterly report was due July 15, but the campaign missed the deadline, saying there was trouble with its accounting software, called "Aristotle."
The campaign filed a report on July 21 showing no contributions, and told The Tribune on Aug. 1 that the updated numbers would be sent later that week.
But the software failed again, Puckett said, and the campaign wasn't able to get numbers out until Monday.
The updated finance report shows the campaign received $24,450 in contributions from April 17 through June 30, and $25,850 for the entire election cycle.
It also shows the campaign $71,623 in debt, but that number is not accurate, Willis said in a phone interview Monday.
The campaign actually has about $60,000 on hand, he said. The discrepancy is because a $90,000 loan repayment was filed in the wrong category and recorded as an operating expense.
All of this in a story that deals not with the FEC report itself, but rather the fact that Puckett's campaign treasurer spent more than he had sixty-odd times over the last few months, racking up nearly $2,000 in bank fees.
As if the wacky YouTube confessional videos weren't enough to convince you that Puckett's candidacy is a joke, this comedy of errors should seal the deal. I mean, goofy Greg Goode in the 8th CD can't raise a dime to save his life, but at least he's honest about it.
Am I the only one hearing a few whispers today that everyone's favorite Arctic YouTuber, GOP goofball Luke Puckett, may have some brewing, bubbling issues to deal with in his nonsensical congressional bid?
And no, I'm not talking about the Politico piece this morning that pointed out he owes a few thousand dollars in back property taxes. I honestly don't give two hoots about that.
There will be more on this in a bit. Until then, consider this an open thread. The floor is yours.
In 2005, Exxon Mobil was asked by the Washington Post about their efforts to pressure lawmakers for the opening of ANWR to extensive drilling. Their response was that "lobbying on the refuge is done through a group called Arctic Power, of which the company is a member."
Fast-forward to today, and what do we find? Republican congressional challengers Luke Puckett, Greg Goode and Mike Sodrel traveling to Alaska as part of a political stunt organized by...you guessed it, Arctic Power.
Thus begging the question: Is the GOP plan really to achieve energy independence by taking their marching orders on policy from the oil industry?
Regardless of where you stand on the issue of whether or not we should drill in ANWR, is cozying up to a Washington lobbyist group really the best way to prove that you can bring about the change Hoosiers are looking for?
Oh, and while it is true that the candidates covered their personal expenses from the campaign coffers, the fact that Mike Sodrel has received over $70,000 from the oil and gas industry should not be glossed over by anyone.
And the goofiest part of this whole junket? Why, the candidates themselves. Take, for example, 2nd District candidate Luke Puckett, who could have been spotted a day or so ago swerving across lanes of traffic in northern Indiana on his way to Chicago. I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to.
Juan Manigault is the Republican who was destroyed in the South Bend mayoral race last year, gaining less than 30% of the vote. You might remember him as benefiting from the mail campaign that spread the uplifting message of impending doom and gloom to mailboxes throughout the city.
Luckily, political campaigns have a funny way of dealing with troublesome failures: Promotion.
Juan Manigault, who unsuccessfully tried to unseat South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke in 2007, will step to the helm of Luke Puckett's campaign for Congress.
Puckett, a Republican, is challenging first-term U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger.
Manigault will take a paid position with Puckett's campaign as its chairman, serving in a mostly fund-raising capacity and as an adviser, he said Wednesday.
I'll let Butch Morgan take the requisite, pithy retort on this one.
But Owen "Butch" Morgan, chairman of the St. Joseph County Democratic Party, said Manigault wasn't well received in South Bend during his mayoral campaign, and that Donnelly has a lot of momentum having traveled the 2nd District extensively since taking office in 2007.
"If he does as well as he did in the mayoral (campaign), I'm feeling good," Morgan said. "Luke Puckett or anybody else is not going to outwork Joe Donnelly. It's not going to happen."
There was a time when I was really disappointed in you, Second District. You had offered us up Chris Minor as a Republican challenger to Rep. Joe Donnelly, and he was practically perfect in every way. He worked for Blackwater, but openly denied it. He launched a campaign website with his smiling, photo-shopped face in front of the Indiana Statehouse. He was great.
Since then, we've had only the on-again, off-again thing with Luke Puckett, and while he isn't a good candidate, he's nothin' special. (Of course, he did compare Donnelly to Fidel Castro a few months ago.)
Attorney Tony Zirkle said Wednesday he will seek the Republican nomination for the Congressional seat now occupied by Rep. Joe Donnelly.
Zirkle ran for that seat in 2006, but lost in the primary to incumbent Chris Chocola, R-Bristol.
Donnelly, D-Granger, beat Chocola in the general election later that year.
Zirkle's campaign gained attention when he proposed using the guillotine to punish sexual predators. He also shredded an original 1953 copy of Playboy Magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe, and recommended drafting deadbeat dads to patrol U.S. borders.
(Emphasis mine. Craziness his.)
Well, at least we'll have fun through the primary process, eh?
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