Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Does being born in Kenya make anyone sound better? Seems like a silly thing to lie about.
I attribute it to some person asking around the office, "His father is Kenyan, right? How about his mom? Some white lady? His synopsis says he was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia. Is this guy American or Indonesia or what?
On May 18 2012 09:41 heliusx wrote: so the birthers have invaded tl also? lets focus on the real issues. lol
Has anyone suggested he isn't qualified to be President? It's the news of the day, which is why it was brought up.
i just thought tl would be the last place i would see such a wild conspiracy theory even acknowledged. not trying to argue with anyone just an observation.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
Of course it's possible she made a mistake. It's also possible he lied. It's also possible the firm lied.
Please actually read what I write before calling me out.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
Of course it's possible she made a mistake. It's also possible he lied. It's also possible the firm lied.
Please actually read what I write before calling me out.
You wrote "it's reasonable that it was a little white lie". Nothing in your post indicates whether you were talking about the assistant or Obama lying. And no, it's certainly no more "reasonable" that it was a "little white lie" than that it was a mistake. edit: just to make things clear, I did not want to imply in my previous post that you were completely ruling out the possibility of it being a mistake, I phrased my question like that to imply there's no reason to believe it's more likely it was a deliberate lie by Obama or the assistant than a mistake.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
Of course it's possible she made a mistake. It's also possible he lied. It's also possible the firm lied.
Please actually read what I write before calling me out.
You wrote "it's reasonable that it was a little white lie". Nothing in your post indicates whether you were talking about the assistant or Obama lying. And no, it's certainly no more "reasonable" that it was a "little white lie" than that it was a mistake. edit: just to make things clear, I did not want to imply in my previous post that you were completely ruling out the possibility of it being a mistake, I phrased my question like that to imply there's no reason to believe it's more likely it was a deliberate lie by Obama or the assistant than a mistake.
Read the full conversation I was responding to. Someone said it was ridiculous that it was Obama's lie. I said that it's definitely reasonable to think it a white lie.... I never said it was correct, or even hinted at it being anything more than plausible.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
Of course it's possible she made a mistake. It's also possible he lied. It's also possible the firm lied.
Please actually read what I write before calling me out.
You wrote "it's reasonable that it was a little white lie". Nothing in your post indicates whether you were talking about the assistant or Obama lying. And no, it's certainly no more "reasonable" that it was a "little white lie" than that it was a mistake. edit: just to make things clear, I did not want to imply in my previous post that you were completely ruling out the possibility of it being a mistake, I phrased my question like that to imply there's no reason to believe it's more likely it was a deliberate lie by Obama or the assistant than a mistake.
Can you guys stop bickering? You're non-argument is silly.
Back to the election.
One of my go-to-pundits to follow the campaign is the Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan. And he wrote a nice little ditty about how even though Republicans insist they can cover another tax decrease by either cutting spending or closing tax loopholes, they haven't exactly advertised what loopholes or expenditures they would cut.
In additional, they seem to ignore the simple fact that deficits are not just determined by the amount of money you're spending, but also the amount of income you're generating.
And I think this is actually Romney's biggest liability in this race. On the key question of how to lower the long-term debt, Romney takes the view that only spending on entitlements matters. Everything else can and should actually add to the debt. More Pentagon spending and more tax cuts for everyone, including the 1 percent (even below the Bush era rates), are fine. That kind of debt is somehow not debt for Romney because he assumes that if you slash taxes, revenues will increase. This was an interesting theory in 1981. It is a failed experiment today. (Why we need to drastically increase defense spending in a period of necessary austerity is beyond me.)
Now Obama has been getting hammered repeatedly for blowing up the deficit. But the truth is that money spent on Recovery measures and TARP are only a part of the deficit, and a temporary cost. The Bush Tax cuts, as long as they continue, represent an massive amount of lost revenue.
Now just out of curiosity: Is there anyone out there that seriously thinks a Romney adminstration can cut taxes AND lower the deficit? It's hard not to be skeptical, but I'd be happy to hear someone argue otherwise.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Of course you would. There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite.
Yes, she clearly just summoned that information out of thin air... I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie. I mean, it makes his consulting profile sound better. At this point, does it really matter?
Are you saying it was a white lie by the assistant who wrote the biography or a white lie by Obama when he gave his info to Acton & Dystel? His father's Kenyan, you really don't think it's possible she made a mistake?...
Of course it's possible she made a mistake. It's also possible he lied. It's also possible the firm lied.
Please actually read what I write before calling me out.
You wrote "it's reasonable that it was a little white lie". Nothing in your post indicates whether you were talking about the assistant or Obama lying. And no, it's certainly no more "reasonable" that it was a "little white lie" than that it was a mistake. edit: just to make things clear, I did not want to imply in my previous post that you were completely ruling out the possibility of it being a mistake, I phrased my question like that to imply there's no reason to believe it's more likely it was a deliberate lie by Obama or the assistant than a mistake.
Read the full conversation I was responding to. Someone said it was ridiculous that it was Obama's lie. I said that it's definitely reasonable to think it a white lie.... I never said it was correct, or even hinted at it being anything more than plausible.
The person you responded to was myself, and what I wrote was "There's absolutely zero evidence to support that was the case, though - in fact, the person who wrote the biography said the exact opposite". Given this (and the fact that it would really serve no purpose whatsoever to pretend he was born in Kenya rather than the US), I do not agree with the statement "I think it's reasonable that it was a little white lie", that I understand as "I think it's likely that it was a little white lie". If you wanted to convey the idea that the possibility exists that it was a lie by Obama, then sure it does, just like the possibility that aliens are watching us and they were the ones who modified the original file from which the information was copied also exists. Occam's razor doesn't exactly point to these explanations, though.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Does being born in Kenya make anyone sound better? Seems like a silly thing to lie about.
I attribute it to some person asking around the office, "His father is Kenyan, right? How about his mom? Some white lady? His synopsis says he was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia. Is this guy American or Indonesia or what?
"Fuck it, I'm writing Kenya."
Playing up one's minority status is big in liberal -- especially legal -- circles in the US. Think of it as a big, feel-good circle jerk for the "socially conscious." You'd have to be a lawyer and around those people to really understand.
On May 18 2012 07:54 Defacer wrote: Update from the man that wrote the bio:
Literary Agent Says 1991 Booklet was a Mistake
Breitbart News reports on a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency which describes the author as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."
Miriam Goderich issued the following statement to Political Wire:
"You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Full disclosure: I am a client of the same literary agency.
What's more likely? That state-issued birth certificates and passports have been forged, Secret Service background checks have failed, the entire news media is in Obama's pocket, and not a single credible witness or account has come forward to verify Obama's birth in Kenya?
Or a junior/low-level assistant had a deadline and wrote a half-assed bio one afternoon?
Actually, I would bet that Obama purposely misstated where he was born to improve his resume.
Does being born in Kenya make anyone sound better? Seems like a silly thing to lie about.
I attribute it to some person asking around the office, "His father is Kenyan, right? How about his mom? Some white lady? His synopsis says he was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia. Is this guy American or Indonesia or what?
"Fuck it, I'm writing Kenya."
Playing up one's minority status is big in liberal -- especially legal -- circles in the US. Think of it as a big, feel-good circle jerk for the "socially conscious." You'd have to be a lawyer and around those people to really understand.
Ahhh ... OK. I just thought being half-white half-black and raised by single mother would be feel-good enough for most people.
Vice President Joe Biden returned to the campaign trail this week , just days after he forced President Barack Obama’s hand in supporting gay marriage — a move that infuriated a White House that spent the better part of the week trashing its Vice President in the press.
But Biden’s weaknesses in Washington are his strengths on the road, and his intuitive, emotional style of politics is what put him on the ticket in the first place. On a two-day “Made in Ohio” tour along the Ohio River, Biden delivered fiery lines, kissed babies, and scarfed down Dairy Queen.
“Barack Obama knew exactly what he’s getting,” said former Sen. Ted Kaufman, Biden’s long-time chief of staff who filled his Senate seat after the 2008 election. “I told them — Joe Biden’s a handful, he’s not a yes man, make sure you’re ready for him. He’ll always say what he believes, and he did that last week.”
One Democratic operative mused to BuzzFeed that the Obama team came down so hard on Biden to teach him a lesson. “Better now than in October,” the operative said.
I have always felt that the birther situation was a huge missed opportunity for the GOP. If they had instantly not only stated their position that it is nonsense to claim he isnt a citizen but also disavowed any association with such sensationalism they would have gained tons of respect with moderates. The GOP has been expending its political capital for years on dead end social conservatism and this was one easy no risk way for them to build a little back up. At least then we would all have one memory of the GOP drawing a line in the sand with their base.