Tea Partier dares the TU to censor blog, and the TU obliges

The Times Union's Tea Party blog just blew up like a skull hit a by a large-caliber round.

Valerie Doane, a regular contributor to the blog, and an organizer in the local "liberty movement," has been, uh, fired?, by Mike Huber, the TU editor in charge of the community bloggers after posting an image of the inside of a man's skull. After he had been shot in a Mexican drug cartel shoot-out.

Here's Huber's official comment on the sitch:

A post published earlier this morning was removed from this blog. It contained a graphic image that violates our terms of service. The photo depicted a murdered man who had been shot in the head, and we removed the image and the post as soon as we learned of it.  Also, we have no knowledge that the blogger had publishing rights to use that photo.

The post was written by a guest blogger, Voice of Liberty, and it was in response to what Doane says was an escalating attempt by the TU to shape, and sanitize, the Tea Party blog through censorship.

Here is some of what Voice of Liberty wrote:

Well, the Times Union likes the Tea Party blog when it generates tens-of-thousands of page views and drives the click-ad revenue through the roof.

But they only like it when it is the sanitized and familiar view of the Tea party. Like the FBI version of the border. A nice, thick blanket over the body. Little folding numbers. You know – “we love guns” and “we hate commies” and “Progressives suck” and “we love God” and all that standard fare the far-left commenters churn on.

But when it gets too edgy, or ruffles some feathers, they start to cringe and censor. The Staff at the Times Union recently challenged the TU Tea Party bloggers to answer the question: “Is the Tea Party nothing more than a shill for the Republican Party?”, after a mind-numbingly repetitive series of Republican candidate-centric articles by a TU Tea Party blogger who doubles as a Tea Party Co-Organizer (at least since he became a TU blogger anyway). But, more recently, the TU Staff prohibited any content or material related to the Albany Tea Party / Capital District Tea Party Leader.

As it stands, the Tea Party blog has been suspended.

I will be reporting in more detail on this incident here and in the paper Thursday.

After the jump is the image that got Doane booted. Warning, it is seriously NSFW or for kids or for people who don't wanna see the inside of a head.

Comments

[HillTowner]

This gets funnier and funnier. Now the important TU blogger Kevin Marshall is taking time out from his cool, edgy blog and weighing in about issues he is clueless about.
"It was a desperate grab for attention from someone whose desire for attention"

Valerie is the most self-effacing and dedicated patriot going. Clearly you don't know anything about her. She has the unwavering support of all true patriots, unlike the other no-name TU bloggers and exposed professional phonies like Mary and her ilk.

Hey Metro - I vote you give Val a blog here. She's clearly generated more blog activity then you guys have ever had.

Hey Phony Tea partyers - keep up the buzz. You look stupider with every comment.

[HillTowner]

So, let's see.

The Metroland published the so-called "traumatizing" photo right here.

And Mary emailed it to her entire mailing list, hundreds of people.

So, all this hysteria and all the nasty, judgemental comments are about (drumroll please) the lack of the "Warning! Graphic Photo" label?

Seems a bit out of proportion framed in that context, doesn't it?

What a sad pack of haters.

[Michelle Mulledy]

What Valerie did had nothing to do with her being a patriot.It was a deliberate act to undermine the blog and Mike Huber because didn't get her way so she decided to sabotage all of us involved.
Not a good decision on her part!

[Spyder]

Is that all you're worried about Michelle ?

Keeping your lily white, sanitized, homogenized, republican only version of the tea party blog alive ?

Well, it will more than likely work in the 20th CD to get Chris Gibson elected. I hope it does, and more power to you. I'll be happy to help in any way I can to get the good Colonel elected. He's a good man, and the right man for the job

However...

Once you decide to try to have any type of effect on that pit of vipers known as Albany, they will take you and your signs and your flags and eat you up and spit you out like a bad meal and go right back to screwing the public without so much as a belch in between

And it is at that point, my naive friend, that I suggest that you contact Kevin or Val or myself

Because that's when yer gonna need the REAL Tea Party

And don't worry, I promise not to say "I told you so" ;)

[HillTowner]

Michelle - I see you real tea party folks are busy discussing President Obama's Kenyan birth certficate.

Will you be blogging an update on it soon?

http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/messages/11276964/

"Testimony from a Mombasa science teacher and the Mombasa Registrar of births that Obama's birth certificate from Mombasa is genuine. A copy of President Obama's birth certificate that Lucas Smith obtained through the help of a Kenyan Colonel who got it recently directly from the Coast General Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya"

Keep up the good work!

[Kevin Marshall]

Oh no! Hilltowner hit me where it hurts by pointing out that I have a popular blog that people read! DRATS. Crap. Fiddlesticks.

Also, this great point:

"Valerie is the most self-effacing and dedicated patriot going. Clearly you don't know anything about her."

You know what? I take it all back. Because I did some research and you're right, Hilltowner, all the great patriots hold the same attitudes and commit the same actions Valerie does. In fact, I read an article that mentioned how Thomas Jefferson's first act after drafting the Declaration of Independence was to mail an offensive photo to King George. Then he cried "I'm being censored on my blog by those rotten English!"

But none of that matters, because actually I read this page on the internet that said Jefferson was actually born in Guatemala.

You f***ing idiot.

[Kevin Marshall]

Sorry guys, that was crass and out of line, and I certainly wouldn't stand for anybody making such a comment on my blog.

And Hilltowner, I apologize to you. You're just a standard run of the mill idiot, and the cussing adjective was unnecessary.

[HillTowner]

Marshall - Apology accepted. And thank you for making my point.

Funny how quickly external events and personalities can make us behave out of character.
"Sorry guys, that was crass and out of line, and I certainly wouldn't stand for anybody making such a comment on my blog."

Unfortunately, I can't get the sight of those asterisks out of my head. I even see them when I close my eyes.

I'm sure Michelle and her Tea Bloggers will swiftly issue a statement distancing themselves from you.

[HillTowner]

Michelle Mullety - Are you on top of this developing issue? Can we expect a Tea Blog on the I9 solution your Tea Party has manifested ("When one is hired for a job, they must complete an I9 and the employee must provide documentation they have authorization to work in the US.")?

"So, I will assume that in federal gov't moving from legislative to executive requires an I9 and at a minimum where is the I9 from his senatorial days when he was a new employee in the federal government?

If he completed one, and checked citizen, then the birth certificate is relevant since a natural born is a PREREQUSITE FOR THE PRESIDENT'S JOB.

Who in the federal gov't is reviewing the documentation for the elected positions?

Anyone know?

Kathie"

http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/messages/11279145/

[Kyle]

What? Valerie Doane a fake and a fraud?! Say it ain't so! What would George Martin and Bob Wilcox think if they knew they were courting an empty suit?

[SlowBerne]

"What would George Martin and Bob Wilcox think if they knew they were courting an empty suit?"
Based on history, they would think they were talking to Patrick Z.

[Mike_Pubah]

"It contains one graphic abortion photo and a diagram of the partial birth abortion procedure."

"Bill Claydon, the producer, told LifeNews.com, "I was just getting ready to attach a link to our web site and to begin our promotion of it when it was pulled. They did not give us any explanation whatsoever, except a boiler-plate email covering all types of 'YouTube Community Guideline Violations.'"

"There are lots of pro-life videos containing graphic photos which are allowed to remain, but they don't mention Obama," Claydon said."

http://www.lifenews.com/nat4336.html

[HillTowner]

Hey Michelle - Are you "renewing the republic" one birth certificate at a time?

http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/messages/11279515/

"May we see the I-9?

I know in NYS, moving from one state agency to another is a new employer and an I9 must be completed.

So, I will assume that in federal gov't moving from legislative to executive requires an I9 and at a minimum where is the I9 from his senatorial days when he was a new employee in the federal government?

If he completed one, and checked citizen, then the birth certificate is relevant since a natural born is a PREREQUSITE FOR THE PRESIDENT'S JOB.

Who in the federal gov't is reviewing the documentation for the elected positions?

Anyone know?

Kathie"

"Re: I-9 Form [RenewingtheRepublic] Fw: Finally ....Kenyan Birth Certificate
From: Rosemary Jeffers
Sent on: Sunday, September 5, 2010 9:50 AM

 I do!!!! NO ONE!!!! Do you really think he filled out an I9?????"

[William Clark]

Forget Obama being a usurper.

Too bad teabaggers can't use google to find the usurper in their midst.

They could have found out what others knew long before.

This guy pegged Benedict Ziegler as a fake and a hypocrite back in March.
http://ballstonandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/03/patrick-ziegler-blowing-smoke.html

The repugs were wise to put forward one of their own to take over the momentum of the tea bag express in the 20th.

Wonder how much that cost?

[GEORGE B. MARTIN]

" What would George Martin and Bob Wilcox think if they knew they were courting an empty suit?"

Kyle, I'm not sure what you're referring to.

My position with regard to the Tea Party is very clear as I've written it here and the TU blog. I have tried, over the past forty plus years, to educate myself as to the Constitution and issues of liberty. I have wavered too frequently in the past and been side tracked. Since 2004 I have got my head back to where I started. I have some catching up to do and not as much as others.

It is very refreshing to see the Liberty Movement grow and take a maturing position on issues of concern for all of us. I'm not the lone "nut" writing and speaking about these issues any longer.

I've met Kevin and like him. Valerie I met in February when she became a committee person on the Clifton Park Republican Committee. To quote Leonard Cohen she as well as I are "trying to change the system from within".

As to Mr. Wilcox, I'm not sure he even knows about the TU blog, and certainly this blog. He isn't as hip as I am. He needs to speak for himself.

I don't have a horse in the race with all of this squabbling internally with the Tea Party folks. The position I take is the same that I believe we should take internationally...non-interventionist.

I'm pro Gibson, Paladino, Bernsten. I know they are better than what is being offered by the big government folks. They are far from my ideal candidates and certainly much better than what we have seen in many, many years.

[William Clark]

Wonder no more!

Here is a link to the latest FEC filing which shows just how cheaply a bagger can be bought: http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00477984/491342/sb/ALL

This latest filing shows a 07/02/2010 payment for $3000 to Benedict for "Outreach Services" and a $405 payment for a filing cabinet? on 07/05/2010.

Happy Birthday America!

Being a party man pays!

07/16/2010 $3000 more for "consulting services".

What is the difference between consulting and outreach? Who knows?

Then another $2500 for 7/16-7/30 consulting services - looks like a pay cut?

But wait - he gets promoted again to "Managerial Services" for $3000 on 08/13/2010.

So now we know just what a bagger costs. Not bad work if you can find it.

I wonder how much Cuomo is paying Paladino to run for office?

Oh, yeah that's right he has made his fortune on state leases.

I am sure that Lazio is on the payroll. The repugs roll out that loser everytime they want the dem to win.

[William Clark]

Looks like the Times Union pulled the posts of the anti-choice zealot that Hilltowner outed above. The link in the article shows all of Bill Claydon's posts being removed http://blog.timesunion.com/teaparty/author/billclaydon/

Look at the anti-choicers extremist video replete with fetus porn here: http://blog.timesunion.com/teaparty/author/billclaydon/

Look at the hypocrite's comments about the "headshot"

http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/messages/11270336/
"I would like to make it clear that the majority of the bloggers for the now suspended Times Union Tea Party blog, myself included, were not aware of beforehand, are absolutely appalled by, do not in any way support, and totally disassociate ourselves from the utterly horrific blog post that went up this morning. Outside of the previously mentioned bloggers, and the blogger who posted that most despicable entry, only one remains. I have no idea how that individual feels because I no longer communicate with that person.

Bill Claydon"

Fetus pudding ok, mexican headshot, not so much.

[William Clark]

Anti-choice blogger Claydon has been at it for a long time. Feeding us fetus porn since at least 2006 http://turntowardgod.net/?blog=38

It the tea party really about what minister http://blog.timesunion.com/teaparty/americans-we-have-woken-up-and-we-have-a-message-for-our-government/229/ Elizabeth Lemery Joy says:
Joined: September 3, 2010
" I joined because I believe in what the Tea Party stands for: Lower taxes, smaller Government and fiscal conservatism. "
http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/members/12890190/
Why are radical women haters and ministers involved?

Look at this one another anti-choicer http://blog.timesunion.com/teaparty/25/25/
http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/members/6348093/

[GEORGE B. MARTIN]

I have a question because I’m an outsider to this group and you all seem to know each other:

What exactly is the issue with Patrick?

I want specific data, not innuendo or hurt feelings. Where and when did he sell out? How did he sell out? Why do you believe working for Col. Gibson is wrong?

I have some observations to make later, after some of you weigh in on the matter.

Go for it!

[GEORGE B. MARTIN]

I have a question because I'm an outsider to this group and you all seem to know each other:

What exactly is the issue with Patrick?

I want specific dataI, not innuendo or hurt feelings. Where and when did he sell out? How did he sell out? Why do you believe working for Col. Gibson is wrong?

I have some observations to make later, after some of you weigh in on the matter.

Go for it!

[Kyle]

My dear friend George, you are so misguided. You are not a part of the Tea Party movement and you never were. Quite trying to intervene in our affairs.

"Valerie I met in February when she became a committee person on the Clifton Park Republican Committee. To quote Leonard Cohen she as well as I are "trying to change the system from within"."

Oh, come on George. Changing the system from within? Are you kidding us? You're "relationship" with Valerie is quite well known.

Last I checked fidelity WAS a conservative value.

[William Clark]

Looks like the answer to the split is here: http://www.meetup.com/RenewingtheRepublic/messages/11095231/
From: Spyder
Sent on: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 3:18 PM
I was content to have this discussion stay in email between me and Patrick and Mary

But Mary was not content unless she aired our dirty laundry in public, and now she wants to compound the problem by asking people to take "her side" thus dividing the Tea Party like she claims she doesn't want to

I guess we might as well start from the beginning, with Patrick's congressional candidacy

Patrick promised the Tea Party that if he didn't get the (R) nod, that he would primary

Well, he didn't get the nod, and he didn't primary. Many people felt betrayed. Patrick, of course, accused us of not supporting him (I don't know who didn't support him, I personally argued in his favor to the Ballston committee who ultimately ended up voting for him)

Then, not only did Patrick not primary, but, he took a job working for Colonel Gibson. My own personal opinion of this was that it was a good thing because it meant that Patrick was still able to whisper Tea Party words in Chris' ear. However, not everybody shared that feeling. They felt that Patrick was a "sellout" because now he was working for "the party"

This division is what led to Mary creating the Capital District Tea Party because now she is in control of all the news that goes out, and nobody has to hear any rumors about Patrick being a "sellout"

But now Mary and Patrick are firmly in the grasp of "the party", and need to turn as many people away from Carl Paladino as possible because Carl is an outsider, so she sends out an email asking opinions about the GZ mosque, hoping that it will show that Carl is not even a Tea Party candidate. This, of course, isn't good enough for her, so, whenever she refers to Paladino, she calls him "the self proclaimed Tea Party Candidate"

I took umbridge with that comment, so I sent out an email to everybody, reminding people that we ALL voted to support Carl. Apparently, that didn't sit well with Mary

Many of you are already aware of Lenny Roberto's Primary Challenge effort, which puts grass roots activists into committee positions, and trains them to become political candidates. Many of us are on that job of "infiltrating" the parties in order to turn them back to their roots of representing The People

Last week I made a comment in the TU blog admitting to the Primary Challenge effort in the post "some people have it, and some people don't" #136

Both Mary and Patrick chided me privately for that...

"Just read your post on the TU blog. Is really crappy that you refer to the Ballston Committee like that. They're a good group of people who want to do good things for our town. Thank goodness you've decided to "infiltrate" them! How is the country going to improve when we have a sect like you that thinks resorting to Alinsky tactics, and stooping to their level, is how we reform? For all your supposed "guts" you're just as phony as everyone else. You have no intention of "reforming" the party, you're just pissed you're not in control ("I'm going to take over the country" ring a bell?). And all of a sudden high paid scumbag consultants aren't a problem when its for Paladino? Hypocrite! You hate the Republicans, but know Deb can't win without the little "R" next to her name. Go form some wacked third party since I don't think your brand of Republicanism would be any better than what we have now. Leave the reform to people who are more interested in principle than power and ego, and won't be two faced jerks in the process.

I'll be sure the committee sees that post.
-Mary"

"I'll be sure the committee sees that post". Wow. That sounds pretty vindictive, doesn't it ?

Especially for a "real" Tea Party person who only wants the best...

Especially since I already TOLD the committee what I was up to when I joined. They were cool with it because I could get away with saying things that they couldn't, and then they could blame it on me being a Tea Party member who they can't control

The emails between me and Patrick and Mary went back and forth for a bit, until Patrick phoned me, we hashed it out, and I thought the problem was solved. Good. I felt that it was best to not let anybody know that there was a problem in the first place.

Then Mary had to go and make it public in the TU. And not just make it public, but, instead of bashing the candidate that ACTUALLY pissed her off, she took it out on Debbie Busch. The ONLY candidate that we managed to get onto the republican line without a primary and, not only without the help of the party, but, against the WISHES of the party

In fact, the party actually threatened her if she kept supporting Paladino

And now, she has the gall to refer to Debbie as the "hand picked" person, when Chris Gibson is the actual hand picked candidate

Now, don't get me wrong. I've come to like Chris, and I will do everything in my power to help get him elected. I personally carried his petitions in fact. I confront Murphy to help Gibson, yet, Mary gets pissed off at ME, and publicly takes it out on the candidates that I've chosen to work for

That's shitty. That's petty. That's the type of thing I didn't want to happen because now we ALL look like we've become an arm of the republican party the way that the left has been accusing us

I tried to calm it down. I even pretended to buy Patrick's bullshit about continuing to whisper in Chris' ear while, in the same breath, he told me that he planned to run for another office because his family needs the money

Wow. Talk about hypocrisy. Haven't we been saying that anybody who gets into politics for the money is somebody we DON'T want in office ?

And now he admits it

If anybody is curious as to how much Patrick is getting paid, take a look at this...
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00477984

pg 176 $2500 4/16 (the day before our Tea Party)
pg 185 $2500 5/07
pg 194 $2500 5/21
pg 198 $2500 5/28
pg 204 $3000 6/18 (must've gotten a raise)

There are no more entries after that, but, that set of records ends, and the next quarter hasn't been filed and made public yet

Now, to make it even worse, Mary says that Valerie ISN'T a Tea Party member. Well, strictly speaking, she's not. Valerie is an ACTIVIST.

Valerie was integral to planning BOTH of our Tea Parties.

Valerie was right there putting her boots on the ground knocking on doors getting petitions signed for Debbie while Mary sat in her house and planned flag waves for Chris Gibson

Valerie worked out the deal to donate the extra money from the Tea Party to the Wounded Warrior program

Yes. Valerie IS Tea Party. Every inch of her. And the only hypocrites are the ones collecting money from the republicans. $13,000 in three months. Hell, it takes me a YEAR to make that much.

But, then again, I WORK for a living

I urge you all to not allow this petty bickering to draw yourselves away from any of our campaigns. Each of our candidates is vital to our cause

I'm sorry Mary. You were the one who wanted to make it public, so, now it is

Be careful what you wish for

On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 10:43 AM, Mary wrote:
Hello All,
As you know, for some time you have been receiving emails from Valerie about her TU blog. Valerie is someone who is not an active member of the Tea Party group, but rather uses it to push her own personal blog on the TU. I am personally uncomfortable with people taking advantage of our group for communication when they are clearly not active members, but I have let it slide.

Recently I posted a comment to Valerie's blog about the hypocrisy that exists with some in the Tea Party. It was not meant to offend but rather ask some questions that may be tough. I am concerned that we are creating double standards, and if we don't hold ALL politicians and candidates to the same standards then we lose all credibility. Valerie's response was to "expose" my identity on the blog, and then send the update to all of you. I was disappointed, but not surprised by these bully tactics. It is this kind of divisive behavior by the more extreme fringe that will prevent unity and truly accomplishing our goals in the coming years. We need to work together to save the country for our children and grandchildren. It's simply too important to be distracted by pettiness and childish outbursts.

I want you to know I am leaving Valerie on the email distribution list because I don't adhere to bullying tactics when someone writes something I don't like. However, I fully expect her to further throw accusations in my directions but I will not engage or reply. If any of you are concerned in any way feel free to email me personally and I'm happy to discuss.

Thank you all, and I apologize you had to be brought into this. Now onto more important matters!
-Mary

[GEORGE B. MARTIN]

Kyle,
I never wrote that I was part of the Tea Party. I am not now, nor have I ever been involved with the Tea Party. As you see from a post (which got posted twice) above I say I'm an outsider.

To paraphrase Groucho, I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that wanted me as a member.

However, I am and have been involved in politics for many years. I am a strong believer in the Libertarian/Constitutionalist view.

And, yes, most Tea Party folks are very disengaged from "RealPolitik" and bark at the moon instead being involved and working for liberty.

It is a difficult journey with many pot holes along the way.

Kyle, I'm not sure why you are so angry and why you want to bait me. You certainly are a coward due to the fact that you don't give your real full name. To my knowledge I know no Kyle.

I stand by my political convictions.

[J. Eric Smith]

Wow, Metroland, really? REALLY?!? You're going to make this little piece of intentional button-pushing a first amendment issue?

I've occasionally regretted asking Mr. Leon to remove my name from the Metroland masthead several years ago, but if you're going to back Ms. Doane's position over Mr. Huber's in this case, then I'm once again really, really, REALLY glad to no longer have a formal association with you.

I made the same points I make below on the Animal Rights blog at the TU, when they were running vile images and videos of slaughterhouses and the like: there is something WRONG with people who spend time wallowing in awful, bloody images, and putting them in other people's faces by way of making points about "Oh, you must see this, lest you become numb or immune to these realities."

That's nonsense. I don't want to see explicit shots of people executed via a gunshot to the head, but I also don't want to be ambushed by photos of a brain surgeon conducting a life-saving operation to remove a tumor.

I don't want to see a photo of a post-abortion fetus, but I also don't want to be ambushed by a photo a naturally born baby crowning in its mother's birth canal.

You can argue that one set of images is criminal or violent, and one set of images is "natural" or "good," but all of them are gross and unnecessary when they're tossed into the public domain for no valid reason.

What Valerie Doane did in posting that execution photo is every bit as stupid, provocative and wrong as what the animal rights dudes do when they post pictures of activities in slaughterhouses.

At their most extreme ends, the left and right become indistinguishable from each other, when they embrace similar shock tactics.

I mean, REALLY . . . why in the world would any lucid, sane human being think that exposing people to such images in an accidental fashion promotes their political positions? I'm sure I wasn't the only or the first, but I am glad to say that as soon as I saw the horrific images on the Tea Party blog that have gotten us to this point, I quickly wrote to everybody I knew within the TU hierarchy asking that they be either removed or links to them be marked with warnings. And good for the TU management that they did so.

I'm no opponent of free speech, but I am an opponent of idiocy, and trying to make a political point by exposing unwitting readers to nightmarish images is idiocy of the highest order. I went to the Tea Party blog to read about how the Tea Party was or wasn't shilling for conservative Republicans, and I got an execution photo for my troubles . . . which translates to "Last time I'll click on THAT link!!!"

Which you Tea Party types should regret . . . because, on some planes, as someone who is ex-military, ex-Federal government, a native Southerner, and raised in an evangelical household, and with a widely read platform of my own, I'm a perfect and desirable target audience for you.

But when you engage in these sorts of tactics, you quickly send me elsewhere looking for information and meaningful content.

So shame on the folks who try to ambush people with this kind of disturbing content, and shame on you, Metroland, for taking up their cause.

[GEORGE B. MARTIN]

Thanks William for posting the explanation of the infighting. I had read that before and I thought maybe there was more to it. To me it seems like a bunch of personality problems.

At the risk of being thought to be a part of this and with all due respect and apologies to Spyder, Valerie, Kevin, ( Kyle this doesn’t mean I’m bi-sexual and into foursomes) and the others who feel betrayed let me give you my understanding of what I perceived to happen in the winter and spring of 2010.

This account is not about the Tea Party but rather the activity in the Saratoga County Republican Party. Remember, I’m part of the Elite-Insiders (Kyle have your mommy read all of this to you and explain what I write...you fuzzy, cute little bear, you...oh, you’re going to grow up to be a smart little person).

Early in the process Dan Stec from Glens Falls threw his hat into the ring for 20th CD. He was certainly a welcome relief from what we had just gone through in the previous March. He was politically experienced, a Navy vet, and he was a likable guy. He was also, to my thinking, a conservative in the constitutionalist leaning way.

We heard rumors that some joker from Kinderhook or Hudson, or somewhere down that way was interested and couldn’t reveal himself for some reason..prison, witness protection program, still in the military,or whatever.

Also Patrick put his name forward. He had worked on the Huckabee campaign. He was also on the Town of Ballston Republican Committee. He had been their MC at their steak roast (coming up again this year..Sept. 18, 3:00 to 6:00 Lakeside Farms). I had e-mailed him around that time about another issue and was somewhat familiar with who he was.

The take on Patrick was that he was likable and certainly a sharp guy who had a future in politics. His draw back was that everything he talked about kept pointing to DC. That is he didn’t get what Tip O’Neill had said..”All politics is local.” So it was thought he needed seasoning.

The full County Committee met in February to do business and meet Stec and Ziegler. I liked Stec going in. Questions were put to both men. The usual safe ones about taxes and that bullshit. Then someone asked about social issues.

The question was about abortion. Stec mentioned how he was Catholic and was against abortion but , etc., etc. He stammered. He seemed to want to say he was against it but he had to qualify.

Patrick answered that he was against it, period. He would not support abortion bills in Congress, etc., etc. He got me with that. They both agreed on the Second Amendment. So, what got me, and I believe others in the crowd was Patrick’s stand on abortion and other “conservative” issues. He was consistent and reasoned in his approach.

Fast forward to March. The Clifton Park Republican Committee was meeting to choose many candidates for many offices. It was torture.

Earlier Gibson had retired from the Army. I guess he was all that he could be in the Army, so he wanted civilian life. I had a chance to speak with him on the afternoon of the evening the committee met. We spoke at length. He was not as aligned, as Patrick was, with my thinking and he wasn’t that far off. What he had that Patrick didn’t was gravitas.

That evening the candidates gave their speeches and answered questions. Gibson won the weighted vote. Patrick came in second. This was in a four way race. This was the first committee vote anywhere in the district.

Gibson’s presentation was to the point and he reflected many of the concerns that the Liberty Movement (not the Tea Party Movement, Kyle) has. Patrick’s presentation was not so good. He came across as though he was looking for a job. He listed, in fact, many jobs that he held over the past 10 years (Kyle, yes, I too have had many jobs in my life). What I remember of the speech was that he was heavily into the college tuition issues and what Obama had done to screw that process.

The process continued. After all of the Saratoga County town committees had chosen who they wanted the two remaining candidates came before the Executive Committee. I sat in for other reasons and clearly both candidates had sharpened their skills.

What was a concern to many in the group was that when The One Big Question was asked, “If you don’t get the nomination will you primary?” Patrick said he was keeping his options open. Not a good thing to say. Primaries are costly and there are hurt feelings after and the winners have a tougher time in the general election.

Anyhow, by the time the process got that far Patrick had many folks in his corner. Not for this spot but certainly for something down the road. Many suggested that Patrick bow out and Gibson give him a spot on the campaign. This way he could get seasoned. His message was important and he needed to learn the real process and also get better at delivering the message. He just couldn’t win against Murphy.

Frankly, I would support Patrick for New York State Legislature or some such position. I don’t know that he has sold out to the corporate, coercive, big government CFR types. Maybe he has, I just don’t see it.

Understand, I’m not taking his side. I’m relating what I see from my perch.