Bentivolio: With McCotter out, another tea party vs. GOP bout takes shape

[specsaregood]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/7/mccotter-out-another-tea-party-vs-gop-bout-takes-s/

It’s a scenario that has played out in race after race across the country since 2010, and it’s taking shape again in the congressional contest in Michigan’s 11th District, a seat that Republicans had considered safe before Rep. Thaddeus McCotter’s implosion.

The five-term GOP congressman resigned Friday after botching the relatively routine political process of turning in the proper number of signatures to get his name on the Aug. 7 primary ballot.

Mr. McCotter’s absence sets up a showdown between Kerry Bentivolio, a high school teacher and tea party activist, and former state lawmaker Nancy Cassis.

Mrs. Cassis, a former state senator with the backing of many of the state’s Republican leaders, launched a write-in bid for the nomination last month after Mr. McCotter’s departure left Mr. Bentivoloo as the only Republican on the ballot.

A veteran who served in Vietnam and in Iraq, Mr. Bentivolio, 60, has said he’s a fan of Ron Paul and the Texas congressman’s ideas on closing overseas American military bases.

That libertarian streak has some Michigan Republicans uneasy — Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson called Mr. Bentivolio’s views “extreme” and Ms. Cassis, 68, has said her opponent “doesn’t sound like mainstream Americans.”

The attempts by some in the state’s GOP establishment to derail his insurgent campaign isn’t sitting well with the part-time Santa (his sleigh is pulled by reindeer Mr. Bentivolio raises on his small Milford farm).

“I did the right thing and went out an got my signatures,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “If they [Republican leaders] wanted somebody else, they should have gone out and gotten their own signatures.”

More at link. We must support Mr. Bentivolio, he is one of us guys.

 

[georgiaboy]

Thanks for nothing, WaTimes. How dare you try and spin this against small gov't. The party leadership should be ashamed for trying to split the party when such a great candidate is running unopposed!

Mr. Bentivolio is a low taxes, sound money, strong defense, military serving conservative!

 

[angelatc]

Cassis was instrumental in creating the recently repealed Michigan Small Business Tax. If Kerry has to go on the attack, that alone could bury her. It was a horrible tax, and unpopular to boot.

 

[Lucille]

Denninger:

So Now The Constitution Is "Radical"?
hxxp://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=208317

...And what's wrong with Kerry?

The only thing I can find is that he believes The Constitution actually means something -- that is, it's composed of real words that have plain meaning.

This makes Republicans "nervous"? Why?

More to the point, isn't the real issue here that they damn well should be nervous given the way they've wantonly violated their oath of office for the last 30 years?

Yeah. And so should the Democrats.

As FedUpUSA points out, this is really about bringing to an end the screwing that the American people have taken repeatedly due to crony crap in all sectors -- from banks to housing to medical care and on and on and on. Kerry is tired of the crap and has stood up to make a difference. He's not doing it to get rich or to become a lobbyist after the fact and play "grease the palm"; to the contrary.

Tell me why the GOP shouldn't be tossed out on their ass -- essentially all of them. TARP anyone? ZERO prosecution of the frauds that have taken place -- documented and even admitted frauds? How about George Bush's administration which sued to block states who were seeking to keep their citizens free of being rammed in the ass by these very same banksters, and who might have been able to stop or mitigate some of the worst problems before the crisis of 2008 erupted?

You Republicans think that everyone forgot about that eh?

Well, I did not.

Kerry did not.

As for Nancy Cassis, she can go straight to Hell. Her game-playing while in state government and her intent to hose every citizen of Michigan is well-documented and irrefutable.

If the people of Michigan send her to Washington in preference to Kerry Bentivolio the state needs to be sawed off at the Ohio and Indiana line and deeded to Canada.

 

[Hyperion]

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson called Mr. Bentivolio’s views “extreme” and Ms. Cassis, 68, has said her opponent “doesn’t sound like mainstream Americans.”

Apparently being guided by fundamental principles is now extreme. Supporting a sustainable foreign policy favorable to the taxpayer/American business that's consistent with the vision of the Founding Fathers and getting serious about reducing the federal government now 'doesn't sound like mainstream Americans'.


Wow. File this under the establishment Republicans aren't that different from Democrats column.

 

[Cowlesy]

///

 

[brandon]

I don't know much about this guy but it sounds great. Is that rich college kid that backed Massie going to get involved here? Seems like it would be a good use of funds.