Posted on 08/01/2004 5:19:17 PM PDT by stockpirate
When John Kerry, John Edwards and their wives descended on a Newburgh, N.Y., Wendy's restaurant on Friday for a "light" lunch with the common people, it was all just a photo op.
Team Kerry-Edwards had already ordered their real lunches - consisting of five-star gourmet food from a tony local restaurant - with instructions to have the haute cuisine ready for pickup after the top Democrats ditched Wendy's.
"A member of the Kerry advance team called Nikola’s Restaurant at the Newburgh Yacht Club the night before and ordered 19 five-star lunches to go that would be picked up at noon Friday," MidHudsonNews.com reported on Sunday. "Management at the restaurant, which is operated by CIA graduate chef Michael Dederick, was told the meals would be for the Kerry and Edwards families and actor Ben Affleck who was with them on the tour."
After tossing out their cheeseburgers and chili, Kerry and Edwards feasted on shrimp vindallo, grilled diver sea scallops, prosciutto, wrapped stuffed chicken and steak salad.
The meals came to about $200, MidHudson News said.
Yep --- its like everything else about their campaign - pretend.
I wish the Pubbies would find a way to publicize this. Its the sort of hypocrisy that sticks. Hell, John Edwards will be pushing for a fat tort if he's elected. Who's he kidding?
LOL!
Two Americas...indeed.
$200 for 19 meals? That is quite a bargain for seafood anywhere, much less at a high dollar restaurant. Someone's getting a bargain.
Wonder if they tipped on the take out?
That bit about tossing the Wendy's meals wasn't in the original report from which this was taken. There's another FR thread that has the original.
My e-mail rant I sent out accompanying this story:
Remember the touching meal when Democrat veep candidate John Edwards and his wife, accompanied by the Kerrys, stopped for lunch at a Wendy's as the Edwards' anniversary celebration tradition continued?
Yes, supposedly the Edwards' had to dine at a Wendys once years ago on their anniversary because nicer places had closed, so they have decided to do it every year since.
How lame is that?
Anyway, I thought it was a way dumb tradition and highly unlikely to be true, and just a ploy by this humble multi-millionaire foursome to appeal to the "little people." You know, the average American who is so poor he cannot afford to even go to a chain outlet like Red Lobster or the Outback for an anniversary dinner. Do not ask why these restaurants have hour long waits every weekend - that is not playing fair.
Cynical? Skeptical? An unbeliever? Me? Perhaps I'm just one of the "uncivil" "unAmericans" who were lambasted by Teresa H. Kerry in a speech denouncing the rude questioning politicians must undergo - then she later highlighted that great abuse when a reporter asked her what she meant by "unAmerican" and she told him to "Shove it!"
Why can't the sheeople just take everything told to them by candidates at face value? Why can't we be as shallow as their consultants say we are?
Well, at least they can count on the corporate press to report their campaign propaganda as straight news. Too bad for them that America has a renewed "free press" on the internet now.
prolly $200.00 per lunch
Does $200 sound right for 19 meals at this place?
Hello! We just got back from a weekend trip up north (just south of the Grand Canyon). On the way back into town a bit ago we drove by a Wendy's (but opted instead to pick up pizza to bring home) and I told my husband and daughter the story of the Edwards' and their "anniversary tradition". I am running off to tell them THIS.
LOL
Absolutely NOT!!
My son's girlfriend used to waitress there. She knows the chef and owner. I am betting the chef gave it to them for $200.
Easily a meal for two, full course w/drinks would set ya back at least $150...including a decent tip.
if this is true and can be proved all we have to do is send a letter to your editor. more people read letters to the editor then watch the news
This bunch keeps on shooting itself in the foot.
Is that a 5-star meal? Or one off the Menue?
I just went to the other thread--haven't read it all, but wanted to come back here and point out that at any restaurant there is a huge difference between lunch and dinner prices. Especially at steak and seafood places.
But $10+ per lunch.....I pay that at Red Lobster and it's no 5-star gourmet meal.
And also consider it's takeout, not sitdown with drinks.
Maybe this was just a little snack to tide someone in the group over til the NEXT Wendys on the campaign trail?
I hear the stuffed muskrat is delicious.
I have to tell you, I ate there twice.
I wasn't all that impressed with the food or the place.
Of course you have to remember it is adjacent to the Yacht Club so you expect to pay more...the food is good, but not sure it's 5-Star.
There a lot of smaller places on the riverfront far better than Nikolas.
(muskrat, or whatever creature Johnny gave mouth to mouth to)
"Hell, John Edwards will be pushing for a fat tort if he's elected."
He's just waiting to "slip" on the steps of the Capital at his wished-for inauguration. The pain and suffering damages have all been worked out.
Then the meals have to be reported as a campaign contribution, no? If the meals are normally $100 and he gave them 19 for $200, then it's a $1700 contribution, and illegal? Isn't there a $1000 limit?
I think if they got lunch there and the price quoted is right, it is obvious the restaurant owner gave them a deal. Not a stretch to believe.
(I've dined at a five star restaurant before, just to be clear I'm not a rube off the street. LOL)
If this is true....they stiffed a Mom and Pop place also.
"That bit about tossing the Wendy's meals..."
That's why Newsmax is always good for the conservative soul, but should NEVER be used as a primary source.
Wow--I skimmed and missed that part. Interesting if this can be verified. What pompous jerks.
Not true.
I called Alexis this morning and the manager told me the Kerry team came and picked up the 125 lunches.
I can try to find out what they actually paid..can't guarantee, but i'll try.
Thanks...
Kerry may still have the vote of Wendy’s manager John Garrett. “I’m for anyone who comes in and likes double cheeses”, Garrett said. “I’m a big supporter of anyone who orders our food.”
Someone should write to John Garrett and tell him about the gourmet lunches...
During the 2000 election,
the Bush/Cheney campaign regularly hosted fundraisers where the emphasis was on the fundraising
and not the food and they usually served hot dogs and hamburgers.
I just can't imagine Kerry eating a hot dog, well, maybe I can.....
In fairness - Mrs. Edwards ate both lunches.
I know that's a cheap shot but I couldn't resist. At least I haven't said anything about how ugly the Kerry girls are...Doh.
I recently attended an event where we could buy a box lunch for $10.00. You could choose a vegetarian sandwich, several types of chicken sandwichs (on fancy bread) or some sort of ceasar salad. They included a bag of chips, a cookie, a fruit cup, and a soda. They were better than average box lunches but nothing like Shrimp vindaloo, scallops, steak salad.
If the real price for their 19 lunches is $200.00 then I wanna hire them for the next time I need an event catered.
I wonder how difficult it would be for someone calls tomorrow asking for the same menu to give the same deal.
De nada.
Was just thinking about something on that line.....All you can do is try and you seem to be the freeper with the inside connections on this one.....Thanks for the effort.
My goodness. I don't think there's a soul on this thread that thinks 19 meals featuring the food items listed and charged $10 per meal is the "real price".
That leaves a myriad of questions and implications if the story is indeed true.
BTW, there have been pictures on the web of them at the Wendy's with their food on the table and the burger wrappers opened.
And to be clear, if I had a nickel for everytime HRC, for example, got a campaign contribution like this I'd be rich. I don't think they'll be held to account if they're receiving gratuities against the rules.
Some prices: grilled shrimp spring rolls ($10) crisply fried rolls ($9) beef Bolognaise with spinach over fusilli ($16) Nikola's fisherman's chowder ($19) healthy cut of tuna ($18) assorted cookie plate ($6) chocolate molten cake ($7) trio of creme brule ($7)
Entrée price range — $16-$20.
For some reason, I feel compelled to keep you up to date on this story :-).
D
Sounds like we're on the same page then, I must have misinterpreted earlier comments.. Sorry
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