Posted on 03/27/2006 11:01:43 AM PST by SmithL
NEW YORK -- It didn't take long before the wheels started coming off Kathleen Troia "KT" McFarland's campaign to unseat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Things got off to a promising start in early March, with favorable publicity and several national TV interviews for the wealthy, 54-year-old McFarland, a Reagan-era Pentagon official who spent the last 20 years raising a family and has never held elective office.
But then McFarland was hit with embarrassing disclosures about her voting history, including her registering in two places and missing several elections. Records suggest she did not even vote in 1984, when Reagan, her boss and political hero, was seeking re-election, though she believes she didn't miss that one.
Then The New York Times reported that she had inflated her resume by overstating her rank in the Pentagon and by claiming to have written Reagan's "Star Wars" speech.
There was also the disclosure of an internal memo in which McFarland appeared to distance herself from evangelicals and called herself liberal on social issues like abortion.
And recently, she told a campaign audience — jokingly, she later insisted — that Clinton had sent helicopters to spy on her. But the story was splashed across the tabloids.
Democrats are snickering, and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, a fellow Republican, has declared McFarland's candidacy "a joke."
"Build up, tear down. Build up, tear down. There's no one who can survive this political process intact," McFarland said during an interview in her Park Avenue apartment.
"What it means is that real people don't run for public office anymore," she added. "Manufactured people run for public office."
The winner of the Sept. 12 GOP primary will face the former first lady in November. Clinton is heavily favored to win and is considered a likely 2008 presidential candidate.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Why did she do these things? The one thing I don't think that they should be able to know is whether she voted or not. I think that is a low blow. I mean what business is it of people one way or the other. I want to know if Hilary voted in EVERY election since college. Also, what is her deal with be pro abortion. We don't need republicans like that. New York Republican party might as well stop spending money and just give up and congratulate Hillary. I know that normally is not smart, but these crazy candidates that they are chosing is rediculous.
What is wrong with these incompetent Republicans? I'm getting tired of their incompetence. They know that the Democratic sleaze machine is going to try to get anything they can in order to discredit the Hildabeast's opponent.
They need to do a much better job vetting their candidates.
Lib-dem garbage can get away with those bones in the closet; GOPers and Conservatives can't.
Everyone's got *something* — the proverbial weird uncle living in the basement — that the lib-dem fith can dredge up and use against them. Their willing whores in the OTM (old tired media) will keep it alive until embarrassment forces retreat.
Sigh.
Brain dead zombies, dead for 20 years, still wandering around looking for a hole to fall in.
That is the state of the NY GOP.
Even rudy doesn't have a chance there and he knows it.
Manufactured by the elites that own them - at least 500 of our CONgress-critters.
Why doesn't the NY Republican Party get behind John Spencer? At least he sounds like a competent candidate who's willing to go one on one with the Beast.
Does the party own him? If not, he goes nowhere.
JOHN SPENCER!!!!
is the answer.
Hillary did not vote in any New York elections - she was never a resident.
She only moved there to get elected there.
Meanwhile, republicans eat their own and tremble in a ditch over someone's voting record. How about directing a "little" attention to what a slimeball Hilatry is? Oh tut tut, we don't want to engage in any of that.
Meanwhile, Hilary has had private detectives murder your cat, and the press is writing about the wheels coming off your campaign and how Jesus would vote against you. If you don't want to be road kill, stop lying in the middle of the road. Get up and fight.
Well, Pirro withdrew, if KT withdraws, don't fret, I'm sure the NY GOP can find a third liberal woman to put up against Hillary.
No argument from me.
I haver seen a picture of McFarland and am amazed at the likeness to Olympia Snow.
Anybody who actually thinks she can win this should have their head examined.
How 'bout Mama Sheehan or Helen Thomas ? ;-D
NY has a GOP candidate - A FINE one in John Spencer - I'm glad this woman is not adding up - John is the candidate who will take Hillary on about her record and fight her with what he will do! Go JOHN SPENCER!
As soon as the NYS GOP stops throwing dead bodies in John Spencer's way he can start to fight the beast. There are people in the NYS GOP who don't want any candidate to run against the beast. They feel this way because they have the stupid notion that Pataki can be president or at least VP. If the beast runs against a dead body or better yet ( from their point of view) unopposed, Pataki can raise more money in NYS. What a jerk!
We're not talking about needing a candidate with a perfect past.
We're talking about needing a candidate who won't lie, pad her resume or make dumb statements on the campaign trail.
You wouldn't think that it would be so hard to find someone who fits that bill.
I'm not talking a 'perfect past', h. But the lib-dem trash can take something minor and, with the medidiots, make it into something which causes a GOPer to retreat and bail out.
From what I've read, Spencer has enough support within the NY Republican State Committee to be on the September primary ballot.
As for KT, I know that really stands for now!
KAN'T TRIUMPH
First the RINO NYGOP gets behind a Barbara Boxer lookalike, then they go for an Olympia Snowe lookalike. Coincidence?
Kathleen "K.T." McFarland is.... PIRRO II
Jeanine Pirro II: The Sequel
PIRRO & BOXER: SEPERATED AT BIRTH? 
MCFARLAND & SNOWE: SEPERATED AT BIRTH? 
WHAT'S NEXT??? 
"Keep calm, people. I want to assure my fellow RINOs... in the event McFarland implodes like all our other token candidates, we have another liberal Senator lookalike ready to jump into this race at a moment's notice!!
Ima Librul
Republican Candidate for Senate
"I can be... er, beat Hillary"
Bwahaa! Remember the fools who kept pushing Pirro on us? Between his Mau Mauing Bush about the Dubai Ports issue and his blind endorsement of Pirro, Hannity proved himself to be the lightweight radio jockey that he is.
Which RINO is the worst---Pirro or McFarland?
Plenty of ammunition for that title.
I think you're overstating the case. As an elected District Attorney from a key county and a legal commentator in high-profile criminal cases, Jeanine Pirro was a great candidate in theory. No one could have forseen how inept she was.
And I don't see Hannity pushing the McFarland candidacy.
That's not the case here, though.
If the best we can do is a candidate that lies, pads her resume and says idiotic things on the campaign trail, then we deserve to lose.
We traded one loser candidate for another.
Having seen Pirro in action years ago, she was nothing but an empty suit.
This is priceless, and pathetic. If anybody wastes a NY nickel supporting this nut consider this
"Kathleen McFarland attended a recent event hosted by Suffolk County GOP Chairman Harry Withers in Long Island. There she told the gathering that "Hillary Clinton is worried about me, and is so worried, in fact, she had helicopters flying over my house in Southhampton today taking pictures."
She also said that Hillary’s people were taking photographs of her Manhattan home from an apartment building across the street.
According to the New York Post's account of the event, the audience was "stunned" when they heard that.
John Spencer said he was in the audience and heard her make the remarks.
"She wasn't trying to be funny," Spencer told the AP, "And, no one laughed."
Its the Katherine Harris syndrome, RUN!
A conservative Rep can't win a statewide election in NY. Simple as that.
Actually, Rollins disavowed Perot and quit the campaign in July 1992 which caused Perot to drop out of the race. It was during Perot's two month absence from the race that Clinton's lead over Bush 41 in the polls was at its peak. Republicans continued to use Rollins' services during the 90's.
No one is going to unseat the Hildabeast this year, but at least John Spencer will give conservatives a reason to get out and vote.
They already have a reason, i.e., Hillary.
Conservative or not, Spencer is probably the best candidate can put up against Hillary.
Have former U.S. Senators James Buckley (C-NY) and Al D'Amato (R-NY) been informed of this "fact"? I don't think they'd get mistaken for liberals.
How about.... NYGOP is infested with corrupt RINOs who some touch-feely "female" candidate who won't rock the boat? Simple as that.
The last several monthes have proven Spencer is a FAR better campaigner than Pirro and McFarland put together.
You are living in the past. James Buckley served one term from 1971-77 and D'Amato from 1981-1999. Buckley won with 38% of the vote in 1971 running against Goodell (Rep) and Ottinger (Dem). He was trounced by Moynihan in his reelection bid.
I don't consider D'Amato to be a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. He was a conservative on "law and order" issues but not social issues. In his three winning senate campaigns, he only went above 50% once.
How about.... NYGOP is infested with corrupt RINOs who some touch-feely "female" candidate who won't rock the boat? Simple as that.
If politics is about getting elected, then the GOP must be in tune with its constituents. RINOs are the only ones who can win statewide elections, e.g., Pataki. I gather you consider Giuliani a "corrupt" RINO and a "touchy-feely" candidate.
As a former New Yorker (upstate suburbs of NYC) who still has two brothers living in NY, I aware of what is happening in NY. The state has moved decidedly Left. More and more, upstate is turning Dem. The Reps used to be able to offset NYC and Buffalo with upstate strongholds, but no longer.
The last several monthes have proven Spencer is a FAR better campaigner than Pirro and McFarland put together.
A difference without a distinction. Spencer will get trounced by Hillary. Hear me now, believe me later.
YOU are living the past. NO Republican won statewide in decades WITHOUT the conservative party endorsement. The era of Jacob Javits is OVER. The NYGOP has already tried running "electable" RINOs from Berndette Castro to Howard Mills for statewide office and none of 'em have been elected dogcatcher.
>> I don't consider D'Amato to be a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. He was a conservative on "law and order" issues but not social issues. In his three winning senate campaigns, he only went above 50% once. <<
Was the NY Right-to-Life party aware that D'Amato was "not conservative on social issues" when they put him on the ballot EVERY election? He may not have been perfect (hey, we're talking NY here), but was pratically Jesse Helms compared to Hillary clones like Jeanine Pirro.
>> If politics is about getting elected, then the GOP must be in tune with its constituents. RINOs are the only ones who can win statewide elections, e.g., Pataki. <<
Pataki got the conservative party line and campaigned as a conservative to get elected. Obviously he didn't GOVERN that way, and as a result he is also unelectable now. Things aren't looking good when you're losing re-election to a lawsuit crazy hack who sues buisnesses into obvinion. No wonder "electable" Pataki decided to "retire".
Again, the "electable moderate" candidates Jeanine Pirro, Howard Mills, Rick Lazio, Robert McMillan, Florence Sullivan, John Lindsay, Charles Goodell won nothing. The NYGOP has tested their "RINOs are more electable" theory on dozens of occassions and failed to elect anyone.
>> I gather you consider Giuliani a "corrupt" RINO and a "touchy-feely" candidate. <<
No, I consider Jeanine Pirro and K.T. McFarland corrupt RINOs and touchy-feely candidates. Giulaini has balls and is more along the lines of what you claimed D'Amato was: a law-and-order conservative and social liberal. The clueless NYGOP hasn't even tried to recruit Rudy because they want sappy female candidates who will campaign as Hillary-lite.
>> I aware of what is happening in NY. The state has moved decidedly Left. More and more, upstate is turning Dem. <<
More and more Dems are winning because they are crushing those "electable RINO" candidates. On the plus side, worthless RINO Amo Houghton has now been replaced with Randy Kuhl, one of those eeeeeeevil "unelectable" conservatives.
>> The Reps used to be able to offset NYC and Buffalo with upstate strongholds, but no longer. <<
The NYGOP USED to put up a fight, til they started running guys like Howard Mills and "going through the motions" of a campaign. The NYGOP has no intention of putting the state in play during a Presidential election or running a REAL candidate who will FIGHT Hillary.
>> A difference without a distinction. Spencer will get trounced by Hillary. Hear me now, believe me later. <<
Spencer will get a decent share of the vote against Hillary, a vast improvement over the party favorites who are lucky to break 30%. The fact he is not associated with Pataki & Co. is a plus. Everything they touch turns to poison. Here me now and see it later.
And No conservative party nominee can win WITHOUT the GOP endorsement. In a state with 5 million Democrats and 3 million Republicans, the Dems have the obvious advantage. Anything that splits the Rep vote translates into sure defeat.
Was the NY Right-to-Life party aware that D'Amato was "not conservative on social issues" when they put him on the ballot EVERY election? He may not have been perfect (hey, we're talking NY here), but was pratically Jesse Helms compared to Hillary clones like Jeanine Pirro.
in 1993 D'Amato was one of only three Republicans to vote in favor of allowing gays to serve openly in the U.S. military. In 1996 he was among the minority of Republicans to vote to extend federal protections against discrimination in hiring to homosexuals. On labor issues too he frequently sided with Democrats. In 2004 D'Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket to replace Cheney.
Again, the "electable moderate" candidates Jeanine Pirro, Howard Mills, Rick Lazio, Robert McMillan, Florence Sullivan, John Lindsay, Charles Goodell won nothing. The NYGOP has tested their "RINOs are more electable"
There are no electable Conservative candidates in NY statgewide elections. Pataki didn't run as a Conservative. He is/was a RINO by your defintition. He is a moderate on abortion and gun control.
Giulaini has balls and is more along the lines of what you claimed D'Amato was: a law-and-order conservative and social liberal.
Rudy is a RINO. He makes McCain look like a right-wing ideologue.
Lazio received 43% of the vote against Hillary in 2000 despite getting into the race late. Spencer won't be anywhere near that number.
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