By Steve Rhodes
“A gun was left unattended on Mitt Romney’s charter plane by a member of the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday as the GOP presidential nominee flew to Indiana for a campaign rally,” the Los Angeles Times – and thus the Chicago Tribune – reports.
“During a flight from Tampa to Indianapolis, the weapon was discovered in the lavatory by a CBS News reporter, who alerted agents on the flight, according to an account posted on the television network’s website.”
Here’s that unlinked report.
Bus Break
“Transportation is always an important factor in moving delegates from their hotel to the national convention center site, but it’s of special concern to Illinois Republicans who are in Clearwater Beach, 30 miles away from the Tampa Bay Times Forum,” the Tribune reports.
Worse, it was the first time on a bus for most of them.
More Illinois Ignominy
“When the Illinois delegates finally get to the convention hall, they take their seats behind Wisconsin,” the Tribune editorializes. “More ignominy. You try peering over a cheesehead hat.
“Delegates from Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, Arizona and New Hampshire all have better vantage points than the Illinois crew does.
“Convention organizers carefully selected more than 70 speakers for this convention. There’s the governor of New Jersey! There’s the governor from New Mexico! There’s the attorney general of Georgia! (Really? The attorney general of Georgia?)”
“Not one scheduled speaker hails from Illinois.”
Media Meme
It’s always up to the prospective first lady to “humanize” her husband, in large part because that’s what the media demands. And she’s always his “secret weapon.” And he’ll always joke about how she’s more popular than he is. The columns have already been written. The punditry’s been pre-taped. Mitt irons his own shirts! Obama eats a hot dog! Good job! Fake it for the cameras! End scene. Time to review the kill list.
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FYI: Romney’s jeans are better than Obama’s.
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See also: A Woman’s Place Is In The Humanizing.
Optical Illusion
“Rep. Joe Walsh and Rep. Robert Dold, who each have their own pitched suburban battles, were no-shows,” the Sun-Times reports.
“Dold, facing Democrat Brad Schneider, was expected to make the trip to the central Florida Gulf Coast to meet with Illinois delegates on Thursday. But Walsh, facing Democrat Tammy Duckworth, put out the word early that he saw no use in coming to the convention.
“A senior party leader said for targeted Republicans such as Dold, there is an ‘optics problem’ in joining others at a beachfront hotel in Clearwater. It could create potentially dangerous opportunities for Democrat operatives to catch them lounging poolside or wading in the Gulf of Mexico during what essentially is a partisan vacation.”
Meanwhile, Schneider pledged that if elected he too would never be caught on camera lounging poolside at a quadrennial national political convention.
Race Card
At least we haven’t become another Detroit.
Douche Card
Another scintillating Chicago Young Republicans report for RedEye.
Meme Pie
“Did you know his real first name is ‘Willard?'” Laura Washington asks in the Sun-Times.
Did you know the president’s first name is Barack? That the Dem nominee in 2004, richer than Romney by multitudes, was named John? That Bill Clinton’s given name was William? What’s it all mean?
“Keep the rabble-rousing right wing on the plantation.”
Maybe in chains.
“Round up the women folk and a preppy black couple or two. You’ll need some props to preempt the rainbow display of blacks, Asians, Latinos, LGBTQI’s, Wal-Mart moms and the multitudinous other demographic slices the Democrats will roll out at their convention in Charlotte.”
What’s the difference? The Democrats are using them as props too.
Beard Awards
The Craigslist personals in Tampa.
Republican Rock
“Ted Nugent, the die-hard Republican rocker and outspoken id of the GOP, is off the road having his knees replaced, and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s concert was bumped by Hurricane Isaac panic,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“But the soul band The Commodores will appear, as will blues group Blues Traveler and vintage rockers Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Journey.”
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Kid Rock, too.
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And here’s Jack Blades of Night Ranger, with G.E. Smith on guitar.
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See also:
* GOP Convention Notebook 1
* GOP Convention Notebook 2
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Comments welcome.
Posted on August 30, 2012