Associated Press
As HisRoc noted to me over email – this has got to be the worst campaign event for a Congressman any sitting President has ever done. In case you missed it, the President was in Fairfax on Monday, holding an event in the backyard of some residents of Gerry Connolly’s neighborhood of Mantua.
Connolly was at the event, and even got a few shout outs from the President according to the Post, which I’m sure wowed the 30 or so invite-only folks gathered to hear him speak.
I will have to give Gerry credit: he was polite enough not to contradict the President in front of such a massive crowd. Instead he waited until after the President had left to push for the extension of all of the Bush tax cuts, contrary to the White House’s position, but fully in line with Connolly’s tried-and-true election-year strategy of claiming he’s some kind of fiscal conservative despite carrying more water for Nancy Pelosi and her out-of-control spending than Gunga Din.
You know it’s going to be an interesting year when a sitting Congressman hides the President of the United States in his neighbor’s backyard less than two months before an election.
Was this a Connolly fundraiser?
No, it was some kind of White House event. But given that Connolly was there, it’s election season, and the house is Connolly’s neighborhood, I think it’s fairly safe to say Connolly had something to do with the planning. Nothing the President does between Labor Day and Election Day isn’t a campaign event, really.
Thanks, Brian. Good post.
I’m still scratching my head over this. Why would the POTUS take the time to come all the way out to Fairfax County and not hold a huge rally like he has everywhere else he has been since Labor Day? Clearly he “owes” Gerry for his 100% Pelosi voting record. Is it possible that Connolly is now so unpopular that the White House couldn’t risk public heckling of the President at a Connolly rally?
I noticed on the news this morning that our friend John Jennison was there. Hopefully he’ll take a stab at school board again; that would be an easy campaign to run.
local gop,
If Gerry does a Leslie Byrne in November, then Jennison won’t be competitive in Providence District for school crossing guard.
for the record my previous comment was out of sarcasm. although jennison running again would be great for patty reed.
i could see the opposite happening though. providence dems getting so pissed they dump everything into supervisor and school board.
So tax cuts = fiscal conservatism?
Connolly seems to think so. I disagree.
Elitism at its best (or worst). Next thing you know, Connolly will be holding town halls in gated communities. Oh… wait…
The photo looks like this was a “Lemonade Summit” and reflects what has been a real lemon of a year.