The Macaca Awards! Part II

We continue with nominations for the Mock, Paper, Scissors–Hysterical Raisins 1st Semi-Regular Macaca Awards.

(Image courtesy of Tengrain)

Tonight’s category is Outstanding Achievement in Race Baiting, and the nominees are:

The Harsh Glare of Truth

From Newsweek:

It’s a rule even political veterans sometimes forget, but that rookie candidate Meg Whitman may be about to learn a hard lesson on: damaging revelations are much less damaging than a bungled response.

It doesn’t get much more California than this story: a former Silicon Valley CEO running for governor is in hot water over allegations involving an illegal immigrant brought forward by a Hollywood lawyer. Whitman, the Republican candidate, is struggling to answer allegations that lawyer to the B-list stars Gloria Allred leveled against her on Thursday. Allred represents Nicandra Diaz Santillan, an illegal immigrant who worked as a housekeeper for Whitman and her husband, Griff Harsh; Diaz was fired after confessing that she didn’t have papers, but she now alleges that a letter from the Social Security Administration in 2003 should have tipped Whitman off. In essence, she’s accusing Whitman of knowingly employing an illegal immigrant.

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The Amazingly Hilarious Race!

From the Boston Herald (September 1st):

LIBERAL, Kansas – Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes’ murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign.

Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring.

But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal’s police department won’t talk about Maes.

Liberal, Kansas! The irony deities are in fine form!

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Colorado: The Bucktennial State?

From CQ POLITICS:

DENVER — Even after they became fodder on the campaign trail, Ken Buck refused to ditch his cowboy boots as he traveled across Colorado last week.

Buck clearly enjoys the tough guy image his footwear signifies, but the boots may also be a symbol of his wild ride in trying to harness the power of the tea party in the Republican Senate primary.

Buck owes his rise in the race largely to the tea party movement, yet this week the Weld County district attorney is having to explain his comment that he wants the “dumbasses at the tea party to stop asking questions about birth certificates while I’m on the camera.”

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Rocky Mountain Low

From THINK PROGRESS:

Last week, former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) gave Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidates Scott McInnis and Dan Maes an ultimatum: drop out of the race and make room for him under the Republican Party ticket, or face his third party candidacy. It turns out Tancredo is following through on his threat. The Denver Post broke the news earlier today that Tancredo will seek the nomination of the Constitution Party once he files some papers and registers as a member. However, Tancredo is running into some heavy opposition from his own right-wing base.

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Mexicans crossing the border with mules! No, not burros, shoes!

From the NORTH COUNTY TIMES:

Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, was criticized this week by civil and immigrant rights groups for saying that law enforcement professionals could spot illegal immigrants by the way they dress.

On Wednesday, Bilbray was a guest on the MSNBC TV show “Hardball” with Chris Matthews. He was asked his opinion of an Arizona bill that would require local police to question people about their immigration status if there was reason to suspect they were in the country illegally.

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(The shoe is the Nike Air Max 95 – Mexican Blanket. I’m not making that up.)

Miguel Acero

From The Wonk Room at THINK PROGRESS:

Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a statement from Chairman Michael Steele announcing the release of a new video in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. However, though the press release emphasizes the Republican Party’s “commitment to the Hispanic community,” apparently that commitment does not include hiring a qualified Spanish translator. The Spanish translation of Steele’s statement is riddled with embarrassing typos and errors.

…snip…

The substance of the accompanying video isn’t much better. Its main focus is on highlighting the accomplishments of conservative Latinos and completely ignores renowned Latino leaders like civil rights activists César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, and completely sidesteps the recent confirmation of Puerto Rican Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

…snip…

The video doesn’t even acknowledge one of the Republican Party’s most respected leader, former Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) who resigned from his post as RNC chairman in 2007 in response to his party’s anti-immigrant views.

Now hold on, according to me my anonymous sources inside the RNC, Chairman Steele is doing his damnedest to reach out to Hispanics. To prove it, get a load of these pics forwarded to me. They’re going to be used in new RNC ads.  Tell me what red-blooded Latino will be able to resist the urge to run down to the Voters Registration office to change his/her affiliation to R after seeing this…
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Mystery Political Science Theater

From The Fix at The Washington Post:

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) admitted that he had conducted an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina who he had gone to visit over the last five days — during which time a massive media story developed over where he was and why.

“I have been unfaithful to my wife . . . I developed a relationship with what started as a dear dear friend,” said Sanford.

😯 I demand to know which same-sex marriage was responsible for this!

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