A Keeper
The AP dug up a few facts about the Tea Party of Nevada candidate for Harry Reid’s seat, who’s facing a $5K felony bad check charge:
Records show Ashjian lost his state contractor’s license Wednesday after failing to appear for a disciplinary proceeding stemming from a complaint that he bounced a $981.82 check to a materials supplier last year.
[...]
Public documents on file with the Clark County Recorder show Ashjian also faced foreclosure on home loans totaling almost $1 million, owed a $200,000 Internal Revenue Service tax debt and faced city nuisance actions and liens alleging he failed to pay homeowners’ dues, a roofer, and his trash collector.
Homeowners’ dues are clearly unconstitutional, however, so this doesn’t matter. Though I will admit that it’s nice to find a teabagger hero who isn’t on Social Security Disability.
March 29, 2010 9:53 am
Posted in: Teabagger Stupidity
73 Comments
73 Responses
r€nato - March 29, 2010 | 9:54 am · Link
Check out the bowtie on that dude. Looks like he went to Tucker Carlson’s spring cleaning garage sale.
Ash Can - March 29, 2010 | 9:59 am · Link
From that article:
Heh, indeedy.
Violet - March 29, 2010 | 10:00 am · Link
OT - Levi Johnston is shopping a TV show to the cable networks.
Snow machines with jet fuel! Awesome!
Warning – link goes to radaronline.com.
Michael - March 29, 2010 | 10:00 am · Link
Obviously, the government has been targeting him for his Christian patriotism, and has coerced his vendors and local prosecutors into joining its hellish crusade against him.
Woodrowfan - March 29, 2010 | 10:05 am · Link
let’s see, bad checks, owes the IRS a bundle, losing state trade license. Sounds like a Freeman-on-the-land tax protester loon to me….
Ash Can - March 29, 2010 | 10:06 am · Link
@Violet:
A Darwin Award in the making.
PaulW - March 29, 2010 | 10:08 am · Link
Does a felony block someone from being an elected official?
Violet - March 29, 2010 | 10:09 am · Link
@Ash Can:
But seriously much more fun to watch than Queen Sarah’s show. Nails-on-chalkboard voiceovers vs. snow machines with jet fuel? No contest!
The Grand Panjandrum - March 29, 2010 | 10:11 am · Link
OT: (Maybe tangentially related, via kombiz twitter feed):
But you can’t blame him Lindsay Lohan hangs out at Voyeur!
evie - March 29, 2010 | 10:11 am · Link
This guy is actually a help to Reid if he takes votes away from the GOP candidate.
Belafon (formerly anonevent) - March 29, 2010 | 10:13 am · Link
@Ash Can: Except I don’t think you can win a Darwin if you have already spawned, unless you take your offspring with you.
Dr. I. F. Stone - March 29, 2010 | 10:13 am · Link
The national Tea Party folks had rejected this joker’s candidacy long before the story hit the media. In fact, most folks in Nevada felt Ashjian was nothing more than a stalking horse for the Harry Reid reelection campaign, trying to discredit the real tea partiers.
LD50 - March 29, 2010 | 10:15 am · Link
Ashjian is just doing his best to go galt here, and you’re being all mean to him. Yeesh.
Napoleon - March 29, 2010 | 10:16 am · Link
Were did you get that idea? That is not true.
David in NY - March 29, 2010 | 10:18 am · Link
Two points:
1. (oops just made by evie above) Having this guy in may be Reid’s best hope of winning, and
2. “Bad check” charges are subject to incredible abuse, particularly when, as here, there’s a political motive for them. Most “bad checks” that are written are not written with any intent not to pay, although if the local authorities are friendly, a mistakenly written bad check can be a prima facie case of criminal activity and court action can ensue. Such charges can be used as a form of blackmail of innocent folks. This seems like a suspect case (although the tea bagger here seems like a financial idiot).
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 10:18 am · Link
@Woodrowfan: The movement is doubling down on “Joe the Plumber.”
This guy can write the forward for the next printing of Joe’s book, “fighting for the American Dream!”
This gonna be great!
gbear - March 29, 2010 | 10:20 am · Link
Well if they don’t allow his name on the ballot, he can be the forge-in candidate.
Chyron HR - March 29, 2010 | 10:23 am · Link
@Dr. I. F. Stone:
We’ll wait for the Lipton Institute to decide who is and isn’t a real teabagger, thank you very much.
mistermix - March 29, 2010 | 10:24 am · Link
@Napoleon: Joke!
Fergus Wooster - March 29, 2010 | 10:24 am · Link
@gbear: Win.
Punchy - March 29, 2010 | 10:26 am · Link
@Napoleon: Your snark-meter is broken, obviously.
Napoleon - March 29, 2010 | 10:27 am · Link
@Punchy:
I plead guilty to that.
Citizen_X - March 29, 2010 | 10:28 am · Link
@Dr. I. F. Stone:
Yes, because that’s sooo difficult.
Violet - March 29, 2010 | 10:28 am · Link
The teabaggers and Republican establishment are concerned that the vote may be split and that would benefit Reid. I read something to that effect in the write ups of the Galtamont festivities on Saturday.
Problem is, they don’t seem to have settled on a candidate, so Reid may yet be the beneficiary of this internecine feud.
West of the Cascades - March 29, 2010 | 10:30 am · Link
Sadly, he’d still be the second-most-corrupt Nevada Senator if elected …
Graeme - March 29, 2010 | 10:31 am · Link
Well, if politics is really a distraction for people who can’t effectively run their own lives, this guy is right where he needs to be.
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 10:31 am · Link
@PaulW: In some jurisdictions, yes. These particular alledged felonies should block anyone serious from voting for this guy though.
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 10:32 am · Link
@Violet: Galtamont
Win.
Camchuck - March 29, 2010 | 10:34 am · Link
@PaulW:
(D) = Yes
(R) = Not necessarily.
Ditto affairs.
mistermix - March 29, 2010 | 10:35 am · Link
@David in NY: I was ready to believe that the Republican DA dug up a bad check charge to get this guy out of the race, but after reading about his other financial dealings, it looks like it might be legit.
Violet - March 29, 2010 | 10:36 am · Link
@soonergrunt:
Can’t take credit for it. GBear coined it on Saturday. It’s by far my favorite description of the event, though.
dr. bloor - March 29, 2010 | 10:38 am · Link
@Violet:
Boy, this is the stuff of a multiyear run on the teevee.
DougJ - March 29, 2010 | 10:38 am · Link
@Violet:
Galtamont
Did you make that up? I love it.
DougJ - March 29, 2010 | 10:40 am · Link
Okay, I see that gbear made up Galtamont. I thought it sounded familiar. It’s brilliant.
Violet - March 29, 2010 | 10:41 am · Link
@DougJ:
No, gbear did – see my post @ 31. It’s excellent, isn’t it?
Grumpy Code Monkey - March 29, 2010 | 10:41 am · Link
@PaulW: I think it varies by state. Here’s what I found in the TX election code:
That’s in addition to the other usual requirements; US citizen, 18 years or older, residing in state/county/wherever for at least X years/months prior to running, not obviously crazy, etc. Although we seem to waive the “not obviously crazy” requirement on a regular basis.
burnspbesq - March 29, 2010 | 10:41 am · Link
Contractors nearly always owe money to the IRS. There is a very typical scenario involving erroneously treating employees as though they were independent contractors, and not withholding income tax and Social Security and Medicare taxes. Once they get behind it is generally very difficult to get caught up. Eventually the IRS starts levying on draws against the construction loan and the project dies.
Bender - March 29, 2010 | 10:43 am · Link
You are, unsurprisingly, wrong from start to finish.
The Nevada Tea Party group has already run ads and done interviews saying that they don’t HAVE a candidate, they aren’t a political party, they don’t know who this Ashjian guy is, he’s never been involved in their functions, and that they suspect he’s a Harry Reid plant designed to split the conservative vote. They’ve already told people not to vote for him… but your help in taking Ashjian down would be greatly appreciated by them, I’m sure.
twiffer - March 29, 2010 | 10:48 am · Link
@burnspbesq: so, what you are saying is this guy doesn’t know how to run his own business? well, i suppose that is qualification for holding office.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony - March 29, 2010 | 10:48 am · Link
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Family values, bitches!!
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 10:49 am · Link
@Bender: And the proper response is, of course, to keep referring to him as the choice of the real conservatives.
If we can find any way to tie him to the other senator that would be great too.
Svensker - March 29, 2010 | 10:49 am · Link
@Dr. I. F. Stone:
Tea Partiers can never fail, huh? Gotcha.
Chyron HR - March 29, 2010 | 10:51 am · Link
@Bender:
“We aren’t a political party and Ashjian’s not an official member of our party, anyway!”
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 10:55 am · Link
seems like my replies to Dr. bloor keep disappearing into the ether. FYWP!
Does this even work? Anyway, it was this thing about how if we’re very lucky, we’ll get both shows doing a dueling snowbillies kind of thing.
ellaesther - March 29, 2010 | 10:55 am · Link
Speaking of the Tea-partiers and hypocrisy, did we cover Russell King’s “open letter to conservatives” in an earlier thread/s? Has it been discussed to death?
What with Passover starting tonight and me being the sort who spends days cleaning in preparation (15 hours in the kitchen alone!), I haven’t been around much.
So, just in case:
An open letter to conservatives.
My take on it.
r€nato - March 29, 2010 | 10:58 am · Link
@burnspbesq: I’m surprised they are still doing that. The IRS has been on to the ‘my employees are really independent contractors’ scam for decades. There is a well-defined set of rules (most if not all of which are entirely common sense) which determines whether someone is employee or contractor.
You’re not a contractor just because the boss says so.
LD50 - March 29, 2010 | 10:59 am · Link
@Bender:
As usual, conservatives are incapable of blaming themselves for their own fuckups.
ellaesther - March 29, 2010 | 11:00 am · Link
@Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony: No, no, if you want your children to grow up right, the lesbian sex has to be genuine. That’s just basic parenting.
Michael Steele is terrible for America’s children!
scav - March 29, 2010 | 11:01 am · Link
The charges are out for the Hutereenies. Apparently involve killing a policeman and then killing more when the attend the funeral. Plans transmitted over the tulubz? Not Bright.
Dork - March 29, 2010 | 11:07 am · Link
I would like to subscribe to your magazine…..and/or whatever other magazine you’re referring to here.
Citizen_X - March 29, 2010 | 11:09 am · Link
@The Grand Panjandrum: Damn! How the hell do you spend $1600 at a nightclub, with or without topless imitation lesbians?
ellaesther - March 29, 2010 | 11:12 am · Link
@Dork: You need to go back to the original @ Grand Panjandrum: comment to see what I’m talking about…!
Also, may I say that while I’m certain that your feelings are genuine, in my experience, real lesbians mainly have sex for their own enjoyment, and not the enjoyment of straight men on the intertubez (I’m assuming you are a straight man here!).
I know, the world is a cruel, cruel place.
Michael - March 29, 2010 | 11:14 am · Link
Could you imagine being Todd and having to endure her when she’s on a full-bore snit? {shudder}
scav - March 29, 2010 | 11:17 am · Link
@ellaesther: oh noez! Organic Free-range Songbirdfriendly Organic Lesbian Sex for the MenOnTuubz is a myth?! ppphhht. I bet some of them don’t enjoy long walks on beaches either. petui.
morzer - March 29, 2010 | 11:19 am · Link
@dr. bloor:
Sounds like time for David Lynch to make a new series to me. Twin Hicks, anyone?
jon - March 29, 2010 | 11:22 am · Link
Who does he think he is, Michael Steele?
Svensker - March 29, 2010 | 11:22 am · Link
@morzer:
You deserve a fake-lesbian spanking for that elitist remark, at least.
soonergrunt - March 29, 2010 | 11:22 am · Link
@scav: It took me a while to figure it out too, but that whole “pina coladas and getting caught in the rain and making love in the dunes on the cape” thing…it’s a LIE!
morzer - March 29, 2010 | 11:24 am · Link
@Svensker:
That’s ok. I can live with authentic lesbian spanking also, too. s
ThatLeftTurnInABQ - March 29, 2010 | 11:29 am · Link
@morzer:
I vote for Snowpocalypse Now. Now that 24 has been canceled, I imagine Kiefer Sutherland is available. Put him in the Martin Sheen role and send him up-river.
morzer - March 29, 2010 | 11:32 am · Link
@soonergrunt:
But is it a good lie.. can you play through?
ellaesther - March 29, 2010 | 11:40 am · Link
Oh, how the lesbians in the audience are chuckling over all the warm-hearted humor in this thread!
To my lesbian friends: I am sorry that I contributed in any way. One wants to crack on the GOP, and sometimes, one loses one’s head.
morzer - March 29, 2010 | 11:49 am · Link
@ellaesther:
I think you’ll find that the lesbians are not the target, but rather the hypocrites who go to fake-lesbian shows. If you read the thread, that is.
ThresherK - March 29, 2010 | 12:07 pm · Link
He sounds like a Clay Puppington: “Elect me; I need the money”.
Nylund - March 29, 2010 | 12:16 pm · Link
No doubt he identifies with the industrialists in Atlas Shrugs and thinks that HE is who Ayn Rand was talking about. It is this winner that apparently can’t be counted on to pay for anything that the world will sorely miss if he goes Galt.
Like most tea-baggers, he sounds like a bitter failure that wants desperately to blame someone, or something, for his personal failings as a human being.
Xboxershorts - March 29, 2010 | 12:17 pm · Link
...... Though I will admit that it’s nice to find a teabagger hero who isn’t on Social Security Disability.yet
But this guy’s well on his way to living on the dole so ya better hurry…
scav - March 29, 2010 | 12:45 pm · Link
Reading the counts, what with all their nicknames, it’s like reading Dostoyevsky.
Bubblegum Tate - March 29, 2010 | 1:26 pm · Link
Actually, think Bender has it right—Nevada teabaggers have never really embraced this guy. The conspiracy theory that he’s a Reid lackey just pretending to be a teabagger in order to ruin the teabaggers has been around for a while. That said, I did like the Nevada teabaggers’ “We’re not a political party, and he’s not part of our political party!” defense.
freelancer - March 29, 2010 | 1:28 pm · Link
Might I suggest a tag for upcoming races with Tea Party Candidates?
“A Million Little Naders”
chrome agnomen - March 29, 2010 | 1:59 pm · Link
one down, eleven(ty) to go.
Calouste - March 29, 2010 | 2:03 pm · Link
So we find that someone who’s involved in a movement that thinks that the government shouldn’t set rules isn’t playing according to the rules the government has already set? Color me surprised.
Easiest way for the GOP to get rid of any annoying tea party candidates is to snitch them to the IRS/building/labor inspection. Something will turn up.
scotch-irish rebel - March 29, 2010 | 4:23 pm · Link
According to the scuttlebutt going round the Mormon web, Ashjian is LDS and served a mission. Per someone who served in the same mission with him (this is third-hand): he is “a piece of work.” FWIW.
burnspbesq - March 29, 2010 | 6:08 pm · Link
@r€nato:
IRS can’t be everywhere at once. They don’t catch everybody. That’s especially true in parts of the country where a large part of the construction labor force consists of undocumented immigrants who are paid in cash off the books. Matching of 1099s doesn’t work very well when there are no 1099s and no 1040s.