Is there anything more fun than watching that blathering ass Pete King lose his shit in public and then try to mend fences with Boehner:
King raised his objections in person during the closed door meeting with Boehner later Wednesday.
“I told him, ‘You have no idea what it is like for me. I have Al D’Amato in my district. His daughter and son-in-law have been driven out of their homes and his 98-year-old mother is living in a broken-down home right now,’” King said, referring to former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato.
“He is threatening to bring busloads from Island Park to demonstrate. Al is ranting like a madman,” King said.[…] King said Boehner gave him no grief for speaking out.
“He saw me and in a smiling way he said we are friends,” he said. “I told him, ‘You have no idea what it is like for me. I have Al D’Amato in my district.”
I’m sure it was all smiles after King went on the House floor and all over cable news and pooped on Boehner.
There are two red districts in the New York City area: King’s on Long Island (NY-2) and Michael Grimm’s on Staten Island (NY-11). Grimm had a quality challenge and won by 6 points in 2012. King won by 17 points. It will be hard push to beat Peter King but what better opportunity than 2014. Here’s the first campaign quote, courtesy of King:
There is too often an anti-New York bias in the Republican party. It was hard to visualize other areas being treated that way.
Chris
Hard to visualize other areas? Is he on drugs? Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago… not to mention Washington “Taxation Without Representation” DC.
handsmile
Mistermix:
apologies for the Congressional pedantry, but Grimm represents the 13th District (Staten Island and southwestern Brooklyn). The 11th district (much of the rest of Brooklyn) is represented by Democrat Yvette Clarke. And King represents New York’s 3rd.
Much like King, Michael Grimm is this morning (appearing on CNN) scurrying back into his role as a loyal GOP confederate, praising his good friend John Boehner, who “looked into [his} eyes and shook [his] hand” following yesterday’s “frank exchange of views.”
Napoleon
Wow, it is like Al D’Amato is like Sonny from A Bronx Tale.
mistermix
@handsmile: NY-11 is the name of the district after redistricting.
http://grimm.house.gov/
dmsilev
Nitpick: Al D’Amato doesn’t ‘rant like a crazy man’. He is a crazy man.
SenyorDave
These people have elected an asshole like King time after time. They vote him in because he is an ignorant blowhard, and large portions of his electorate like that.
Why does Loius Gohmert win? Because large portions of his electorate are morons, and they like electing someone like themselves (morons) to Congress.
that said, it is amusing to watch King have to walk back on his remarks. I figure in another week he will be re-writing history and blaming the Obama and the Democrats for the delay in the Sandy aid package.
beltane
I used to live in Peter King’s district and I don’t recall him ever having a tough opponent nor do I recall King being particularly loved (I never heard him mentioned in conversation at all really). A charismatic sort of Catholic, “pro-business” Dem could probably win there-not ideal from our perspective but a whole lot better than Peter King.
Yes, this is a Republican district, but it is most certainly not a neo-Confederate district and the people who live there sure do like their good schools and taxpayer funded amenities. The thing to do in the Northeast is wrap every GOP pol with the Confederate flag and wrap them up good and tight.
Al D’Amato really would bring busloads of angry relatives from Island Park to protest. He is known for things like that.
JPL
On January 15th the house will vote to defund medicaid in order to pay for Sandy. King will then go on TV and blame the dems for not getting along.
NCSteve
Sheesh. He sounds like he’s scared D’Amato will have him whacked.
handsmile
@mistermix:
And I see that King’s district is now the 2nd. (Had been relying on Wiki, not the congressmen’s own pages). Hoisted by my own ped-tard. Thanks!
Napoleon
@SenyorDave:
Actually he will be blaming them for causing the storm in the first place.
sb
When has Al D’Amato ever not been ranting like a madman? Serious question.
Chris
@NCSteve:
You know how those Eyetalians are.
gene108
@beltane:
Hehehehehe…..
I like this.
The Republicans, especially in the South, have been attacking Democrats for voting with Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, etc.
I hope it can work.
We need to seed the Northeastern airwaves with constant negative reinforcement of Southern GOP leaders, like Fox News and other right-wing media have done to Democratic leaders.
I’m not sure how this would work though, as we don’t have a large enough media presence.
beltane
@NCSteve: Al D’Amato won’t have him whacked politically but he’d be perfectly happy to whack him politically by supporting a Dem challenger if he feels his needs aren’t being met. The Nassau County GOP is, if nothing else, quite entertaining to watch in action.
Suffern ACE
Will no one think of the former senators?
And honestly, what is preventing Al from helping himself? He’s a politician for crying out loud.
Gin & Tonic
I was born and raised on Long Island. Trust me, Al D’Amato and Peter King are the ideal representatives for the majority there.
Suffern ACE
Anyway, if the face of the ones left out in the cold due to lack of funds is Al, I’m wondering if this is money well spent.
danielx
Every so often (not often enough, unfortunately) I read a line that helps focus my thinking, and here’s a keeper from that invaluable chronicler of things political in my fair state, Doghouse Riley:
bleh
He’s a aggrieved, loudmouthed, older white guy, who’s an ethnic mutt. He’s perfect for his district.
Forget beating him, unless he REALLY steps in it, or until the demographic tide change rolls out from Queens.
MattF
Yeah, King’s a blowhard– he gets attention– and one could argue that’s what a congressional representative needs to do. Before challenging him, I’d want to know how well his office does in the general category of ‘constituent services’ (where, fwiw, Al D’Amato was famously proficient, aka ‘Senator Pothole’).
OGLiberal
@sb: I remember during the OJ trial, driving to work and listening to D’Amato on Imus. He was talking about Judge Lance Ito and doing a very exaggerated Japanese voice while saying his name. It was just completely obnoxious. (especially since a) Japanese people don’t really talk like that and b) Lance Ito talks like a guy born and raised in California…because he was) Imus was like, “Senator…Senator”. I mean, he even offended Imus.
patrick II
The House inaction is all part of the republican global climate change plan. Do nothing and let people drown and their homes be destroyed.
It is similar to Al Grayson’s depiction of the Republican healthcare plan — congress should do nothing and people should die quickly.
It is also similar to their unemployment plan and education plan. Things will just work out according to God’s plan — the main thrust of which is that God hates high taxes on the rich.
jibeaux
Anyone else find it a little odd that the angle seems to be “you have no idea how hard it is, I have Al D’Amato in my district” rather than “you have no idea how hard it is, I have hardship and suffering by the people in my district”? Maybe they’re about equal though.
handsmile
John Boehner, class act.
From TPM’s “LIveWire” account of Peter King’s appearance this morning on MSNBC:
“I knew it was going to be a good meeting when we walked in and John made an obscene reference to me and did it with a smile, King said.”
And yesterday, the intertubes hummed with reports of Boehner twice telling Harry Reid to “Go fuck yourself” during fiscal cliff negotiations at the White House.
Usually such language provokes some pearl-clutching among the Village media. Perhaps they sympathize with the terrible stress endured by the Great Orange Speaker. All who care for him must surely hope that, after today’s House leadership vote, he will have more time for the tanning bed and the golf links.
MattF
@handsmile: Seems to indicate that Boehner’s,… um… ‘transactional repertoire’ is kinda limited.
Mark S.
@handsmile:
Nah, it’s cute when Republicans do it, like when Cheney told Leahy to go fuck himself.
On the other hand, if anyone got fucked the last two weeks, it’s certainly been Boner. He’s the last person who should be walking around bragging right now.
Sterling
Translation: “John- you don’t understand. These are white people that are angry at us. It’s important I get money for them.”
Why is it that the only time Republicans are in favor of helping people is after a natural disaster? When people’s lives are destroyed by the excesses of capitalism, it’s all part of the normal process of creative destruction, but when white people are hurt by natural destruction, republicans are suddenly in favor of government action to help restore the standard of living of their constituents.
japa21
@handsmile: It is never a problem for the Village when it is a Republican (the supposed party of high morals and family values) that uses that terminology. See Dick Cheney as an example.
However, when a Dem says it instead, it is an example of the depravity and lack of a moral compass the Dems have. See Joe Biden and response to passage of HCR as an example.
Mandalay
@mistermix:
He has provided quite a few lately, but this is the one Democrats should be replaying:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/issa-sandy-bill-was-a-pork-fest-85668.html#ixzz2Gq5AoClS
Remind his constituents every day for the next two years that King thinks they are idiots for supporting him. That should put a dent in his his 17% majority and his coffer.
NorthLeft12
A totally revealing quote from Mr. King. Don’t bother mentioning the actual hardship that some of his constituents are suffering through, but lets focus on the fuss and bother that the former Senator D’Aranged is causing me….poor Rep. King.
piratedan
@handsmile: well it’s obvious that Speaker Happyhour (R-Cheers) had been baited, if not goaded by the Senate Majority Leader into that behavior by the odious attempts of leading by example and exhibiting an openness to negotiate with his counterparts in the Senate, i.e. with Senator Turtle from the state of Fried Chicken.
David Hunt
@Mandalay:
Your King quote
I was struck by the fact that he attacked money going to Republicans rather than votes for them. I get the impression that not giving them campaign money is worse than not voting for them…
Palli
Will it be a secret vote for Speaker?
Violet
FWIW, Peter King was on the Today Show this morning and said he completely supported Boehner and that he was going to be re-elected Speaker. He seemed a bit like he had been told to walk his comments back publicly. Somewhat apologetic sounding.
handsmile
@japa21:
Good gracious, I’d forgotten about the vapors induced by Biden’s coarse mutterings. But after all, look who he works for….
As you and Mark S. (#27) sagely note, “IOKIYAR” is the operational acronym of the VIllage media and its morals squad.
Forum Transmitted Disease
In all fairness to King, who deserves none, I would consider this an excuse for pretty much any kind of behavior.
aimai
These guys can never, ever, ever, stop thinking of themselves as the victims. Boo-fucking-hoo. Its psychologically signficant, however, that in talking to Boehner and pleading for Boehner’s help he did it not for unnamed and presumably insignificant citizens and non citizens–residents of the affected areas–but on behalf of himself, because he was receiving the only thing that he imagined could make the speaker empathetic with him which is political pressure from interested parties. Its like the guy is standing over the broken body of a little child and wailing to Boehner “imagine how its going to make me feel when the NRA starts bitching at meeeeeee!!” Oh, wait, that has probably already happened.
BTW this makes a nice contrast, for some values of nice, with the recent discovery by Senator Mark Kirk that when people have strokes they need more than the minimum number of therapy sessions alloted to them by Medicare. HE has discovered that what is good enough for him might be good enough for other people and he seems to have formed some dim intention of doing something about it. Not for Al D’amato’s mother or the speaker’s presumed fellow feeling for another congresscritter but because he himself possesses empathy.
aimai
kd bart
Don’t worry about Al D’Amato. I’m sure he’ll be getting kickbacks from the businesses he promotes during the rebuilding.
Roger Moore
@jibeaux:
He knows his audience. Telling Republicans about the poor people who will suffer unless they do do something is the best way of lobbying them to do nothing. If you actually want them to act, you need to find some rich and powerful people for them to worry about.
Roger Moore
@aimai:
But only for things he has personal experience with. This is the classic Republican MO. They are only capable of feeling any empathy for people who are like them. They’ll almost all have one or two hobby horse issues where they’re willing to break ranks with the party, and on further inspection you find that they’re always based on personal experience that other Republicans lack. They may show empathy, but not with any imagination.
Violet
@aimai: I’m very glad Mark Kirk has learned from his experience and is planning to use his stature and power as a Senator to do something to help others in similar situations.
But for crying out loud, WTF is wrong with Republicans? They seem incapable of empathy until and unless they personally are affected by something. Once they are affected, it doesn’t matter what their moral or ethical or political beliefs are–all that is out the window because now it affects them.
I think one of the major differences between Republicans and everyone else is empathy.
Thatgaljill
Mr. King, may I introduce you to California? Talk about a bias against…
TR
So Peter King is saying that Hurricane Sandy’s destruction of Staten Island was a result of God’s wrath over all the evil wrought by Al D’Amato?
Sounds about right.
gene108
@Violet:
Conservatism can be summarized by the following acronym: IGMFY (I’ve got mine, fuck you).
It’s the underlying basis of all conservative thought. The leading intellectuals of conservatism just dress it up all fancy-like, with words like “ownership society”, “death tax”, “job creators”, etc.
aimai
Can I just say that “I have AL D’AMATO in my district [for fuck’s sake]” should be a rotating tag line and the new “I can’t have illegals, I’m running for President for Pete’s sake” of 2013.
aimai
Kathy in St. Louis
Well, it’s easy to see why King was so upset. I mean, it was Al D’Amato’s kid and mom, for Christ’s sweet sake. Never mind the thousands and thousands of other citizens, who were inconvenienced by this trageday….Al D’Amoto’s kid and mom! No wonder Pete was upset. The citizenry might demonstrate.
So, the real reason for his anger wasn’t the shared pain of this people. It was the very special and far more intense pain of some former politician’s family. Could anything sum up what’s wrong in our country more than this scenario?
I hope he has to wash Boehner’s car and take his grandkids to hockey practice for a year to make up for his political fauz pas.
Violet
@gene108: I think it really is the defining characteristic of Republicans/Teabaggers/”conservatives”.
@aimai: Second this motion.
debbie
The GOP treated Peter King just like he’s treated more than half the U.S. population. Probably pointless to think he’ll learn from that.
Patricia Kayden
Well at least Boehner didn’t tell him to “f” himself and then brag about it. That’s something.
SFAW
@dmsilev:
Nitpick: “rant like a crazy man” does not become untrue, merely because the ranter is crazy.
Jay in Oregon
@aimai:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/201002/victim-identity-im-not-okay-youre-more-not-okay
tuna
Did ya know that the top 3 dairy farming states are CA, WI, and NY. If the GOP does not hurry up and pass the farm bill and fix the milk pricing law for good…the GOP will be finished in the NE. By the way PA is number 4.
Another Halocene Human
@Jay in Oregon: Wow. Thanks for the link.
JWL
Do voters in King’s district habitually munch on snacks made of lead paint chips, or get their drinking water from lead pipes? Because that might explain it.
El Cid
Well, since it’s Al D’Amato, we know he’s not black and all this isn’t his fault and he doesn’t need to be taught how to live without depending on Big Government with his hand out all the time, so I suppose we’re supposed to give a shit about him and his Mom, as opposed to all those worthless lazy poor shits out there who need their asses kicked.
Steve M.
I wouldn’t exactly say he had a “quality challenge.”
Sly
@JWL:
King’s support is anchored in SE Nassau County, which was the nexus of the Republican Party machine in the state for decades. Seaford, Bethpage, Wantagh, Massapequa, Levittown, etc. They’re basically Bill O’Reilly Republicans; people who occupy neighborhoods that would not exist without Federal and state largess and systemic white flight, but fancy themselves as self-starting individualists and “real” Americans.
Plus he’s pro-labor enough to win over the large Irish-Catholic population in the area; King was the original sponsor of EFCA, along with George Miller, and, with the exception of 2006, was consistently endorsed by the AFL-CIO.
Jason
Just like how “Urban” is code for “Blacks”, in Republican circles, “New York Voters” is code for “Jews.” \
All these years of demonizing late sipping coastal elites and it comes back to bite them in the ass. Who knew?
Renie
@beltane: I’ve been in King’s district for the last ten years (and luckily am going to be rid of him now). You are right, the people here are not your usual RWNJ. The Democrats never run anyone competent against King. I’ve helped opponents to King the last two elections and they barely get helped by the local or state Dem organizations. King, still has a huge campaign money surplus. His district encompasses the last Republican stronghold of Nassau County in the Town of Hempstead. We are hoping that with the latest rezoning of the district, he is more vulnerable. Many people dislike him, he is the biggest jerk even to his constituents.