Posted on 06/05/2012 3:05:34 PM PDT by donna
PHOENIX -- Democratic Senate hopeful Richard Carmona distanced himself Monday from President Barack Obama, saying he had “no connection” with the man who urged him to run for office.
His comments come months after it was first reported the president personally called the former U.S. surgeon general and asked him to get into the race.
“Let me set the record straight, OK,” Carmona told 3TV. “I have no connections to President Obama.”
Carmona described his private conversation with the commander-in-chief as one of many he had with Democrats and Republicans while deciding whether or not to run. Obama did call and encourage him, Carmona said, but, “he didn’t twist my arm.”
Before the two spoke over the phone, Carmona said he’d meet Obama one time on the set of a television talk show several years ago. At the time Obama was still a U.S. senator, Carmona was working for the Republican George W. Bush administration.
“That’s the only relationship we had,” Carmona said.
This marks the second time in as many weeks a high-profile Arizona Democrat has publicly shied away from a president who has become increasingly unpopular in this Republican-leaning state.
During a debate two weeks ago, Ron Barber, who is trying to replace retired Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, declined to say if he would vote for the Democratic president. Barber later issued a written statement clarifying that he would vote for Obama.
Put together it appears Democrats are becoming uncomfortable with Obama in an election year. Both the Carmona and Barber races are very important for the president as well as the Democratic Party.
Democrats need Barber to keep Giffords' old seat in Democratic hands. That is looking like a tough task as Republican Jesse Kelly is running a strong race
(Excerpt) Read more at azfamily.com ...
I just love the gratuitous “commander-in-chief” added in there to prop the little dork up a bit........No one cares, no one is impressed, save it for liberal consumption.
Is St. Gabrielle’s husband Mark Kelly running?
I thought he was the candidate guaranteed to keep it Dem.
The Dims are in bad shape. They’re good soldiers, they’re taking orders, and they’re being told to pretend they don’t know Obama.
They are all going to be trying to convence that they are not being backed by the One. It is humorous to watch I must say. Haven’t had this much fun in a long time watching politics. Seems like the shoe is on the other foot for this moment in time anyway!
That’s what I thought. He’d be a shoo-in for the mindless sympathy vote. I don’t know why he didn’t go for it. Maybe he’s honestly not interested, or the Dim internal polling said it would be a bad idea. AZ voters are hard to read sometimes, but they will occasionally make sense and be skeptical of crap like that.
No, not her husband. It’s Ron Barber, one of her staffers.
I’m so numb I didn’t even notice the “commander-in-chief”.
And thus pushing conservatives out the over side of the tent, like after 1994.
Is campaign slogan should be, “Barry who?”
That looks like Palo Verde west of Phoenix!
(The largest nuclear generation facility in the United States.)
“I have no connections to President Obama.”
Are you a democrat?
Oh.. sorry.. I guess you DO have connections to Obama.
“Barry who, from where?”
Dem Senate hopeful? I thought he was running for a House seat...
No connections at all, except for belonging to the same party and subscribing to an identical political philosophy. Nope, forget the big gray ears and long canine snout. I am a little harmless sheep. “Baaaaaaaa”
This is great news. A lot of our guys refused to be with President Bush in 2006 and look what happened? They lost. This is going to be a great election in 2012 for us.
Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona (D) is running in a close race against Rep. Jeff Flake (R) for Senator Jon Kyl’s seat.
Ron Barber, one of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords staffers, is running for her House seat.
The article talks about both in a confusing manner, LOL.
Except that Jeff Flake is a RINO.
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