Senate candidate Baumgartner won't apologize for telling reporter 'go (expletive) yourself'

KIROTV ^ | August 22, 2012

[rightwingintelligentsia]

State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Baumgartner issued an apology Tuesday, then retracted it after apparently sending a profane email to a reporter for the political blog Publicola.

"Let me just say, Josh had it coming in this email, and I don't apologize," Baumgartner told KIRO 7's Graham Johnson on Tuesday afternoon. "Look, it's a naughty word. It doesn't amount to a whole lot."

The email, which Publicola writer Josh Feit published on his blog, featured a photo of Baumgartner holding a gun and included the text, “Josh, this is Pat Feeks, a Navy SEAL killed last week in Afghanistan. Take a good look and then go f*** yourself.” (Note: The original email did not include asterisks.)

[randita]

Another GOP Senate candidate with foot in mouth disease.

[mazda77]

So what is the issue here? The media just loved it when Plugs gave his open mic interpretation of the signing of Obamacare.

[LeonardFMason]

Are you kidding? Won’t change a SINGLE f***ing vote!

[RichInOC]

If telling the press to commit legitimate rape on themselves is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

[kabar]

And a set of cojones grande. It is time Reps stop taking any crap from the biased MSM. It will win him votes. The public knows that the MSM is biased in favor of the Dems. Let's stop playing games that they are objective.

The liberal MSM will be moderating all the debates. I hope Romeny and/or Ryan goes after them and calls them out.

[ZULU]

I agree. This is not an Aiken moment. My guess is the little creep had the comment coming. I’d like to know what that leftist lowlfie said about our troops over there!!

[FlipWilson]

Quote: “Another GOP Senate candidate with foot in mouth disease.”

Uhh, no. Where can I go to donate to a guy who has done what I wish every single last Republican would have done when faced with the media bias of the corrupt press. Growing a pair is not stupid, it is a sign that we have someone who is tired of taking it in the shorts.

[LittleMoe]

can someone please enlighten me as to why the GOP would stand for all the deates to be moderated by MSNBC
why is not Fox getting to moderate any or others
Guess we want Obama to win

[LittleMoe]

can someone please enlighten me as to why the GOP would stand for all the debate's to be moderated by MSNBC
why is not Fox getting to moderate any or others
Guess we want Obama to win

[kabar]

This is what is in the article, which I suggest you read:

From the reporter:

I interviewed Baumgartner yesterday in the context of the story about US Rep. (and US Senate candidate) Todd Akin (R-MO). It’s hard to know what prompted his e-mail last night, but he noted during our interview yesterday that he was frustrated that the abortion issue was getting so much attention when he was focused on ending the war in Afghanistan.

Like Akin, Baumgartner is against abortions in instances of rape. Baumgarnter trashed Akin’s “ignorant” and “stupid” comments about women’s supposed ability to avoid getting pregnant from rape. However, he stood by his own anti-abortion/pro-life position.

Baumgartner has released a statement:

"Senator Michael Baumgartner made this statement today regarding PubliCola’s article that published a private e-mail between him and PubliCola editor, Josh Feit:

"“This was a follow-up e-mail to a previous conversation with a local blogger,” Baumgartner said. “I apologize to Josh for my strong language.”

“A cornerstone of my campaign thus far has been to address and end the war in Afghanistan. Every week, our best American men and women are killed. Since I announced my candidacy in October, 301 Americans have been killed.”

“The problem is that many media outlets, including PubliCola, do not want to talk about why these men and women continue to be killed. They don’t want to discuss Maria Cantwell’s record supporting the war in Afghanistan or a smarter foreign policy that can save thousands of lives in the future.”

And Baumgartner's email:

"Josh, this is Pat Feeks, a Navy SEAL killed last week in Afghanistan. Take a good look and then go f**k yourself.

Reporter: That appears to be Baumgartner on the left; Baumgartner was an adviser in Iraq during the surge, and he was embedded with an Afghan counternarcotics team in 2009.

What this sounds like is another liberal reporter playing a game of gotcha. Baumgartner got fed up, apparently because he knows the Navy SEAL in the picture who was killed last week. This is not "foot in mouth disease," but a patriot who is fed up with the MSM. Good for him.

[kabar]

It is the same reason why the GOP joined in with the MSM hysteria over Akin. They are scared sh**less of the MSM. They would rather dump one of their own than piss them off.

[colorado tanker]

at a quarter to 11, he sent me the email

Uh oh. Was he drunk emailing?

[randita]

I did read it. But how many people do you think are going to take the time to read it? They're just going to get the Reader's Digest version with the profanity. Baumgartner had a good point, but he could have worded it more artfully to the same effect.

Cheney used the same language referring to Adam Clymer, so Baumgartner is in good company.

[353FMG]

>I hope Romeny and/or Ryan goes after them and calls them out.<

.
Castigating the liberal MSM will get them votes with the average American. Remember how Newt was always a success with the audience during the debates?

GOP candidates have often been perceived to be spineless because of their concern for decorum and not wanting to offend anyone — not even the opposition.

I cannot support any candidate without b*lls — I think it’s a waste of my time to even vote for an invertebrate.

[TurboZamboni]

As Biden would say, this is not a big, F’n deal.

[kabar]

Baumgartner had a good point, but he could have worded it more artfully to the same effect.

Your reaction is why the GOP will go the way of the Dodo bird. Self-censorship is the worst censorship of all. Republicans are walking on egg shells with every statement they make for fear of making a mistake or insulting someone. The Dems have no such compunction. We throw our people under the bus, they give them a television show.

What he said was the most effective politically and communicating a message. The reporter got his panties in a wad and had to publish the email. You can see what a punk he is.

[kabar]

LOL. Exactly right.

[kabar]

Couldn't agree more. Newt actually intimidated the MSM. They were the ones that had to wary when they asked a question for fear of a rejoinder. That is the way it should be.

The reporter in this article was just trying to smear Baumgartner and have him linked to Akin. Transparent BS. They don't run to Dems to see if they agree with "y'all be in chains."

[montag813]

Try reading David McCullough’s “Truman”. You can’t get through 5 pages without an F-bomb from Truman. Reporters today are such pussies it is pathetic.

[muleskinner]

This is why this isn't a big deal:

"...regarding PubliCola’s article that published a private e-mail between him and PubliCola editor, Josh Feit."

People write all kinds of things in private e-mails, as you well know.

[newzjunkey]

Another GOP Senate candidate with foot in mouth disease.

The stupid party rears its ugly head and its behind. It'll be a miracle if Obama's replaced and doubly-so if somehow the GOP won the senate.

[ArrogantBustard]

Wrong. In fact, you couldn't be wronger if you tried.

The presstitutes NEED to be told off, in no uncertain terms, and regularly.

Mr. Baumgartner would be having foot-in-mouth disease if he were to apologize.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Are you male or female?Yes, it matters.

[Cyber Liberty]

This is Oregon. Please, in the future, make some indication in the title, or for that matter in the text, so the rest of us in the other 56 states know WTF you are posting about.

[suthener]

Something else everybody needs to read. Another American hero killed...for what? A story about Patrick Feeks’ death:

It was always Patrick Feeks’ dream to be among the United States Navy’s elite and become a SEAL. After he achieved that goal in 2008, he served two tours of duty in Iraq and had been in Afghanistan since December.

Feeks was killed in action in Afghanistan last Thursday.
He was expected to return home to Edgewater this fall, but instead of planning his homecoming, his family and friends are now trying to determine how to honor their fallen warrior.

Naval Special Warfare Officer First Class Feeks was killed in action last Thursday when the helicopter he was riding in crashed during a firefight with insurgents.

“He felt what he was doing in Afghanistan with his platoon was what he had been trained to do,” Tom Feeks, Patrick’s father, said. “He was doing good work and he was proud and very, very happy.”

Patrick came from a military family; both his wife and his sister both also serve in the Navy. Friends say that he was a selfless and driven person.

“He had a rare zest for life that few people ever find,” Michael Diehl, Patrick’s friend, said. “Everything in his life he approached with a passion like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Would have been nice if they had gotten his rank right.

[randita]

I am female and I realize it matters. I know men are more accustomed to salty language and that it’s pretty commonplace in work and casual settings for men to use profanity during conversation with one another.

My husband, sons and other male family members do not talk that way in the presence of ladies and I respect them for it.

Most women do not talk this way - well, at least the women I know and like to spend time with.

So yes, my viewpoint on this is obviously much different than others who are weighing in on this topic.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

I respect your position and I dont speak that way around the women folk(or at least I try not to)I would have said something stronger to the supposed reporter but thats just me.There is time for decorum and this wasnt it.imo

[Impy]

I said when I saw a GOP Sen candidate had gotten in trouble (Akin) that I hoped it was the guy in WA or some other state we weren’t gonna win anyway. Jeez!!

Unfortunately this race is a huge longshot with or without him throwing F bombs.

[Impy]

At least this was a male reporter he told off. It would have been much worse it was a woman. Then the media would pool it with Akin story to “paint a picture” like they did with “corruption” in 2006.