'Mean Jean' Goes to Washington, and Invites a Firestorm

New York Times ^ | November 20, 2005 | JASON DePARLE

[OkeyDokeyOkie]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 - She grew up in the rough-and-tumble of a family auto racing business, went through concealed-weapons training, and bears a local nickname seldom applied to shrinking violets: "Mean Jean."

So when Representative Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, created a furor on her 75th day in Congress by lobbing the word "coward" toward a Democratic war hero, those who know her best were anything but surprised.

Just this week, a profile in The Hill newspaper, which covers Congress, labeled her "gloriously uncensored." Back home in her suburban Cincinnati district, the Whistleblower, an online newsletter that tracks local politics, rushed out a special I-told-you-so issue calling the speech "vintage Jean Schmidt."

[river rat]

"....and the near physical attack by Rep. Harold Ford, who had to be restrained by other representatives."

That would have been a welcomed "career" ender for the jerk from Tennessee.

I'd also bet that "Mean Jean" would have kicked his ass......soundly.

I just LOVE seeing Democrat heads exploding in anger....

Semper Fi

[Soul Seeker]

While the speech created a ruckus in Washington, it is not clear that it will hurt Ms. Schmidt back home, in a district that is one of the strongest Republican bastions in the country.

And

The 100-proof speech on the House floor may shore up Ms. Schmidt's standing inside her party's right flank. "I was listening to talk radio today, and people were calling in and praising her," said Chris Finney, a Cincinnati Republican allied with Ms. Schmidt's local rivals. "They like that jingoistic thinking."

LOL! Poor NYT's. J.S. has just written her ticket to re-election next year and it frosts them they can't do anything about it but print tired 'nicknames' they've given her. Well, hey, calling Delay the "Hammer" has done wonders for his reputation. :-)

Everyone needs to give this woman a call, write a letter, send a fax or E-mail her. She done good. I would also singularly isolate J.D. hayworth for the idea, and Johnson for his closing comments as well as everyone of your Reps that spoke or voted in affirmative both times. If you have a Dem, thank them for supporting the troops, the WOT of which Iraq is part, and our President. LOL

[thoughtomator]

Schmidt for Congress Committee

P.O. Box 867

Milford, OH 45150

[lizma]

If ever in the history of this nation the term "FU", or something more PC, should have been uttered on the floor. she should have uttered it and not back down. If you think about it what could they really do to her?

These are people that think rape is no big deal! So much for moral high ground. The repubs should run with this. Whether they do or not is another story. Not holding m breath.

[Minus_The_Bear]

Hated by the NYTIMES? I like the sound of this woman!

[Tench_Coxe]

"Tonight's Saturday Night Live--a show that has become the entertainment division of moveon.org--spent five excruciatingly unfunny minutes attacking Schmidt."

I happened to catch the news spoof segment. It wasn't funny, and was downright ( to coin an overused liberal phrase ) mean-spirited.
I switched off the TV.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"So when Representative Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, created a furor on her 75th day in Congress by lobbing the word "coward" toward a Democratic war hero, those who know her best were anything but surprised."

Flat out distortion and misrepresentation by the NYT? How could that be possible.

[Kirkwood]

This is America. Let her say whatever she wants. Censorship? Hell!

[daybreakcoming]

Republican Congress comes off looking petty and personal.

Hi - who did they come off looking petty and personal to? Well, besides the democrats, MoveOn.org., DU, and of course, the MSM, that is.

[Spiff]

Rep. Jean Schmidt deserves praise, not condemnation. My only problem with Rep. Schmidt is that she allowed herself to be intimidated by the the verbal attacks of Democrats and the near physical attack by Rep. Harold Ford, who had to be restrained by other representatives. Rep. Schmidt did not call Rep. Murtha a coward, she simply quoted a Marine constituent who asked her to remind Rep. Murtha that cowards cut and run, Marines never do, a fact that the retired Marine, Rep. Murtha, had obviously forgotten.

I like what she said, but she later withdrew her comments.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>> I like what she said, but she later withdrew her comments.

She may have had the comments struck from the congressional record, but the comment is far from struck from the public record. It will be remembered.

[Liberty Valance]

hmmmm, my new hero

[Soul Seeker]

a) Murtha called Cheney a Chickenhawk and said our troops were the enemy.

b) Schmidt read a response of a service member that stated cowards cut and run, Marines never do. That MARINE called Murtha a coward and damn well earned the right to do so. DEMOCRATS BOOED A MARINE'S WORDS!

c) Do not repeat Liberal propaganda on this board and expect us all to be "chastised" because we are applauding this woman giving this troop and thousands of others a voice against a man calling them the enemy.

d) The only ones exposed as petty, vindictive, without a foundation were Democrats after exposing they didn't have the guts to back up their vicious rhetoric. Pure political hackery all along and the Reps shamed them rightly.

I congratulate this new Congresswoman, Praise her to the skies and suffer NO pain of conscience and denounce ANY attempt to categorize it anywhere alike the plane of Michael Moore.

[hinckley buzzard]

Rep. Jean Schmidt deserves praise, not condemnation

Indeed, By simply quoting a letter from a real-time military man, she tore the mask off the violent criminal psychopaths who make up the democrat party in Congress. This woman has more courage than Jack Murtha and the next hundred 'rats in a row put together.

[daybreakcoming]

I like what she said, but she later withdrew her comments.

In the meantime, she gave some people something to think about - maybe even Murtha. All he could do was read letters - not even his own words - going for the sympathy crowd.

Her words are out there even though she withdrew them.

I liked the way she stood tough and continuing even after the booing began.

[Bombard]

SNL has been so bad that it is a joke for about 10 years. I watch Mad TV.

[thoughtomator]

Looks like your problem is with the Marine who wrote the letter, not the person who read it. Why would any conservative oppose Jean Schmidt?

[nutmeg]

ping! (KUDOS, "Mean Jean")

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[snodog]

Whatever? Relax.

[FlingWingFlyer]

It isn't very often that the DemocRATS have someone they can refer to as a "Democratic war hero" so I can see why they would be offended when you call their cut and runner a coward. LOL!

Most DemocRATS are girlymen like Ford.