Posted on 09/06/2007 8:44:47 AM PDT by NavyCanDo
KIRKLAND -- Are you still fans of Matt Hasselbeck and Mack Strong after they visited President Bush last week in Bellevue? Or have their political leanings turned you against them?
The Seahawks quarterback and fullback gave the 43rd president a No. 43 jersey with his name on it at a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert at the Hyatt.
At the time, Hasselbeck called it a thrill and said it was a win-win, this opportunity to meet the president and get out of a team meeting.
But as soon as he saw the picture of the two players with Bush, Gary Wright, the team's vice president of administration, said he was concerned about negative reaction.
Maybe in really red Republican states, it would not have been a big deal. But Washington is a blue state, and deep, deep Democratic blue in King County. So objections were raised, and Hasselbeck heard them and read them. He got nasty voice mails, e-mails and text messages.
"I had no idea," Hasselbeck said.
One guy told him: "I hate you, I'll never wear your jersey, I'll never like the Seahawks again."
"Huh?" Hasselbeck thought. "Seriously?"
"Politics can be very mean and dirty," he said. "The things politicians say about each other, and what activists say, I had a brief glimpse of that for a couple of days.
"If I ever had any questions about whether I wanted to run for office, I now know the answer -- I don't."
As a quarterback, he's used to getting booed. "But this was a whole new level," he said. "I was very surprised how mean (they were)."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
Mack has come to the last three State GOP re-organization meetings. His mother Rose Strong ran three years ago for chair of the Washington State GOP and is a looong time Republican activist with an impressive resume. Don’t be surprised to see Mack run for public office after his football career.
Mack has spoken to various Republican groups over the years. He a great guy and speaks very well in public.
I was wrong, it’s his sister in law, his bro is a backup QB for the Giants.
Halley Burton, Halley Burton ?(as in trying to figure out how to pronounce her name) Who is she?
But clearly not being a political person, because anyone with a minimum interest in the subject knows who Halliburton is, I decided to just be nice and answer her question.
Surprisingly I get more positive reactions than negative about both shirts. I particularly like wearing them to poker games because out of the 10 at the table a few have to be libs and at least one a moonbat. If it gets them on tilt and messes with their head, its to my advantage.
You can’t find anyone more intolerant of divergent points of view than your died in the wool Liberal.
This demonstrates it conclusively.
What next? Boycott the Colts because they went to the Whitehouse after winning the Super Bowl?
Sheesh.
I think it's deeper than just George W. Bush. I think the RATs are still fuming that Bubba got caught with the fat girl. This still boils inside them but they hide their anger and lash out irresponsibly at whatever republican they can.
No I'm not a psychologists and I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night but even I can see they are ALL LOONIES!
I’m not a flaming anti-union guy like so many on this forum, but the statue outside the union hall is an outrage. A cool bird, a guy holding a propeller or a wing model, even some guy in an old-time flight suit looking to the sky, anything... But a statue of guys on strike and their kids cavorting around? Give me a f’ng break.
No, but I would have had the same reaction to the Dixie Chicks if they had played at a John Kerry fundraiser or at a premiere for Al Gore’s stupid movie.
Ha!!
Yep, that could do it....
The west side of the state of WA is so liberal leftist. Anything demoncRAT goes, regardless of how extreme in the far left field the issue is. I believe it was the election of 2004 that Dem Sen. Cant”budget”well carried only two counties on the west side (King where Seattle is located and I can’t remember the other) while her Rep. opponent then Sen. Slade Gorton carried the rest of the state. He lost! Tells you something about WA politics.
All those liberal Husky fans in Seattle will cry when they discover that Jake Locker is also a levelheaded conservative, pro-family catholic.
“I love the West Coast, but King County is nuts”
Could of not of said it better.
My respect for that organization increased dramatically after they won their first Stanley Cup in 1995. They were invited to the White House afterwards, and something like only five players on the team actually showed up.
What on earth are you talking about?
Is BDS that rampant in Seattle?
Demonrat hatred is the world’s worst. It is so bad that they share the bed with al Qaeda. They’re allies.
You fail to recognize the differences in the two situations. Natalie Maines made her comments during a Dixie Chicks concert. Without any disclaimers to the contrary, it was, in essence, a policy statement of that musical group. In fact, I believe her cohorts in the group backed her up.
Hassleback was acting as an individual, without sanction or cooperation of his team. They are free to issue a statement to the effect that his views are not that of the team or the organization. Had Hassleback voiced an endorsement of Bush during a game or a post game interview, I too would react negatively to his statements. To me, that's the essence of “shut up and sing”.
Now, I don’t really have a problem with the guy never wanting to buy his jersey, however petty and stupid that might be. But someone ending their support for the Seahawks as a whole is akin to a country music fan refusing to listen to ANY act of the Dixie Chicks’ record label. Kind of punishing the wrong people.
Don’t get me started on how I STILL had to pay a $350 car tax AFTER the monorail was cancelled!
No argument here.
perfect.
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