meanwhile, in that other primary

[sisyphusshrugged]

the two Republicans running against Hillary livened up the slow-motion trainwreck with a debate

Kathleen Troia McFarland, a former official in the Reagan-era Pentagon, repeatedly hammered John Spencer, a former mayor of Yonkers, for having an extramarital affair with a city employee while he was mayor, having relatives on the city payroll, and raising property taxes. Mr. Spencer fought back, accusing her of distorting his record with “lies and innuendos and half-truths” while ignoring her early pledge to run a positive campaign.

“She’s insulted my wife, she’s insulted my children, she’s insulted my military record, criticized my service in Vietnam,” Mr. Spencer complained when he was asked about the tenor of the race. “I do not think that my personal life, or Mrs. McFarland’s personal life, or problems that she may be having, are part of the dialogue that the state and the people of New York care about, or the nation.”

Ms. McFarland responded that the issues her campaign raised were fair game.

“You brought up your wife, and I must tell you that that’s not a personal issue,” she said. “That’s a professional issue. Because when you were mayor of Yonkers, you had an affair with your secretary while you were married to somebody else. You tripled her salary and made her your chief of staff. You were living with her. You doubled your own personal income. You got financial gain from that. And you had two children.”

Their debate, at Pace University in Manhattan, was the latest flashpoint in a primary campaign that has, at times, more closely resembled reality television than a Senate race.

At one point, Ms. McFarland turned to Mr. Spencer and said, “You taxed and spent like Hillary, and you’ve behaved like Bill.”

Mr. Spencer retorted: “That was probably worked on for months by her staff. To say, let’s get the sound bite, you know? Let’s get the sound bite, let’s get the headline. What nonsense.”

He bristled at the onslaught, saying that the woman he had gone on to marry had not been a secretary but “a career professional with 22 years working for three former mayors and city managers.” He asked how Ms. McFarland, as a woman, could insult “another woman’s career and her children.”

“I say to you, Mrs. McFarland: Shame on you,” he said. “Shame on you as a mother of children and a woman yourself to talk about my wife and my family like that when we have such a serious campaign. I am at peace with my God and my loved ones.”

The Democrats exulted. “This was more like a Tom and Jerry cartoon than a Senate debate,” said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party.

I don't think I could have come up with a scenario where (multiple) family values candidate Spencer is the sane, reasonable candidate (grading on a curve). Better yet, the unhinged Park Avenue sockpuppet with the overgrown sense of entitlement is planning an independent run with a shiny new vanity party* if she loses the Republican nod, so no matter how the primary goes, she's going to be decompensating on a national stage now.

In other sockpuppet news, Mr. Romanelli most likely will not be on the ballot as the Green candidate for Santorum's seat, despite the support of Sen. Santorum, Sen. Santorum's donors, and Mickey Mouse.



*Jobs and Security. Connecticut for Lieberman was taken.

Comments

[del-c.livejournal.com]

Mr. Spencer fought back, accusing her of distorting his record with “lies and innuendos and half-truths” while ignoring her early pledge to run a positive campaign. “She’s insulted my wife, she’s insulted my children, she’s insulted my military record, criticized my service in Vietnam,” Mr. Spencer complained when he was asked about the tenor of the race.

Sucks to be him, I guess, but she sounds like an absolute natural Republican to run against Senator Clinton. I can almost hear Karl Rove singing "You're the One That I Want, honey, ooh, ooh, ooh."

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

No, actually, he's the Rove candidate. Not the one Rove wanted, but what little he has left to choose from once Mike Long got finished with the field.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

How is being “a career professional with 22 years working for three former mayors and city managers” incompatible with being a secretary?

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Sorta gives you a whole 'nother picture of their relationship, don't it.

[cowperthwait.livejournal.com]

Long-time listener, first-time caller. Hi.

My friends and I are having a debate about whether this campaign or Katherine Harris' deserves the dubious distinction of being the most amusing Republican Senate primary since Jack Ryan here in Chillinois. Can you weigh in?

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Oh, bless your heart, I think our team has Harris beat blind. Harris is Schmidt-level mess. Our two have the implosion of the state Republican party to contend with.

Hell, our R Att'y General candidate put out an ad endorsing the D gubernatorial candidate.

[cosmicbob.livejournal.com]

That Jack/Jeri Ryan thing was precious!

[stevendj.livejournal.com]

Can we define a "lieberman" as "an independent run with a shiny new vanity party after losing your own party's nomination"? It seems a shame for Santorum to be the only ex-Senator with his own name in the dictionary.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

I verbed it myself. to lieberman is to &c

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

I watched this debate and was horrified. I have never seen such immature behavior on both sides.

Soda on the keyboard moment came after the debate, however, when the NY1 pundits and 56% of the snap poll respondents agreed that the debate had been won by Hillary Clinton.