Those liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals would be put to death at the hands of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. … It’s just too damn bad we didn’t buy them a ticket to become human shields in Iraq.”
That’ll grab headlines — especially when it comes from a Congressman hoping to turn governor of Nevada. Another headline grabber: plagiarizing the speech.
Rep. Jim Gibbons has certainly put a dent in his expected run for Nevada’s top office. First he categorized opponents of corporate-funded presidential inauguration parties as “communists” on national television with NBC’s Brian Williams. He has since apologized for the Jan. 19 comment, but five weeks later in Elko he blasted off about liberals during his Lincoln Day address.
He called anyone who opposes the war in Iraq “tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals,” stirring anger within Nevada’s Democratic population. The Elko Daily Free Press then reported that Gibbons’ speech was not his own. Fifteen paragraphs, word-for-word, were pulled from a 21-paragraph, copyrighted speech delivered two years ago by Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.
Chapman’s speech, well-publicized, led her to write the book The Power of Patriotism: The Speech Heard Around the World. The speech was also entered into the Congressional Record.
Gibbons, who represents Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, released a statement saying he didn’t know the original author. He copied the text from an e-mail, and the bottom line is the message reflected his “deep concern about the morale of our troops.”
Robert Uithoven, Gibbons’ spokesperson, reinforced that sentiment.
“Jim Gibbons has a long passion of serving his country as a veteran and a Congressman,” Uithoven said. “His thoughts on how we treat the troops are near and dear to his heart.”
Gibbons miscues have been great early ammunition for Democrats who are using them to mount a campaign to discredit the Congressman before the race for the state’s top job gets underway.
Things came to a bit of a boil on March 24 when the Democratic Party unveiled billboards in Las Vegas and Reno, which use Gibbons’ “human shields” comment. Democrats also launched www.gibbonsfacts.com, pointing out why they consider him wrong for Nevada.
Among the reasons, running for governor was Gibbons’ second choice next to chairing the House Intelligence Committee, a post he failed to land. Also, Gibbons wants to privatize Social Security, voted to cut school lunches and child support enforcement, and repeatedly opposed education funding for school construction and class-size reduction.
However, Jon Summers, state Democratic Party spokesman, denies the campaign is to discredit Gibbons for the governor post.
“This isn’t about starting the governor’s race early,” Summers said. “We just want to make sure that people who didn’t hear his comments in Elko know what he said, and for who did [hear his comments], we don’t want them to forget. He’s not the right leader for Nevada.”
In 2002, the Democratic Party didn’t even back a candidate for governor. The early campaign against Gibbons, who is expected to officially announce his candidacy this summer, is an obvious sign the party is strategizing for 2006. Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) or Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins (D-Henderson) are expected to square off in the Democratic primary.
Uithoven contends that the attacks will not have an impact on an election 19 months away.
“By going out an attacking Jim Gibbons a year and half before the election shows Democrats are vulnerable to his candidacy,” Uithoven said. “They have very astute people like we do in the Nevada Republican headquarters doing polling, and what they see is not good news to them.”
More than anything, Uithoven said the campaign is an attack that doesn’t address any issues important to Nevada. Rather it’s a strategy that failed John Kerry.
“Many people in Nevada will see the campaign as a message continued from the 2004 election, one of misery and despair,” Uithoven said. “Early indications show we have strong support, north east south and west of this state. But by attacking someone who has not announced his candidacy, that just indicates how strong of a candidate Jim will be in this state.
“I don’t think the people of Nevada will determine who they support to run this state based off those comments,” Uithoven concluded. “Rather, they’ll base it off someone who articulates a vision for the state.” LW
