Media crush Congress in grudge match…and other wins and losses on the campaign field
Politically Foul
On Politically Foul we call the hits, runs and errors on the campaign field — and this time is no different — but this week we also saw actual plays on an actual ball field.
Yes, this week the women of Congress, from both the House and Senate, suited up for a softball game against the women of the Washington media, a team captained by Politically Foul's very own Amy Walter. The goal may have been to raise money for charity, but the competitive juices were flowing and so was the smack talk.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fl, and chair of the Democratic party, told us before play started that she was anticipating the game would be a lot tougher than an appearance on a Washington public affairs Sunday talk show, where she said she usually gets "softball" questions tossed at her.
And Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, said she found the stress of the game even more intense than being on the reported short list for Vice President. "I would say tonight, more pressure — really."
It was a high-scoring game with a few flubs and errors, but in the end the media were victorious with a final score of 13-10. But even in their defeat, the politicians managed to avoid any major gaffes that would haunt their political careers.
But as we look at other news on the political playing field this week, the same cannot be said for every politician.
Take Tennessee state representative Julia Hurley. She may be regretting a video she uploaded to the internet this week featuring her tiny dog, a Chinese Crested, being held out the window of a moving car and "air surfing." Hasn't Rep. Hurley heard that dogs and cars should be treated with political kid gloves? Just ask Seamus Romney.
And then there's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Maybe he was just trying to join the women members in the baseball-themed week on the Hill by quoting a local hero. But when Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper responded to a reporter with, "That's a clown question, bro!" it sounded a lot cooler than when it came out of the mouth of the 72-year-old Senator from Nevada.
That's a swing and a miss.
Did you see any political blunders on the campaign field this week? Tell us about it below and click back next week for Politically Foul.
