According to the Milwaukee JournalSentinel, disaffected Hillary Clinton supporter Debra Bartoshevich – a delegate to the DNC National Convention – is planning on voting for Senator John McCain in November:
She said she planned to vote for Clinton at the convention, but in an Obama-McCain match-up in November, “I will not be voting for Obama. I will cast my vote for John McCain.
Said Bartoshevich: “I just feel you need to have somebody who has experience with foreign matters.”
Never mind the fact that Hllary Clinton’s foreign policy experience seems largely embellished, while Senator McCain’s idea of foreign policy consists of “more of the same” of what we’ve had under President Bush.
She said a series of controversial Obama “associations,” including but not limited to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Chicago developer Tony Rezko, reflected poorly on his judgment. And she echoed the complaints of many of Clinton’s most ardent supporters that Clinton was treated unfairly in the nominating process and by the party.
Hmmmm….I suppose Debra’s got a point, but what about Hillary Clinton’s own “interesting” associates? For example, Clinton took donations from three recipients of controversial 11th-hour pardons issued by former President Bill Clinton in January 2001 as he was leaving office, and let’s not forget Senator McCain’s association with noted anti-Catholic John Hagee and firebrand Rod Parsley.
But what I found most galling about Debra Bartoshevich’s decision to support John McCain is the following quote, attributed to her in the MJS’s article:
“No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her – that’s by Susan B. Anthony,” said Bartoshevich, referring to the famous suffragist.
Bartoshevich uses that quote to justify her unwillingness to support the Democratic Party and its nominee, while conveniently ignoring the fact that the candidate and party she plans on supporting in November has historically ignored women, especially when it comes to reproductive rights. Perhaps if Debra Bartoshevich is going to use a quote, she should at least be consistent when it comes to following the principles it espouses, lest she look like a hypocrite.
But at any rate, enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, Debra Bartoshevich…enjoy it.
What the hell is wrong with lady? What happen to unity of the party? One has to wonder if it’s really about race.
Debra Bartoshevich is sub-morinic.
Ken, I don’t believe the Democratic Party needs to be completely unified in order for our candidate to win in November; however, I do think that if an individual is going to jump ship to support John McCain, their reasons should at least make sense. If Deb Bartoshevich had just been honest and said she was voting for John McCain because she was bitter, I’d have been okay with that, because at least then she was being honest.
Zachary, I respectfully disagree. If we don’t show strength in the party then the McCain and his ilk will no doubt take full advantage. And what you will hear in the wing nut media is how split the democrats are.
This is one of those stories that has a whole big picture to it and now the blogs, along with the MSM have condensed it into quips, soundbites, and catchy tags.
I know Deb personally, I recruited her and I did campaigning to get elected to delegate.
Some of the blame is mine for not really sitting her down and going over the DNC rules with her………..as if those rules are all that easy to go over anyway! Read the hoops you have to jump through to get to the caucus in the first place (incidently you do not need to be a member of the party to caucus or win as delegate–at least she joined the party). Some blame should go to party leaders who left her high and dry without direction or warnings.
Now, keep in mind that this is her first foray into political anything. Also, she has been besieged by the GOP and reporters who have–to my knowledge and experience- a way of getting you to say things that don’t always come out `100% accruate–she has also never had to go through that before.
She fucked up with one small thing. Her Iraq veteran/right winger sister gave her info to the Lieberman for McCain subunit of McCain’s party and got her to talk to them…………very bad sister, or very naive (I’m going with bad sister).
She has been stripped. It’s been a huge story. But, she was pledged to Hillary and still wanted to go as a Hillary delegate and work for Hillary’s issues. Do any of you think the McSame people told her she could do that? Nope. They pressed her for joining their group knowing full well that they could time this to coincide with the state party convention to get the greatest press. They knew she would be stripped. What they didn’t tell her was that she should stay with Hillary and if ifshe was not happy after the convention there would be a place for her in their camp.
Bottom line–she got hornswaggled in more ways than one.This has been my own personal hell since the story broke just before I got to the convention–upon getting there I have phone messages, notes on my credentials, you name it…………
Just try to keep in mind she was under a lot of pressure from her own sister to do this, feeling under assault by over zealous Obama suporrters, her own daughter is a self proclaimed republican……..Don’t think she is taking this lightly. She had no idea that it would turn into a big story.
Zach, you should write me directly and I can tell you all about some interesting side issues with this.
Kay, I emailed you, and I appreciate you adding some depth to the backstory here.
Check out the article posted this afternoon on BuzzFlash titled, “Traitor, tool or token trick? Questionable former Clinton delegate Debra Bartoshevich prefers identity politics to issues.” at http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/364