Man accused of exploiting Sen. Cochran's ill wife

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Seatle PI

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Authorities say a conservative Mississippi blogger went into a nursing home, photographed the bedridden wife of Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran without permission and posted an image online as part of an anti-Cochran video.

Rose Cochran has lived at St. Catherine's Village since 2000 and has dementia.

Madison police say 28-year-old Clayton Thomas Kelly of Pearl was arrested Friday and charged with a felony, exploitation of a vulnerable adult. He remained jailed Saturday under $100,000 bond. It wasn't immediately clear whether Kelly has an attorney.

FULL short story at link.


Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Man-accused-of-exploiting-Sen-Cochran-s-ill-wife-5486067.php

[northoftheborder]

1. What a low-life thing to do; glad they are charging him;

[dhill926]

2. Fuck is wrong with this guy?

Conservative blogger of course....

[LoisB]

61. Wonder what is wrong with the person who hired him. What a disgusting thing to do.

[catbyte]

3. Ugh, despicable.

[arcane1]

6. How on earth is this a free speech issue?

[arcane1]

9. Nice try.

His wife's medical condition is nobody's business, and only a sick person would exploit that for political gain. Only a fool would consider it when casting their vote.

This must be some definition of "speech" that only assholes use.

[Skittles]

17. omg

you people - there's no sense of decency whatsoever, is there? THE WOMAN IS BEDRIDDEN AND MENTALLY INCAPACITATED.

[arcane1]

19. And somehow that info is important to republican voters.

Says a lot about them, doesn't it?

[Skittles]

21. a complete lack of empathy

the smarmy bastards who defend it - can you imagine how they'd react if it was their own family member? SICKOS, that's what they are.

[merrily]

58. Absence of human decency.

But, it looks as though the troll bit the DU dust.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. I know...

I cannot believe I want to come to the defense of a republican, but this stunt is vulgar.

[calimary]

91. Sheesh! She's a non-combatant. Leave her ALONE!!!!!

First Class Schmuckery - these CONS. They truly are low-life.

[Tikki]

22. See every response below...

There are real laws governing this situation..Just because you want it a certain way doesn't mean it will happen…
..neither you or kelly will win this one.


Tikki

[arcane1]

25. How is it our business? What is the relevance?

[mbperrin]

28. You're kidding, right?

Neither Johnny Carson nor his wife are politicians, nor was her position as a public figure under dispute in that case. The Carsons held that they were both public figures, so no one's privacy was invaded, nor was that a claim in the suit.

The claim in the suit was that the defendants had claimed that Carson moved his show to be near his mistress at the time. Court found that those statements by the defendant were wholly fabricated, and by definition, malicious.

Summary judgment for the Carsons, BTW, since the court found actual malice in the statements printed by the defendants.


Politicians' families are fair game? Nice cavalier attitude. So I suppose you thought it was fine for Limbaugh to say that Chelsea Clinton was the family dog? That John McCain had a child by a black mistress, since he had a black child? And on and on.

I'll tell you what - I've got myself a little populist streak, and I can assure you that if anyone intruded into my private life like this slug has, that someone would get themselves a good old-fashioned beating in the public square. My free speech, right? Surely if a gun is a constitutional right, my fists are covered as well.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. You don't understand the law, do you?

A public figure is someone who has knowingly and/or intentionally inserted him/herself into a public forum or was the subject of pervasive publicity. Go back and read all of the opinions in Carson. Joanna Holland admitted she was a public figure, and the court cited the considerable publicity she had already received as Carson's wife, so the case turned on whether actual malice was proved - which would be necessary if the plaintiff is a public figure. On appeal the 7th Circuit held the case should go to a jury on the issue of actual malice.

The case does not stand for the proposition that anyone who is married to a public figure is necessarily also a public figure. And there's no defamation claim here anyhow.

If you're a law student I hope they don't make you do this semester over.

[Skittles]

44. ugh

you joined DU just to defend this sick fucker?

[Faygo Kid]

47. +1

Lawyer myself, and I believe "sick fucker" is the proper legal term for both the perpetrator and this troll defending him.

[alp227]

62. Turns out so, and admin now has to intervene.

See reply 60 - all this troll's posts are now auto-removed. That's what happens when Conservative Cave is down.

[JPZenger]

72. It looks like the DU jury system worked beautifully for those posts.

I'm just glad there was a law in place that could be used to prosecute the blogger. Let sick people rest in peace.

Thad may be very conservative, but he is a gentleman.

[merrily]

55. That was not a SCOTUS decision, was it? And the Seventh Circ. said nothing about being very ill

in a nursing home and having your room broken into did it?

Besides, don't conflate our right to know with his right to break into a hospital room.

[Tikki]

10. FDR was a public servant…this lady is a sick elderly lady in a nursing home.

If she were in a public forum, maybe, but crashing a hospital environment and taking photos, intruding in her care
and scaring her puts her health in danger.

Betcha, I win this.

Tikki

[Omaha Steve]

11. Ever heard of HIPPA???

It trumps FREE SPEECH! I'm sure he didn't have written permission to take photos OR comment on her condition, location, etc.

http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-hipaa-compliance?ad=semD&an=google_s&am=broad&ap=google.com&o=5794

HIPAA compliance is a state of obeying the privacy rule. The HIPAA is an act that sets standards regarding to a patient's protected health in formation. The rule addresses issues concerned with accessing or sharing somebody's medical and even personal information.

[mbperrin]

13. Beat me to it!

Yes, yes, yes.

ANYONE who approves of some asshole trying to profit from another's sadness is worthy of an old fashioned beating! Yep, just exercising my free speech rights!

Right?

[freshwest]

16. Well, we know where that's coming from... Breitbart or O'Keefe territory. n/t

[Skittles]

18. it's HIPAA, just so you know

and this creep - aw forget HIPAA, this just goes beyond the bounds of decency

[uppityperson]

27. HIPAA is for health care providers, not the general public.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/

Introduction
Statutory and Regulatory Background
Who is Covered by the Privacy Rule

The Privacy Rule, as well as all the Administrative Simplification rules, apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider who transmits health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary of HHS has adopted standards under HIPAA (the “covered entities”). For help in determining whether you are covered, use CMS's decision tool.

Health Plans. Individual and group plans that provide or pay the cost of medical care are covered entities.4 Health plans include health, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurers, health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”), Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare+Choice and Medicare supplement insurers, and long-term care insurers (excluding nursing home fixed-indemnity policies). Health plans also include employer-sponsored group health plans, government and church-sponsored health plans, and multi-employer health plans. There are exceptions—a group health plan with less than 50 participants that is administered solely by the employer that established and maintains the plan is not a covered entity. Two types of government-funded programs are not health plans: (1) those whose principal purpose is not providing or paying the cost of health care, such as the food stamps program; and (2) those programs whose principal activity is directly providing health care, such as a community health center,5 or the making of grants to fund the direct provision of health care. Certain types of insurance entities are also not health plans, including entities providing only workers’ compensation, automobile insurance, and property and casualty insurance. If an insurance entity has separable lines of business, one of which is a health plan, the HIPAA regulations apply to the entity with respect to the health plan line of business.

Health Care Providers. Every health care provider, regardless of size, who electronically transmits health information in connection with certain transactions, is a covered entity. These transactions include claims, benefit eligibility inquiries, referral authorization requests, or other transactions for which HHS has established standards under the HIPAA Transactions Rule.6 Using electronic technology, such as email, does not mean a health care provider is a covered entity; the transmission must be in connection with a standard transaction. The Privacy Rule covers a health care provider whether it electronically transmits these transactions directly or uses a billing service or other third party to do so on its behalf. Health care providers include all “providers of services” (e.g., institutional providers such as hospitals) and “providers of medical or health services” (e.g., non-institutional providers such as physicians, dentists and other practitioners) as defined by Medicare, and any other person or organization that furnishes, bills, or is paid for health care.


Health Care Clearinghouses.Health care clearinghouses are entities that process nonstandard information they receive from another entity into a standard (i.e., standard format or data content), or vice versa.7 In most instances, health care clearinghouses will receive individually identifiable health information only when they are providing these processing services to a health plan or health care provider as a business associate. In such instances, only certain provisions of the Privacy Rule are applicable to the health care clearinghouse’s uses and disclosures of protected health information.8 Health care clearinghouses include billing services, repricing companies, community health management information systems, and value-added networks and switches if these entities perform clearinghouse functions.

[merrily]

57. Good point,

though no law of Congress can trump the Constitution. Individuals who have never sought the limelight and are not trying to hold office do however, have a Constitutional right to privacy.

No one arrested us for learning of this, nor anyone who published the heinous camera work. The only one being prosecuted is a guy who violated the law by breaking into a nursing home. People (not aiming this at you) need to get a grip.

[ninjanurse]

74. HIPPA has teeth

All of us who work in the medical field know that even unintentional breaches of patient privacy can have severe consequences. Maybe this fool didn't know it, but patients are protected by law.I am concerned that his act of sneaking into the nursing home may cause some employee to lose their job, and it hurts the reputation of the home. But unless you have worked in or visited someone in a nursing home, you don't know how busy and distracting it can be, with visitors and patients, sometimes volunteers and outside professionals. Nursing homes aren't set up to handle a liar with malicious intentions. I'm glad they arrested him.

[uppityperson]

20. You are wrong as obviously you CAN "arrest people for taking private pictures of public figures"

From the article:

Clayton Thomas Kelly, 28, of Pearl, was arrested Friday and charged with a felony, exploitation of a vulnerable adult, Madison police said. Kelly remained in the Madison County Detention Center on Saturday on $100,000 bond.

[Tikki]

33. It is OK and he will be prosecuted. You can't put a person's health in jeopardy because you want to.

There are laws against that.



Tikki

[MADem]

35. It's not the "about a politician" part that is a problem. What part of "the law" remains unclear

to you? Do you think he was arrested and jailed on a whim?

"Clayton Thomas Kelly, 28, of Pearl, was arrested Friday and charged with a felony, exploitation of a vulnerable adult, Madison police said. Kelly remained in the Madison County Detention Center on Saturday on $100,000 bond. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

...Senator Cochran asked our firm to represent him in this matter," Clark said in a statement Saturday. "We believed a crime may have been committed and we immediately notified the City of Madison Police Department since St. Catherine's Nursing Home is located in the City of Madison. The police conducted an investigation, still in progress, resulting in the arrest last night. As you can imagine, Senator Cochran's first concern was that of the safety of his wife as well as the invasion of her privacy and dignity."

The person he photographed is NOT a politician. The frail, elderly and unwell person he exploited and photographed against her will and without her permission in a private facility is a private citizen and NOT running for office.

You're very obstreperous, but you're also very, very wrong. You'd make sure he did a whole lotta time and fine if you were his lawyer and that's the argument you'd use!

"Waaah First Amendment" isn't the answer to every instance of rude behavior. You'll learn...like this guy will.

[Skittles]

45. it's always first or second amendment with these creeps

and they fail to understand either one

[MADem]

46. Never mind spell the word with the correct number of M's!

Considering they profess their deep and abiding love for the damn things, you'd think they'd learn how to spell "amendment!"

[Skittles]

48. pitiful

[Stonepounder]

73. First Amendment has absolutely nothing to do with it.

The First Amendment prevents you from being arrested by the government for speaking in a 'public place'. It does NOT shield you from the consequences of your speech outside of a 'public place'. If you call your boss an asshole, he has a perfect right to fire you and you have no first amendment claim. If you shout 'fire' in a crowded theater you can be arrested and again have no first amendment claim. And so on. Too many people don't have a clue what the first amendment is all about.

You call the President a jerk. You are fine. You threaten him, you can go to jail. No first amendment conflict.

[MADem]

79. That's what I said.

"Waaah First Amendment" isn't the answer to every instance of rude behavior. You'll learn...like this guy will.

The guy isn't being prosecuted for any "First Amendment" issues. He's being prosecuted because he exploited a vulnerable senior citizen in a private location. The state where he did this has very specific and precise laws against this sort of thing. He invaded a private nursing facility, took a picture of a frail, unwell private citizen suffering from dementia, and pasted it on his blog to make some sort of political point.

The law is clear.

He is screwed.

The only question is: What will his sentence be?

[24601]

82. Of course, if there is a fire in the theater, you should shout "fire"; but, even if your boss is an

asshole, you should likely keep that to yourself - if you want to keep your job.

[uppityperson]

51. "exploitation of a vulnerable adult" was what he was arrested for and if you notice, I said not

hipaa since that is for health care providers, insurance companies. But "exploitation of a vulnerable adult" is the felony he was arrested for.

[tooeyeten]

29. This idiot broke the law, trespassed

At the least on private property, violated her privacy and exploited her as an elderly disabled person, long before he ever posted a word or a picture.

He's got big legal issues with the criminal justice system, hope he can make that bail.

[tooeyeten]

38. He broke the law

He secretly photographed her in her room, it's a felony.

[Omaha Steve]

39. He wasn't charged with trespass

DOH!

[Skittles]

49. I'm wondering if our new guest is the blogger himself

who else would go this far to defend that creep?

[tooeyeten]

59. Speculating all we want

But the breitbarters love to do this kind of stuff and defend it IMO.

[Thor_MN]

71. Doubtful that he has computer access in jail.

I didn't get to see the now removed posts, but these people are willing to say or believe anything. Facts don't matter, they let their hate drive their behavior.

[MADem]

80. Not unless the have internet in the jail. He's being held on 100K bond.

That means he's gotta come up with ten and security to walk out.

[MADem]

50. You need to think again. He exploited a vulnerable person and that's against the law.

http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/aging-adult-services/programs/adult-protective-services/frequently-asked-questions/

The Vulnerable Adults Unit conducts criminal investigations and prosecutes the perpetrator who has abused, neglected or exploited a vulnerable person living in a private setting. Also, MDHS is required to file a report with the local district attorney’s office and the Attorney General’s Office when there is reasonable cause to believe that a caretaker or other person has abused, neglected or exploited a vulnerable person.

You can be "convinced" all you want, but you'd be wrong. That assclown is right where he belongs--in jail.

[uppityperson]

52. "exploitation of a vulnerable adult" is what he was arrested for.

[merrily]

53. A woman in a nursing home is a public figure, even though she's never sought office?

I don't think so. Also, there is a Constitutional right to privacy. Or so said the Supremes at some point.

[alp227]

60. Good news - it took 3 alerts,

but this troll is now flagged for review.

My latest alert:

On Sat May 17, 2014, 02:30 PM you sent an alert on the following post:

Despicable, but
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=806112

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

Rude, disgusting, over-the-top claim that the First Amendment trumps the privacy rights of the wife of Sen. Thad Cochran. Not only untrue, but a justification of the despicable and unacceptable. User registered today with multiple posts in this thread defending the conduct of the James O'Keefe wannabe discussed in OP - clearly a wingnut user.

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Sat May 17, 2014, 02:35 PM, and voted 4-3 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: If they are wrong, discuss why they are wrong. This is a discussion forum. Don't whine to have something you disagree with removed.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: The same content from a long time poster may have been okay (even if questionable), but this guy looks like a troll. Voting to hide in hopes that MIRT can take a look at him.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Could well be a wingnut but it's a bit too soon to say. If he is he will hang himself soon enough.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This is a vile argument but it's being effectively dealt with on the thread.

Thank you.

Another alert for some reason took nearly 45 minutes, the first one on this user I sent took nearly 5. both alerts ended w/3-4 leave it alone votes.

[Tikki]

7. Are you suggesting kelly will sue and get money!!!!

There is a law against abusing the elderly.

Guess what…Idomeneus, you will be elderly and could be infirm someday.

Who will stick up for you, Sunny Boy?


Tikki

[mbperrin]

24. Since Idomeneus killed his own son in the story

I'd have to guess he wouldn't have too many sticking up for him (killed his own son because of a rash statement, and in so doing, brought plague upon Crete).

[MADem]

32. No, wrong. He broke a law. Read the doggone article. He's in trouble and will

go to court. He invaded the privacy of an ill senior who is NOT a public figure. It is not "political speech" and that is why he is being held on FELONY charges.

Good grief, the "First Amendment" does not mean "Do whatever the hell one wants." Back to school with you!

[greiner3]

34. Enjoy your stay!

[Voice for Peace]

4. this sounds like an o'keefe affiliate..

[47of74]

69. He's got the creepy little fuckstick look down pat.

[Snarkoleptic]

12. Now that's just disgusting!

No shortage of creeps out there.

[Skittles]

15. never think republicans cannot sink any lower

I assure you, they can and they will

[mbperrin]

23. Clayton Thomas Kelly is a fraud. His photo on his blog page is a hundred

pounds lighter with beard and mustache, while his booking photo shows a soft white guy who's obviously never worked a day in his life.

He misspelled Louisiana on his YouTube Channel as "Louisianna" TWICE!

He's a gold and silver nut who says that we NEED for the economy to collapse!

In short, he's a lazy slug with a poor education and ill wishes for others, as well as a bully and a criminal, all in the name of, well, actually, it's not quite clear from his rambling blog or his odd videos what he's acting in the name of, really.

I do wish and hope (if I wasn't an atheist, I'd pray) that he gets everything he deserves, and in abundance, and immediately!

[MADem]

37. He seems like a real prize, that blogger--and his champion on this board is a cake-taker too....

I think he's in some major hot water--Cochran's wife is being repped by a power house law firm. He'll wish he never bothered the poor old lady.

I can dislike the Senator's politics, but a woman who has been hospitalized in a nursing facility for dementia for a decade and a half, I can have only the deepest sympathy for her. She should not be troubled in any way.

If that blogger's pic is a "good" one he's got troubles. I thought it was one of those illustrations for FAS at first--the blank stare, the odd set of the eyes, etc.

[mbperrin]

77. Agree a hundred per cent, especially that families

have nothing to with anyone's politics. It's just too far.

I admit I wasn't thinking FAS or FAE when I first looked, but I do believe you're right on second look.

[City Lights]

40. What a low-life!

What must be wrong with a person to sink so low?

[arcane1]

43. He's a conservative. That's how they roll.

[SoapBox]

41. Conservative = Lack of morals, Lack of ethics.

Is this the result of home schooling? Church schooling? No schooling? Or FuksNews?

The breakdown in basic civilized behavior from these self-proclaimed AND unrepentant "conservatives" is beyond understanding.

[groundloop]

54. First Amendment my ass - there are specific laws pertaining to photographers

I'm into photography and have heard plenty of discussions (including results of court cases) about when people can and can't be photographed and the photos used in this manner. If someone is out in public they're fair game to be photographed (though you'd need a release if you use their photo in a commercial, for instance). If someone has a reasonable expectation of privacy (i.e in THEIR ROOM in a nursing home) you cannot photograph them without permission, period. Not to mention the fact that this asshole is a complete scumbag.

[Thinkingabout]

63. So all the First Amendment criers who thinks its okay to invade one's privacy in

A nursing home where this lady is a resident must think it would be okay for someone to break into your home and take a picture of you and this would be okay? I doubt many would be happy with some one invading our personal privacy. Shameful.

[Ken Burch]

64. If it's true, scumbags would call him a scumbag

I have no use for Thad Cochran's politics, but this is just indecent.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

65. That's one sick fuck

Probably a teabagger.

Cochran is being challenged in the Republican primary. His opponent has condemned the blogger's action.

[marble falls]

66. That's truly a dispicable act. He'll be at church Sunday with the usual unctious smile.

[Judi Lynn]

67. Related: "Sojourner voicemail allegedly contradicts McDaniel statement"

Sojourner voicemail allegedly contradicts McDaniel statement
Geoff Pender, The Clarion-Ledger 5:18 p.m. CDT May 17, 2014

UPDATE 3: The Hill is reporting that "a GOP aide who has listened to the voicemail from Sojourner to Simms, McDaniel's manager says she was made aware of the incident late Friday evening. She emphasized that their campaign was appalled, and that McDaniel himself was disgusted by Kelly's actions and wanted to speak to Cochran directly to express his outrage."

A GOP aide who has listened to the voicemail also confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger that Sojourner said that McDaniel "was upset about the whole thing and wanted to talk to Cochran" about it.

However, that does not match up with what McDaniel told The Hill in DeSoto County on Saturday morning when he said he knew nothing about the arrest at that time. It also seems to contradict what Noel Fritsch, McDaniel's communications director, said early Saturday morning when contacted about the arrest. Fritsch said in a phone interview that he had not heard of the arrest.

UPDATE 1: Noel Fritsch, spokesman for the Chris McDaniel campaign, issued the following statement:

"The McDaniel campaign found out about the break in when a local political blog posted about it at 11:40 p.m. last night. Senator McDaniel has denounced the break-in and called Senator Cochran to extend his condolences. It is unconscionable for the Cochran campaign and the liberal media to use the act of a sick individual to lob despicable accusations."

The Clarion-Ledger has asked for clarification on the statement as to which blog reported that the arrest was connected to Rose Cochran or how the campaign knew the arrest was related to Rose Cochran since the only known report last night did not mention Cochran's name.

More:
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2014/05/17/melanie-sojourner-thad-cochran-wife-break-in/9215899/

[broadcaster75201]

68. This is what TeaBags due. I hope no one is shocked.

Disgusting of course but no loner shocking. I've been voting since '64 and nothing the sub-human Teabags do surprises me.

If you ever vote GOP for anything, because of what they have become, you are no better than this.

[mike dub]

70. Exploitation of a vulnerable adult is just the start

I'm sure this a-hole can also be charged federally for violating HIPAA laws. One can not just photograph a "patient" without their permission / family's permission. People who're patients in a healthcare facility have rights Against being photographed or otherwise identified to people who have no business knowing what that patient is being treated for, etc.
photographing a senator's wife on the street or another public place would be a completely different story...but in a healthcare facility ? Wow. Really moronic play by this blogger.

[TNNurse]

75. After he does time

He should be sentenced to mandatory retraining as a human being.

[cosmicone]

76. Damnit .. I missed the troll again

However, from the responses to the troll's removed posts, I can sense that he was a vile libertarian who had no respect for a person's privacy and suffering with health conditions with dignity.

Thad Cochran may be an asshole-right wing-lock-step-robot but his wife deserves to be treated with dignity and allowed her privacy. She is not a public figure by any stretch of imagination.

[mississippi62]

78. background info

Last edited Sun May 18, 2014, 09:19 AM - Edit history (1)

The McDaniel campaign has repeatedly insinuated that Thad Cochran's mental capability is diminished due to his age. Cochran's campaign has fueled the gossip by carefully restricting access to their candidate. Other than photo ops, I cannot recall ANY campaign ads in which Cochran actually speaks. When he speaks on the campaign trail or in the Senate, he always reads from a prepared script.

Clayton Kelly went after Mrs Cochran in an effort to reinforce the rumors about her husband. The incident occurred nearly a month ago on or around April 26th (date that the video was uploaded). The Cochran family was informed of the trespass at the time but chose not to press charges until last week.

Coincidentally, the Cochran campaign faced a tough week in which allegations were made regarding his relationship with his administrative assistant and her role as defacto senator in his office. The conflict came to a head on May 15th when Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell got into a shouting match with Chris McDaniel[/link] on the steps of the state capitol. Charges were filed that afternoon.

Jackson Jambalaya[/link] did a great job breaking this story. The details are both creepy and hilarious. Apparently it is not that difficult to gain access to a Senator's wife in a high dollar nursing home. I know where St. Catherine's is located in Madison. Always thought that it was more of an "assisted living" facility but apparently they have a dementia unit.

The Mississippi GOP primary is a little more than two weeks away on June 3rd.

[MADem]

81. Why would that cretinous blogger go after a woman who has been institutionalized

for fourteen years as a dementia patient? What did he think he could "get" from her? Was he trying to suggest the condition is catching?

He's a sick cretin, clearly. You don't go after ill family members.

As for McDaniel, if he's calling Cochran "too liberal" for MS, he's gotta be to the right of Attila the Hun!

[mississippi62]

85. Chris McDaniel's fanboy

Clayton Kelly is no rocket scientist. The Jackson Jambalaya blog[/link] is worth the read. Kelly posted his fanboy picture to a Chris McDaniel PARODY account on Twitter because he was too stupid to tell the difference between @FakeChrisMcD and @CMForUSSenate.

As much as I despise McDaniel, I feel a tiny bit sorry for him. He has incurred the wrath of Haley Barbour's political machine. Chris McDaniel is screwed.

[MADem]

89. McDaniel's biggest mistake was encouraging that Kelly nitwit!

Given that Kelly's enamoured of the Paulbot mentality, and McDaniel thinks his GOP opponent is "liberal" it's probably just as well that the Barbour grinder do its work!

Your links are excellent, BTW--thanks for the local scoop on the details of that mess.

[Recursion]

83. Cochran is one of the last remaining even slightly sane Republicans

Which is why the Tea Party is so rabid to get rid of him that they resort to this.

[tooeyeten]

84. The break-in and the fallout

Will guarantee Thad's win against the tea partier, he's already ahead 52-35%.

[mississippi62]

86. yup

I don't think that Cochran camp wanted to use this incident in the campaign. It was payback for the shitstorm that McDaniel stirred up last week.

[radiclib]

87. Somebody has to help me out with this

Obviously, i can't understand how the wing nut brain functions (who can, really?), but how on earth does posting pictures of an opponent's sick spouse help one's campaign?

[hack89]

92. Adultery

Apparently she has suffered from dementia for 14 years. The senator is living with another woman while still married to his sick wife.

[radiclib]

93. Ouch!

Should have figured. Thanks.
Just the kind of sleazy shit that might work with the self-righteous base.

[SansACause]

88. The Tea Party continues to eat the GOP alive.

While this act is despicable, it's just another example of the Tea Party taking its toll on the GOP. Even in the deep south, this has made Republicans question their own party and what they've created with the Tea People. The GOP will keep its hold on the south (because god), but it could be closer than it would have been sans Tea Party.

[mississippi62]

90. Grifters and con men love the Tea Party

McDaniel is an opportunist not an ideologue. He is happy to spout off his God and Country schtick to entice the gullible. It is only when one of his wannabe operatives pulls a stunt like this that Tea Party crazy is exposed to the world.

And it happened same week as "Operation American Spring"...