Brian Doherty | November 17, 2006
Congresswoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs from Texas's 22nd district, who managed to smack down Libertarian Bob Smither in the House election 42 percent to 6, despite not even being on the ballot (though she still lost to Democrat Nick Lampson) did win the pointless special election to keep the office seat Tom DeLay resigned from warm until January 20.
Her general obnoxiousness, including a demand that her underlings make sure Bush and Cheney attend her swearing in, have led the rump of DeLay's staff to walk away from their next two months salary, Robert Novak reports via Wonkette.
Help Reason celebrate its next 40 years. Donate Now!
Try Reason's award-winning print edition today! Your first issue is FREE if you are not completely satisfied.
Considering she's pretty much a pompous ass and moral blowhard (she pretty much ran her campaign that way), I'm not surprised.
It'll be a nice résumé line. Though she'll have to explain why
she was there for such a short time!
Sekula. Was that her porn star name?
It gets even better....she's demanding some sort of
investigation of the aides that quit. I'm almost sorry that she's
only going to be around for a few weeks because there's nothing
better than elected officials who are batsh*t crazy...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4341776.html
I remember standing in line to vote (early voting) and listening
to the elderly couple ahead of me try to figure out how to vote for
her in the general. A nice man handed them a flyer (I'd seen it --
Gibbs ran a very slick campaign for write-ins. Lot of volunteers
with "Vote Twice" signs, constant mailings, lots of TV to remind
people to vote AND write in her name).
It appeared the elderly couple was voting for her because she was a
Republican. They were almost giddy that she used to be their doctor
(I think she was a dermatologist?), and how good a doctor she was,
and how that meant she'd be an awesome US Rep.
I suppose if the House came down with moles or warts, she'd have
her chance in the sun....
"I suppose if the House came down with moles or warts, she'd
have her chance in the sun...."
There appears to be a surfeit of warts in your Congress and our
Parliament.
Is she the new Cynthia McKinney or won't Suck-u-la have enough time to go that crazy?
Lets see- a write in candidate that's batshit insane, and the LP lost to her? That's embarrassing. The LP guy even seemed somewhat normal. Something's backwards here.
I think the folks from Clear Lake voted her in to get her the hell away from them.
joe, Are you from the metro Detroit area? Because "Do you know who the fuck I am" is famous around here. Mayor's Chief of Staff to ticketing police officers. And she didn't get a ticket after all.
Maybe if the Libertarian had turned his skin blue, he could have blamed it on his dermatologist (implying with an eye shift in her direction that she's the doc in question), he might have won.
From the Chron article, I have to say she reminds me of Peggy Hill come to life.
J sub D,
Do-you-know-who-the-fuck-I-am-ism is not confined to any particular
place.
I'm assuming Congresswoman Sekula-Gibbs is H&R's Friday stand-in for the Official Joe Lieberman Legislative Pinata. I will also assume that we have already forgotten Nancy Pelosi. Damn, that was quick. Not that I don't approve.
Lets see- a write in candidate that's batshit insane, and
the LP lost to her? That's embarrassing. The LP guy even seemed
somewhat normal. Something's backwards here.
The Libertarian candidate, Bob Smither, is a long-time activist in
the Texas LP. Prior to Delay's ouster, he was on the ballot more or
less as a paper candidate. He is a soft-spoken guy who is obviously
not used to speaking in front of crowds, and it seemed that it took
him some time to get used to the idea. I think he rose to the
occasion and did an outstanding job, for having been thrust into
the limelight so abruptly. If I was him, I would have just crapped
my pants while mumbling something about the Founding Fathers.
It just goes to show that it does make sense for the LP to contest
as many races as possible, because one never knows when one of the
major party contenders will be forced out for accepting bribes,
having sex with farm animals, etc. Had the Delay fiasco happened in
the district of an LP candidate who was already campaigning hard,
the outcome could have been historic.
I see a whole lot of "Do you know who the fuck I am?" is
this woman's future.
Did she try to get a PS3 out of Wal-Mart too?
I actually read and heard some of Smither's addresses to various
groups, and I echo Derrick's assessment that he did an "outstanding
job." From the items I was able to review, you'd never know he had
expected to run a "paper candidacy" against DeLay. I'm sorry that
more effort and money wasn't put into this campaign, as apparently
the GOP hype machine (and their slimy tactic of creating a "special
election" just to get the hyphen-lady's name on the physical ballot
as a guide for write-in voters) was too powerful a vote-getter:
clearly the candidate herself was an irritant, and I got that
impression from reading several accounts in the local press.
I hope Smither will run again, after Lampson proves himself to have
feet of clay; and I hope LP supporters will give him the resources
he needs to fight a credible fight.
I worked on the Smither Campaign. I live right there.
Bob was a fantastic candidate, the best the LP could ever hope to
field. Yet, he couldn't even get out of the single digits, despite
some Republican backing.
I fear the only thing that one can conclude from his Campaign, is
despite a superior candidate, good funding, and a professionally
run campaign, added to a fluke election that could benefit a 3rd
party candidate, the Libertarian Party still can't win a
Congressional seat.
It's becomming clear that the only real choice for libertarians to
win elections to state legislatures and congress is the Republican
Liberty Caucus.
It's becomming clear that the only real choice for
libertarians to win elections to state legislatures and congress is
the Republican Liberty Caucus.
Eric, it is disingenuous to represent yourself as an impartial
observer who is independently reaching the conclusion that the LRC
offers the best path forward. You've been
singing this song for years.
If you want to try to attract people to the RLC that's fine. But, I
suggest that you'll have more luck if you are open about who you
are, and focus on the RLC's strengths instead of the LP's
weaknesses.
Myself, Im rather taken with Downsize DC's take on this. Rather than run candidates, run legislation. like the "Read the Bills Act" which will appeal widely, and wont involve takin on Dimbulb & Republigoon slime machines. You arent trying to win votes for an individual, you are presenting an idea & suggesting voters force already elected people to deal with it.
Sure Derrick, but the point still stands.
I was actually stupidly predicting that the Libertarian Party would
have a great year. And I was working to help that come about, not
only on the Smither Campaign, but the Scott Kohlaas for Alaska
House and other LP candidates.
Needless to say, I'm thoroughly dissapointed and I admit, somewhat
baffled by the LP's poor performance this year.
The RLC had a tough year too, losing some key RLC-backed races. But
at least they won a few, as well. What else can you conclude from
such results?
Site comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245