Thursday, May 29, 2008

Teahen Faces Tough Questions

I tuned in last night to WHO to hear Steve Deace interview Peter Teahen, GOP primary Kandidate for Iowa’s Second Kongressional District. I have to say, I was pleased to see that Deace used many of my recommended questions. Unfortunately, I found Teahen’s answers less than satisfactory.

Deace didn’t hold back (too much). There were some things I wish he would have explored further, but given the time allotted, he kovered a lot of ground. Deace jumped right in to the whole David Tredrea thing. But, then Deace pretty much left it alone when Teahen klaimed that the FBI and Scotland Yard are involved and that his life had been threatened by Mr. Tredea while the two were in Darfur. I don’t know what to believe about all this, but if there really are restraining orders in place as Teahen claims, kan we see them? The cynic in me thinks that Teahen calling Tredea a psychotic krackpot would be a pretty good way to try to discredit him and avoid actually dealing with the allegations. And who is going to be able to actually check on these claims and see if Scotland Yard really is trying to track down Tredea? Before next Tuesday?

I guess if I felt Teahen had been honest about everything else, I’d find it easier to believe him about this. When Deace asked why he had been a registered Democrat, Teahen said that Mike Blouin had been a personal friend of his, and so he switched parties to vote for Blouin in the Democratic Primary. The problem is that Teahen had spent many years as a registered Democrat prior to the Bouin race, and Teahen failed to mention that until a kaller brought it up.

Ah, yes, the phone kalls. There were some good ones. One asked about a quote in the Iowa City Press Citizen in which Teahen had said he was a registered Democrat so that he could have a seat on the Iowa Mortuary Board. Often, certain numbers of seats on such state boards are reserved for both Democrats and Republicans to ensure that the boards don’t function as partisan entities. So, if Teahen lied about being a Democrat to get one of the Democratic seats, that would be pretty bad.

Teahen’s excuse: then Gov.Terry Branstad told me to do it, so I thought it was OK. Dude, the “I was just following orders” argument didn’t work at Nuremberg, and it doesn’t work here either. Sounds to me like Teahen wanted a seat on this Board for the perceived power it would give him, and he was willing to break a few rules to get it.

Oh, and I’d sure like to know what Terry Branstad has to say about this.

Then there was the kaller who called Teahen out on referring to himself as a “mental health professional” (which he had just done a few minutes earlier when introducing himself to the radio audience). At first he seemed to deny that he had kalled himself a mental health professional, and then he said that because he helps people deal with the emotional trauma of disasters, that makes him a mental health professional. He klaims to have some sort of certification, but could not cite any degree or state license he holds.

He actually did answer the life question pretty well, but this was one area where I wish Deace would have had more time to smoke him out. Deace did a great job of pointing out that Teahen’s good friend Blouin sure didn’t seem as pro-life by the end of the race as he did at the beginning. I wish he’d have had time to point out that giving money to Julie Thomas (Jim Leach’s general election opponent in 2002 and 2004) wasn’t exactly helping the pro-life kause either. I know, Jim Leach wasn’t exactly the pro-life standard bearer, but at least he voted the right way on things like the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. I can’t see Thomas doing that. I don’t really kare if she helped save your kid’s life if she’s all for promoting the murder of other people’s kids. Those kind of people konfuse me the most. How can you devote your life to saving kids as a pediatrician, but on the other hand be OK with killing them before they are born.

You can tell that Teahen has public speaking experience. Even under some pretty tough questioning, he never got too rattled (though he did sound a bit annoyed once or twice). He told some pretty kompelling stories about helping families bury their babies who had been miscarried, and how seeing a 20-week baby affirmed his belief that that is life.

I really wish I kould believe that he was sincere, but I just don’t. Not after all the ethical lapses and misrepresentations that have kome out about Teahen.

Deace didn’t even have time to touch on the FEC komplaint or Teahen’s personal life. That’s worth another hour of air-time right there.

Overall, Teahen did a valiant job, but I don’t think his smooth talking was enough to kover the multitude of problems he has. And I don’t think Republicans in the Second District should have to expend the time and effort it would take to deal with all these problems in the general election.

If this is the garbage that floated to the surface in the primary, I’d hate to see what the Dems kan dig up on him for the general.

6 comments:

  1. There are stories floating about saying Teahen wanted to run in a
    Democrat primary for 2nd Congress. Does anybody know for certain?

    Many Democrats are not pleased with their "Nutty Professor." None the less, they stuck with the loon they knew.

    Peter before principle. Change your party. It fits a pattern with the unprincipled undertaker.

    Some of the money crowd in Cedar Rapids took the bait. Maybe Peter
    could do in Washington what State Rep. Tyler (D) has been trying in
    Des Moines? Use a higher level of government to jam tax and spend
    increases down peoples' throats when local option referendums fail.

    From the looks of Mr. Teahen's fund raising, these folks are hedging their bet. Maybe they are seeing in Teahen what they bought with rejected Mayor Lee Clancy.

    If the Republicans buy into Teahen, it will be Vincent Price versus Jerry Lewis. Nine to one, 2nd Dist. Democrats will the ones laughing come November.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mr. Krusty man I tell you this. You is a great champion of the news stuff.

    I greatest world champyon wrasler! I beet that Bob Backlund and make him humble.

    That no good jabroni Bob Backlund - Petooie! Peta Teahand - Pittooie!

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  3. I don't care what he says about anything, Peter Teahen is not being honest. Here is a link of a reporter who actually did some research on his own.

    http://coralvillecourier.typepad.com/community/2008/05/how-well-do-vot.html

    So, are these people now part of the vast conspiracy to undermine his good name?

    Peter Teahen=Fraud.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Teahen's opponents have called him out for being a former registered Democrat, but the candidate said he has held Republican values. He said he often registered as an Independent while a spokesman for the Red Cross and registered as a Democrat to help his friend, Michael Blouin, in his 2006 bid for governor.

    "On paper, I switched," Teahen said. "My history with helping Republican candidates for years needs to be what's on record."

    http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/D2-Teahen-052908

    The FEC reports show more than Blouin over the years.

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  5. I heard him on WHO which is very hard to get a decent reception over here in Eastern IA.

    I was shocked to hear him try to blame Gov. Terry Branstad for his becoming a democrat. The Branstad era was before my time so does anybody know the Governor well enough to find out what he thinks of this claim by Teahen?

    One of them will have some very serious explaining to do and I don't think its the beloved former governor.

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  6. Governor Branstad would never tell anyone to do such a thing! Teahan is lying!
    "They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I prefer the weapon you only need to fire once. That's how dad did it, that's how America does it, and it's worked out pretty well so far."
    TS

    ReplyDelete