Mike Pence is a magnet for the outlandish, I’ll say that. We just found out a few days ago that the reason for Pence’s dramatic cancellation of his New Hampshire opioid panel appearance, was because one of the drug counselors he was to meet with was also a drug dealer, about to be busted by the DEA. More recently, Pence held an “intimate” fundraising dinner in Aspen, Colorado, where the prix fixe was $35,000 a couple. This was held, ironically, at a club owned by two gay men, and catered by a chef who had just gotten arrested for domestic violence. Now to top it all off, the local constabulary is livid with Pence for stiffing them on the security bill. First, the chef’s story. RawStory:
The reported location for the fundraiser, The Caribou Club in downtown Aspen, was revealed thanks to the club’s executive chef who “was arrested early Friday for felony assault and domestic violence after a female friend told police he choked her and punched her in the face, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Pitkin County District Court.”
The chef reportedly “told District Judge Chris Seldin he was cooking for the vice president on Monday and needed to be able to show up for work, said prosecutor Don Nottingham.”
Despite the chef’s alleged felony assault and domestic violence, there is no indication Pence will cancel the event.
Pence emphatically did not cancel his fundraiser. You think he has a problem with trivia like hiring people who beat women? Please. He intended to raise his money and raise his money he did — and then he stiffed local law enforcement, who started worrying early on when nobody said how they would be paid.
“I’m concerned we’re gonna get stiffed,” Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo said after Monday’s event, as the Post Independent reported. The fundraiser was billed as an “intimate” $35,000 per couple event, headlined by the Vice President, and held, ironically, at a private club owned by two gay men. Pence has made a career out of his anti-LGBTQ policies.
“Usually this time, we’re aware of who’s going to pay,” Sheriff DiSalvo said. “I’ve been trying for a week and I still can’t get anyone to tell me who the Caribou Club host is. So far I’ve been ghosted.”
Pence was in town less than 24 hours yet he ran up a security bill of $24,000, starting with his “oversized motorcade, when he could have driven into town in a Jeep with sunglasses and nobody would have noticed.” Hey, Mike. Jesus went to Jerusalem for lots bigger stuff than a fundraiser, and he rode a donkey. Plus he didn’t stiff the people who paved his way. Aspen Daily News:
“We had a SWAT team from Garfield County here that I want to see get reimbursed. We had Carbondale officers here that I want to see get reimbursed. They don’t have this kind of money — I don’t have this kind of money,” DiSalvo said.
He estimated that Pence was in Aspen for less than 24 hours. During that time, the vice president headlined Monday’s $35,000-per-couple fundraiser at the Caribou Club and addressed the Republican Governors Association at its closed-door quarterly meeting at the St. Regis Aspen Resort on Tuesday morning. Pence did not speak to the general public.
“We had 64 total police officers on that assignment in the 20 or so hours that he was here, totaling 519 person hours,” DiSalvo said. “Out of those 64, 14 were state troopers, and we don’t have a responsibility to pay them. But the 50 other cops that were here are all on the county dime.
“I guess the whole thing is generally just somewhat disappointing to me,” DiSalvo continued. “You raise $700,000 in an hour, you should be able to pitch in to support the community that made you feel welcome.”
$24K is a modest deduction from a gate of $700K, but then again, we’re talking about the Trump administration, and it might as well be a written policy with them to stiff the local constabulary, as often as they do it. Check out Huffington Post’s article, “Actually, 10 Cities Are Reportedly Waiting For Trump Campaign To Pay $841,000 In Rally Bills.” And The Center for Public Integrity last month also wrote, “Why the Trump Campaign Won’t Pay Police Bills.” Your GOP at work.
And by the by, Eric and Don Junior’s bar tab in Ireland was eventually paid for by the Trump golf course. Doonbeg is a very small town and the golf course might have gone out of business if the Doonbeg locals revolted and refused to work there. Maybe there’s a lesson in that for local law enforcement and other creditors: have some kind of a Trump business that you can leverage handy, or you’ll never get paid. Words to the wise.
Note to DNC: There are 10 cities that we know that the Trump campaign considered important enough to schedule and recently hold fundraisers. We also know that the movers and shakers in these cities may be ripe for conversion from Republican to Democrat. Check out Huffington Post’s article, “Actually, 10 Cities Are Reportedly Waiting For Trump Campaign To Pay $841,000 In Rally Bills.” And The Center for Public Integrity last month also wrote, “Why the Trump Campaign Won’t Pay Police Bills.” Your GOP at work.
Here’s a simple idea free of charge to any Democratic Candidate for President…”PICK UP THE TRAIL”! You may find a warm and welcome reception. Just don’t forget to pay your bill!
I find this pattern of not paying the cops both astonishing and alarming. Astonishing because supposedly the cops, or a lot of them, support Trump. Alarming, because security is such a basic expense. Any politician not willing to pay it, should not be hitting the campaign trail.
How about no one provides security, and venues don’t let them book etc…unless paid in advance!
That would solve the problem, wouldn’t it?
I hope he friggin’ stiffs Cleveland after the white police union voted for the first time in its history to endorse in a presidential race so it could endorse him.
Like Mitch not supporting miners who have black lung. This is all very blatant. Maybe they have enough russian help, and don’t give a s*it.
Since McConnell is busy shutting down elections protection bills, I am inclined to think that way myself.
I’m out of words for him.
McConnell blocking elections protection tells me everything I need to know about him. I wonder if there’s any hope of him getting defeated for the Senate? Or resigning? Could we get that lucky?
It seems like anything is possible now. Things could go that way. I make some people at DKOS angry because I still have hope. We are still fighting, it isn’t over yet.
So what’s going on over there, hopelessness? Maybe I should go over and lurk.
There are a lot of lurkers who are downers. Plus the ones you already knew about. (They had a mandatory password change that ended yesterday. Means I’m only reading there.)
How can “lurkers” be downers? Lurking means you’re not commenting. So the password change means that you can’t post there? And you’re okay with that?
yeah – I stopped commenting back in February, after being threatened with timeout or worse for telling off one of the other regulars who was getting nasty.
Wow. The narrative over there is being controlled to that extent?
PJ is right, same stuff, different day. Nancy Pelosi is still the biggest ass hole of the world, etc, etc, etc. She is helping to get Trump reelected, according to a loud contingent of commenters.
I have always said that our purity is going to render us (Democrats) an extinct species.
Within a 24-hour period about 5 days ago, I was flagged twice and received that “You must acknowledge” warning for simply posting that I found the sainted “AOC” under-informed and shallow.* I did not insult her; I did not call her any names. I merely expressed my opinion that she was not the ultimate fountain of wisdom and knowledge. That is unacceptable over there where they undoubtedly were hoping that Pelosi would pass the gavel to her at their meeting. It’s devolved into a bunch of crazy purists who condemn any Democrat who isn’t throwing a huge tantrum and going down to toss eggs at the White House, like, yesterday, and holding up all government business until he resigns, never mind that the ENTIRE biased IOKIYAR media would spin that as “Democrats obstruct!”
*Meanwhile, it’s a-ok to call Kirsten Gillibrand everything short of a “fucking bitch.” But they’re close.
I’m amazed that the narrative over there is controlled to the extent you describe and that long term kossacks are getting treated the way you describe. But I certainly believe you, PJ and Mae. You’re not making this up.
I don’t know WTF is going on over there and anything I say is going to be perceived as sour grapes. I honestly don’t know why I was banned, but I absolutely cannot believe it was for one word in a headline about what Jerry Falwell owns (and he owns LOTS of strange things, including jet engine fuel) and a retraction which didn’t get published in time to suit management. It got published within minutes of me finding out that there was an issue — which in the world of professional journalism, would be moving fast enough for anybody.
“They” somebody, wanted me gone and I’ll be go to hell if I know why. It was open knowledge how much I loved that community and I did everything I could to help people with fundraisers, writing diaries (some people kosmailed me and asked for my opinions on writing) and what have you. I loved the people over there and they loved me back.
The only thing that I can conclude is either/or: 1. there was a mentality there that i never understood, and eventually ran afoul of; or 2. things changed a great deal over there in the last few months I was there. I tend to think the latter, that there was some management change.
I had zero problems over there for over two years (other than one three day time out and yes, I was rude and deserved it.) Then I got a two week time out in November, 2018 for posting a cartoon of Elizabeth Warren with Trump’s scalp. I thought it was funny and the way I took it was Warren paying Trump back in his own coin. Good for you, was my reaction. That was not the DK reaction.
What happened next was that I fell asleep, because I had posted the piece very early, before 6:00 a.m. I was ill at the time. This was when my bad hip was diagnosed and I was in a holding pattern for surgery for reasons I won’t bore you with. A combination of pain medication and fatigue made me less sharp at that time than I was normally or am now. Then, when I was asleep all hell broke loose, I found out from reading the thread later on, and I was timed out for two weeks.
After that, it became evident that somebody in management disliked me intensely. I got a bullshit warning about plagiarizing a piece — the material in question was in quotes. Then the issue with the headline and the retraction. Again, somebody wanted me gone. Now why anybody on that site would want me gone, when I made tons of money for that site, is a complete mystery to me and will remain same, unless somebody comes forward at some point and gives me some new information.
I know something about ad revenue on the internet, obviously. We make some money from ads around here. Some of the pieces I had which went viral on Daily Kos 33,000 Facebook shares, 51,000 shares, that made a hell of a lot of money for that site.
On a business level, I think the decision to ax me was totally stupid. You don’t slaughter a cash cow, you keep it around. And if anybody had ever had an adult conversation with me, and said anything at all about how I should have done this or that differently, I would have listened. That never took place, despite Elfling saying that the “moderation team worked with” me. That’s complete bullshit. Nobody worked with me. I was sniped at and accosted for the least little thing. They were watching and waiting for me to fuck up, to have a plausible reason to ax me for the least little thing. I wish I knew why. I truly wish I knew why, because it would be nice to have some closure on this issue. But I guess I’ll never get it.
Thanks for letting me vent.
In response to your post, Ursula, I have to say I think there is a group of Bros. there (yes, Bernie supporters, but not exclusively): guys (probably white guys) who want to control the narrative and definitely do not like outspoken women, whether they are Nancy Pelosi or diarists on the site (unless of course they are young, pretty and parrot predictable leftie slogans, something you are absolutely not allowed to point out). It is a very male place. And they clearly target women they think don’t “know their place.”
Their treatment of Gillibrand is a great example. How dare she speak up against the funny, progressive white male! So I could write a post identical to the ones I wrote about “AOC,” just substituting her name and instead of getting a warning, I’d get 100 likes. I could write much worse (like at least two posters I saw who compared her to the woman who lied about Emmett Till flirting with her, resulting in his murder) and get 100 likes.
I think the site has been compliant with these bullies for whatever reason — do people like Subir and TomP (who can’t respond to any disagreement w/o an ad hominem attack) draw traffic? I do know that the site posted in early 2016 that if there was a clear primary winner after Super Tuesday diaries attacking that winner would no longer be tolerated. There was, but they were. And yet, much like Trump, the Bros became emboldened to whine about their alleged mistreatment because, despite owning a majority of the rec list until close to the end of primary season, they were upset that they couldn’t colonize the front page too. They thought every rally Bernie had was worthy of full news treatment.
I think that mentality has ruled there ever since, whether they were initially Bernie supporters or not. Believe it or not, I once get a timeout for posting, after the congressional softball game shooting by a Bernie supporter, that while Berners could be annoying, they struck me as the last people who’d go out and shoot people. Maybe they felt I was impugning they manhood?
Two things are dead certain: 1. I clearly pissed somebody off and 2. It was not a good business decision on DK’s part, but they did it anyway. Too big to fail, I guess.
I’m on the phone with Rob Portman’s office as I’m reading this.
You think Portman can get the people in Aspen paid? That would be nice.
I don’t think Portman can do squat since he actually lacks even a vestige of a spine.
Maybe Pence wants to prove to the GOP he can grift like Trump, and be as sleazy & hypocritical too (the wife beater chef and a gay couple for hosts) in the hopes they will dump Trump and elevate him.
Now there’s a theory. I admit I hadn’t thought about that. But in all events and for any reason, I am dead certain that Pence would love nothing more than to be elevated to the number one position.
Another reason to tread carefully on impeachment, as much as the flamethrowers are demanding it. Suppose it WAS successful, and Pence became president just in time for the 2002. Isn’t it possible that his bland affect and monotonous way of speaking would read as such a relief after Trump (and would be spun that was by the media) that he would garner a lot of support from people on the right who hated Trump and be easily elected?
Hello Ursula, IMHO,
With this new position from the committee’s investigation into all things Trump for possible impeachment was planned for some time and was shelved until Muller got the clarification out for those unable or unwilling to actually read the Mueller report …. AND Trump’s super stupid and weak response shows there’s only two sheets of TP left on that roll and he has reached the end of his excuses and blaming Democrats for his stupidity is blooming into Democratic promotion, and vote grabbing … his unhinged and un-American actions at the border,
(yet again, another youngster has died in the concentration camps), and REALLY his playing with young girls/with Epstein for 15 years using them for possible trafficking as well, sourced through his model/beauty programs and scams, THESE are the things that will be his final nail in his swivel chair in the Oval office … I suspect NYCity is chomping at the bit …
In prison, these sexual sickos are treated with extreme disdain and almost always presented knuckle sandwiches now and then … THAT might be on his mind and what he does not see yet, is there is NO place to hide, and with all the money stuff, cleaned up to sparkling clean …
I agree with anastasjoy, the timing has to be perfect, Schiff is going to need time to knit the package together, since Nunes has been the idiot for so long, but HE can do it, he said sometime earlier, that they were investigating and sharing info with other units …. Pence, our heavenly gift of GOD, might slip through but there was a lot of times Pence, HAD to know what was going on …. hang in there, stupid has and will, even worse, step in it with both feet ….
All this IOKIYAR is really making my blood pressure rise. At this point, the #1 thing Democrats need to do is develop a strategy for reversing this and making sure that these types of associations poison and destroy Republicans the way they always do with Democrats. I have been thinking a lot about this in the last week or so since the whole Al Franken thing rose to the top again. Any who defends Franken as long as IOKIYAR exists is WAY out to lunch: Franken HAD to go, and Kirsten Gillibrand is a major hero. I’m not sure the best tactic is trying to let Democrats gets away with what Republicans can. I”m thinking it would be far more effective to brutalize the mainstream media until they hold Republicans accountable for the same things — for instance, NY Times — I’d like to see dozens of front-page stories about Ivanka and Jared’s use of private emails for government business and multiple demands for their resignation, along with turning Trump’s use of an unsecured person phone to talk to world leaders into a major major news story. Get on it.