Classy

[Lanya]

Giuliani Snubs Jones County
by Michelle Phillips
OLIN–Last weekend Deb and Jerry VonSprecken of Olin received a call from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign office asking them if they would be interested in holding a campaign rally on May 4, after she had donated to his campaign.

“We thought it would be an honor and agreed,” said Jerry.

The campaign office continued to contact the VonSpreckens throughout last weekend and were told a security check would be needed. The couple passed the security check and began putting plans in place.

“We started making phone calls. We got the sheriff and fire department and Olin school was going to let out early. We were also expecting kids from the Anamosa school,” Jerry explained. “Deb even went around and personally invited people.”

On Tuesday Deb received a call from Giuliani’s Des Monies office and was asked to call New York.

“They wanted to know our assets,” she revealed, and added that she and Jerry have a modest 80 acre farm and raise cattle.

Later she received a call from Tony Delgado at the Des Monies location.

“Tony said, ‘I’m sorry, you aren’t worth a million dollars and he is campaigning on the Death Tax right now.’ then he said they weren’t going to be able to come,” Deb continued.

The Death Tax is a federal version of the Iowa Inheritance Tax.

The VonSpreckens then called Delgado back and told him how upset they were that the event had been cancelled, how much work they had done and that they had been expecting 75-100 people at their farm.

“I invited him into my home,” Deb said of Giuliani, fighting back tears.

She said she then got a call from New York later the same day asking her to introduce Giuliani at a rally in Cedar Rapids, also scheduled for May 4. They offered her one-on-one time with Giuliani and to have her photo taken with him.

“My feeling is that they’re trying to cover their butts,” said Jerry.

“I may go and give him a piece of my mind, but I’m not going to introduce him,” Deb included.

Preparations had already been put in place for traffic control and bleachers and Deb’s mother, sister and niece were planning to fly from Texas to meet Giuliani.

“Now they pull this,” Jerry exclaimed. “It’s really sad that we aren’t good enough because we aren’t millionaires.”

“This is a horrible retraction we’re having to make. I’m in a state of shock, very hurt and embarrassed. I don’t understand why they don't want to talk to normal people,” she concluded.

Maria Comella, spokesperson for the Giuliani campaign, said, “We’re glad to have Debby and Jerry’s support and are thankful for all their hard work on the campaign. We’re looking forward to our visit to Iowa on Friday and having the opportunity to share Mayor giuliani’s message of fiscal discipline.

Comella did not comment on the cancellation at the VonSprecken home, and said a site had not yet been chosen for a campaign stop.

http://www.anamosaje.com/NewsArchive/2007/May/3/news.html#1

[BT]

Blame it on the bloggers.

Guiiliani's group was doing due dilegence. Doesn't make sense to give a speech about the Death Tax, maybe even mention his hosts, and then have some yahoo, claim the family wasn't impacted by the tax.

And Kudos for Guillini's staff for being honest as to why the plans were changed.
Kinda classy and refreshing.

[BT]

Meanwhile on the dem side - advance people for Obama are aware of what happens when a candidate stands in front of the wrong painting.

*******************************************************************************

Art and politics collide at event
Artist philosophical about Obama camp's call to cover his works
 
Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 12:08 AM Updated: 01:32 AM
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By TYLER WHITLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER



Presidential hopeful Barack Obama hasn't been elected and already his campaign is engaged in a cover-up of sorts.

Before the Illinois senator spoke Tuesday night at a Richmond art gallery to about 500 Democrats, an Obama advance woman asked the gallery to cover one painting deemed potentially offensive and to remove another.

Artist Jamie Boling said he first was offended by the censorship but now has mixed feelings. In today's political and cultural climate, the pictures could have been used against Obama, he said.

The painting that was removed was one of a woman wearing a T-shirt that read "Kill Lincoln," an homage to the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

The one that was covered was a 6-by-10-foot oil reproduction of a widely circulated pop culture photo showing pop star Britney Spears, sans underpants, getting out of a car, with Paris Hilton in the driver's seat. The Boling piece blurs the nudity.

"I wished we could have had a good dialog about freedom of speech," Boling said, but added, "I understand that a politician would want to avoid being photographed in front of Britney Spears' crotch."

Phone calls to the Obama campaign yesterday asking for a response were not returned.

The Spears/Hilton piece, titled "Snake Charmer" after a necklace Spears is wearing, is for sale at the Plant Zero gallery for $5,000.

Boling, who teaches art at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the Obama advance woman asked him on Friday to cover the Spears painting. She also asked that the "Kill Lincoln" piece be covered or removed.

Boling said the Lincoln painting was designed to show high school sexuality and angst, while the Spears painting depicts this culture's preoccupation with celebrity.

Boling replaced the "Kill Lincoln" painting with one of Tippi Hedren smoking during a scene in "The Birds."

The Obama staffers termed the two offending paintings "a deal breaker" for the Plant Zero appearance, Boling said. The campaign would not hold the event at Plant Zero unless the paintings were covered or removed, he said.

As it turned out, Obama, accompanied by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, entered and left by another doorway and did not pass near the potentially offending paintings.

Boling said an Obama staff member later apologized to him and invited him to the speech but did not rescind the request. The artist said he bears no ill will toward Obama and may vote for him.

"He was good. He was a dynamic speaker," Boling said. "He was motivated, and he was inspiring

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.PrintView.-content-articles-RTD-2007-05-10-0139.html

[sirs]

Meanwhile on the dem side - advance people for Obama are aware of what happens when a candidate stands in front of the wrong painting.

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.PrintView.-content-articles-RTD-2007-05-10-0139.html

Oooops, Obama with another "tired" moment?

[R.R.]

She said she then got a call from New York later the same day asking her to introduce Giuliani at a rally in Cedar Rapids, also scheduled for May 4. They offered her one-on-one time with Giuliani and to have her photo taken with him.

That's a nice gesture, and yes, pretty classy.

Queen Hillary would need a $2000 donation to do something similar.