The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Just Doing My Job, Jerry

Posted on | September 3, 2012 | 34 Comments

My friend Jerry Wilson at Goldfish and Clowns seems to have taken personally my failure to respond to his writings, and that’s OK.

Neglectfulness is a problem with me and when I’m on the road, the problem is compounded. In case you didn’t notice, I spent the past week in Tampa at the Republican National Convention and, given that tip-jar hitters had paid my way there, I felt obliged to provide extensive coverage of the journey:

This blog coverage was in addition to the five American Spectator columns I filed from Tampa:

All in all, I considered it a successful trip, and if the ordeals of the journey — including the engine problem that will require hundreds of dollars to repair — have distracted me even more than I am usually distracted, this was no one’s fault in particular.

Among the successes of the trip: I introduced Ali Akbar to the Allman Brothers. He really digs “One Way Out,” which is now downloaded to his iPhone. It’s hard to believe that anyone could reach age 27 and never have heard At the Fillmore East, but this just goes to show the catastrophic failures of the American public education system.

At any rate, my own failures — extensive though they are — do not include an inability to judge character, and my defense of Ali Akbar is based on an acquaintance that dates back to October 2009 during the Doug Hoffman campaign in NY-23. So Jerry Wilson’s “just asking questions” attitude toward Ali is rather annoying: I’ve known the guy for three years and, whatever his faults, this “convicted felon Ali Akbar” meme is a ridiculous distraction.

The dude’s got skills, OK?

We’re in the midst of a political battle of enormous consequence and, as I’ve said repeatedly in conversations with friends, now is not the time to be distracted by irrelevant personal quarrels, especially quarrels instigated by Neal Rauhauser, Ron Brynaert, et al. Whatever legitimate beefs anyone may have with Ali, these can be settled after Nov. 6, and I don’t give a damn. But I have no patience for criticism of Ali based on partial information at a time when I know for a fact — I’ve seen with my own eyes — that Ali is doing effective work for the cause of liberty.

So to Jerry Wilson or anyone else who thinks they’re going to throw Ali Akbar under the bus, I say, your bus ain’t big enough.

As Ace of Spades often says during election season: “Game faces.”

Stop letting yourself be distracted at a time when we can ill afford these distractions. Concentrate on the big picture, and trust that everything else will take care of itself.

Category: Goldfish & Clowns

Comments

34 Responses to “Just Doing My Job, Jerry”

  1. S.E. Rice
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 9:57 am

    The problem with hype is that it’s all too often unchallenged: too many people go with the sound of the appealing words/phrases and don’t investigate the context, the meaning that the words/phrases are selling (and hype IS a sales tactic, materially and contextually).

    I don’t know any of these persons in any way except as to the contradictory tales being told about them and by them about the rest. But I (so far) haven’t read any context as to why, say, in this instance, this guy, “Ali,” is being said to be doing such good things when, instead, I read what he actually says and it’s disappointing to read, at best. So it just seems to me that “the proof is in the pudding,” to use a colloquialism, which means, when you want answers as to quality and more, they can usually be found in the context to which any recipe refers.

    How ANYone can not have ever heard LIVE AT THE FILMORE EAST is beyond me, so there’s that, too.

    Sometimes just telling people to “STheckUP” as I did recently in a tweet sums up the gamesmanship, however, as to those who urge others to get riled-up about tangential issues — they may be important but they do encourage dispersal of focus — that create questions about the Primary Goal (such Primary Goal in this case is winning election/s). My advice drew the predictable ridicule and contrariness but it was the right advice at the moment.

    And if “Ali” is reliable, he’d be reliable. I haven’t read much from him that encourages that. Maybe getting out of these Personality Issues would be the best approach for those caught up in these Personality Issues. I know who I’ll be voting for (Romney/Ryan) this November but I now know who to avoid on the internet (certainly not you, not what I’m implying nor stating here); it’s rough to realize (but helpful, certainly to realize) that some people are what I’d call “double agents” as to cause and effect of our nation’s political conditions.

  2. Beto_Ochoa
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 10:07 am

    So what was the nature of your mechanical break down on the Kia?

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  4. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:19 am

    You are a loyal friend RSM. Ali is doing a good job. So he had some problems in the past? These Inspector Javerts (sorry guys but it is true) need to lay back just a bit. There will be plenty of of issues to deal with November 6 (including making sure Mitt Romney, Boehner and the GOP controlled Senate do what they are supposed to do). And let’s not forget Belvedere’s Operation Whig.

    You can all start by getting an empty chair and putting out on your lawn! Celebrate a diversity of empty chairs! The magic is in the “O” and also special historical proof of a connection between Barack Obama and…?

  5. A Major Policy Statement (As If It Matters) | hogewash
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:34 am

    […] McCain has posted his take on Ali Akbar. His defense of Mr. Akbar is based on personal knowledge of him going back to 2009. […]

  6. Rose
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:47 am

    We rent a HUGE stadium, fill it with mud, and, on Nov. 7, everyone who wants to fight can have at it. Giant mud wrestling extravaganza. Humungous pillow fight! Bikini-clad “take that, you RINO!” oil wrestling. I don’t care. Just SAVE it til after the election. PLEASE.

  7. rosalie
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:47 am

    I’ve got my chair out! And it was very cathartic indeed. Which reminds me of the portable potty. There’s no way anyone’s going to beat that.

  8. Rose
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:49 am

    OTOH – I am begging someone to put together a counter-Code-Pink protest. CHARGE! Dressed in Penis and Sperm costumes, chasing the Pink Vaginas, set to Benny Hill music. It’s gotta happen.

  9. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 11:55 am

    It is not my picture. But I loved it so much I posted it. But I love that historical picture that David Limbaugh found too. And I found one also at the bottom of the post.

  10. CPAguy
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 12:13 pm

    Well…lets be honest…if the shoe (i.e. political ideology) was on a different foot, maybe one would not have such nice things to say about Ali since one wouldn’t have befriended him.

    The right would have no problem attacking him if he was a leftist.

    There is dirt on both sides, and ultimately, people do change and learn not to repeat mistakes. Important to keep that in mind, no matter the political leanings.

  11. Dianna Deeley
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 12:32 pm

    I don’t know Ali. All I can say is, it’s good for him that he has you for a friend.

    Please urge him to be more transparent about NBC. That should lay all this furor to rest.

  12. SDN
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 12:33 pm

    Except the Left doesn’t learn from anything. If they did they wouldn’t still be pushing an economic system not even the 12 Apostles backed up by God Himself could make work.

  13. Red
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 12:55 pm

    Just make velcro crabs to throw at ’em.

  14. Stogie Chomper
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 1:15 pm

    I took a look at this guy’s blog and it seems one large, disjointed, unfocused rant. I won’t visit it again.

  15. Red
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 1:59 pm

    Between reading this post and Jerry’s, it seems to me that this is an issue best resolved between friends. He just lost his brother and, if I had to guess, this sounds like a ‘friendship’ issue more than anything else. Those issues are never comfortable and are probably best left out of the public court of opinion.

  16. JeffS
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 2:15 pm

    ::clink::

    😀

  17. JeffS
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 2:16 pm

    Someone in another post suggested women demonstrating at the DNC, costumed as brains.

    That seems more….fitting.

  18. JeffS
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 2:17 pm

    Or condoms. ;-p

  19. Adjoran
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 2:37 pm

    Doggonit, don’t tempt Belvedere to bust out the speedo picture again, please!

  20. richard mcenroe
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 3:26 pm

    Not sure how we’d keep the penis puppets upright, considering the ghastly sight in front of them.

  21. Red
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 4:44 pm

    Pretty please!

  22. Bob Belvedere
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 8:01 pm

    You brought it up, Adj…

    http://thecampofthesaints.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/stacy-mccain-speedo-1990-264.jpg

  23. Bob Belvedere
    September 3rd, 2012 @ 8:02 pm

    Ask Bob Dole for advice.

  24. K-Bob
    September 4th, 2012 @ 1:43 am

    62 days.

    There’s plenty of time to let slip the denunciations of revolution after that.

    It’s the playoffs, baby! Let ’em play.

  25. Zilla of the Resistance
    September 4th, 2012 @ 6:58 am

    Jerry’s brother JUST DIED, that is why he was hoping to hear from his friends. You know, a simple “I am sorry for your loss” would probably have gone a long way. I’m not trying to cause trouble, but you seem a little bit bewildered as to why he initially wanted to hear from you; well, now you know.

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  29. Red
    September 4th, 2012 @ 4:15 pm

    LMAO!

  30. Red
    September 4th, 2012 @ 4:16 pm

    NOOOOOOOOOOO!!

  31. Rose
    September 5th, 2012 @ 3:49 pm

    Uff, it’s Rose Welsh, queen of the Humboldt County blogs

    watch out folks

  32. TheImpoliteCana
    September 6th, 2012 @ 4:39 am

    Well, let me jump in the middle of this. And I hope you won’t delete my comment like you did with Paul Lemmen’s the other day. (yes I have a copy of what you deleted, sir)

    I blogged about Akbar and the NBC MANY TIMES over the last few months, I even was PERSONALLY ATTACKED by Akbar on teh Twitterz, and let me start by saying I fully support Jerry Wilson, Peter Ingemi, Ladd Elingher and Paul Lemmen and the others in their questioning of the NBC.

    I also witnessed a VERY STRANGE CONVERSATION between AKBAR and a member of the Velvet revolution (Kimberlin himself?) where AKBAR FRATERNIZED with the other side (AKA the ENNEMY).

    As you so succinctly put it, Akbar is an ACQUAINTANCE of yours. Not a friend, he’s someone you know. And I’m gonna be blunt: Would you defend him and the NBC if they didn’t give you money when the Kimberlin Crew came after you? (I’m not undermining the danger you felt you and yours were in, just stating facts). Would you?

    As someone who I always thought of as a REAL journalist, you, Mr McCain, have resorted to the techniques of the MSM when it comes to defending Ackbar and his shady NBC. You are also starting to sound like the ELITES we oppose:
    -Ignoring the fact that he is a CONVICTED CREDIT CARD FRAUDSTER and THIEF for the good of the cause does NOT fly very high in the grass root conservative movement where I, and the people mentioned above, are fighting.

    -IGNORING the fact that as a CHARITY, disclosure of the NBC’s members list and amounts collected and paid is primordial.

    -IGNORING the fact that Akbar only disclosed PART of his criminal record, lied on the charges he was convicted on.

    -Ignoring the fact that Akbar got all victim-like when the enemy disclosed his mother’s home address, when HE filed it as headquarters of the NBC, in a PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FORM. (me thinks he’s not all that bright)

    -Ignoring the fact that they FAILED at answering questions directed at
    Akbar and Malkin about why they chose the most INVADING WAY OF
    COLLECTING PERSONAL DATA ON DONATORS.

    The NBC was supposed to PROMOTE conservative blogs and bloggers. It FAILED MISERABLY, just by not making their member’s list public, and by not setting up a proper website or Facebook page for his organization.

    Add it all up together and you get the scenario for a MAJOR FRAUD in the making. Just like what happened with the A.L.A.

    -A convicted felon who lied about his criminal past.

    -A convicted felon who was convicted of CREDIT CARD FRAUD and who is collecting credit card numbers and VERY PERSONAL INFORMATION about donators, when a simple PAYPAL ACCOUNT would have done the trick.

    -A convicted felon who REFUSES to disclose the names of the people he **CLAIMS** to represent.

    And no, it’s NOT a matter of throwing ANYONE under the proverbial bus. It’s a matter of protecting fellow conservatives with BIG HEARTS and little money that gave so you and yours can be safe. Remember that. What will happen IF the NBC and AKBAR are charged with fraud? Will you recant? Will you make amends and pay back the generous people that helped you out?

    As far as I’m concerned, the NBC and AKBAR are a thorn in the conservative movement’s side. By leaving the LEGITIMATE questions unanswered, the thorn got infected and caused the GANGRENE of division among the ranks.

  33. TheImpoliteCana
    September 6th, 2012 @ 4:54 am

    Yeah, but I wanna make sure that on my team, EVERYONE pushes the puck in the same direction….

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