Monday, June 7, 2010

Response from Marc Harris?

We have received the following response to our earlier post about 42nd Congressional candidate Lee McGroarty not being allowed to speak at a Tea Party event yesterday. We don't know for sure that this is in fact from Marc Harris. It was sent via email and was forwarded twice. The emails listed are from leadership in groups associated with Harris, so we have a strong belief that this is in fact from Harris.

I thought it was funny that Harris said, "Funny, you don't see Miller attacking McGroarty." I guess Harris hasn't been following the race long enough. The Lee McGroarty for Congress web site that Miller put up comes to mind.

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Thanks for this post, Miller team....This is only going to add more fuel to the suspicion now being raised that McGroarty has made a back-room deal with Miller to stay in the race in order to split the vote, and ensure Miller's re-election. (Do people do such things in politics???)

Otherwise, why would Miller's supporters here give a darn about this obscure incident, and slant it so far from the facts?

The FACTS are that: a) I was not the "host" of this event, it was put on by a local coordinator, and I have no authority to determine who speaks, b) I was NOT the one who denied McGroarty's request to speak, it was the local coordinator, c) it was on private property, and the owner participated in setting the agenda and speakers and, again, I have no authority to tell a private property owner what can go on on his property, d) I have NOT endorsed Liberatore: I support the Tea Party leaders and members; accordingly, I will act in a manner consistent with the results of numerous emails, phone calls, caucuses, and straw polls among local Tea Parties which show greater support for Liberatore.

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The statement attributed to me in the Liberatore mailer was in response to the unfair negative mudslinging against Miller's opponents. The TEA Party objective is to throw RINO incumbents OUT! As a Tea Party leader, I will defend ANYONE who holds to the TEA Party values, and who are attacked by sell-out RINOs like Miller in their efforts to cling to their self-serving pork trough.

(Funny, you don't see Miller attacking McGroarty. Hmmmmm....)

One can only wonder why McGroarty, who is polling lower among the Tea Parties, doesn't stand up and selflessly serve the clear and unambiguous objective of the Tea Parties to unseat Miller by dropping out of the race, and telling his supporters to support Liberatore, the frontrunner against Miller. The discussions and straw polls have shown McGroarty polling anywhere from 2 to 4 times lower than Liberatore. None put him ahead of Liberatore, which McGroarty and Miller are both aware of. I found it completely unbelievable that Lee McGroarty told me yesterday that he has no knowledge of any polls or results at all. To say two days before an election that a candidate running for Congress is oblivious to any sense of his or her standing in a race is either incompetent or dishonest. At the very LEAST, all candidates do their own polling--or at least should--placing phone calls to hundreds of likely voters.

One final point to ponder: Lee insisted that I, as the Orange County Tea Party coordinator, certainly "had the influence" to make the local coordinators let him speak, and my refusal to step in and do so was therefore "proof" in his view that I was endorsing Liberatore. If he truly believes I am that close to the Tea Parties, and have that much "influence" with them, why doesn't he also believe my assertions that he is not the choice of the majority of Tea Party members?

I urge Lee, for the benefit of what we in the Tea Parties are trying to do politically, to do the right thing and step aside. We have far too many self-serving members in Congress already who are ignoring "We The People". While we all feel it is admirable that Lee stood up to enter the race on behalf of our values, "We The People" have made our preferences clear (if by no other measure than the lack of financial support for Lee), and there are no indications to the contrary.

Marc Harris
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4 comments:

  1. Lee entered this race because of Miller. He is a man of high character and Lee unlike others would never compromise his values and integrity for the sake of "politics". These accucations are baseless and I find them very disappointing coming from Marc Harris.

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  2. My name is Lee McGroarty. I am writing this personally. I wish no disrespect to Marc or the NOCCC. Though I felt disappointed by not being allowed to speak after being attacked by Rick Amato, I understood.

    However, when Mr. Harris accused me of taking money from Miller to stay in the race, it struck at my heart and soul. I served our great country for 6 years in the military and for you to attack me in such a way was an insult to anyone running for office let alone an honored veteran of our Armed Forces.

    You are better than that Marc. You espouse yourself as a defender of Tea Party ideals yet yesterday, you became the very person your group detests. You chose to defame a candidate for Congress solely because you believe he stands in the way of your candidate winning.

    Let me be clear so there is no misunderstanding. I have raised as much as Phil if not more. I have spent less than 90% of what Phil has yet I have been on the front cover of 7 local newspapers since May 4th; Fox 11 for 2 1/2 minutes on one of the hardest hitting pieces of journalism against Congressman Miller; KFI Radio for 2 days with Miller and me battling it out (in fact, more than 30 airings of the "Little Girl" comment ran during one day of radio news; and three editorials between me and Asst. Secretary of HUD Orlando Cabrera. Some people have placed this news coverage at more than $1 million in "paid advertising" yet I spent ZERO for it. I was covered because I did my research and spent 7 months investigating while Phil was deciding whether to enter the race or not. How many times has Phil been covered? Hmmmm. Still waiting?

    Marc, you sold your soul and your principles for money. In fact, I know your price. Your vote was bought for $725,000 yet you sling allegations towards me and insult me by saying I took bribes from Miller. I'm sure Miller will not be sending me a Christmas card this year though you think he and I are cozy now. That's hilarious.

    One last point: How can any of us expect a BIG SPENDER like Phil to go to Washington and CUT SPENDING?

    $725,000 is a lot of money. Who do you think he will be beholden too to get that money paid back? Remember, he LOANED his campaign the money!

    I owe no one and am owed nothing. Phil cannot say the same.

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  3. This is Lee McGroarty again. Marc, I read your comments about the polls. As I mentioned yesterday, if Phil's polling was so good, why didn't he produce mailers touting his great poll numbers? The reason I didn't know of any polls is that there are NONE! Liberatore released polls today that are HIS OWN!

    Oh, so there is no ambiguity in the actual poll numbers, I was planning on voting for myself so I don't believe I am at 0%!!! Unless you think that I am truly that cozy with Miller that you think I am voting for him?

    The answer is that you and Liberatore are trying to pull the wool over the voters' eyes and it won't work. Your guy is scared because he spent 3/4 of a Million Dollars and he may not win.

    You can't buy someone's votes without ideas. I have been endorsed by numerous Tea Parties -- unlike Phil who has received ABSOLUTELY ZERO Tea Party Group endorsements. Yet, you call him the choice of the majority of Tea Party members. You may want to check that poll again. Your numbers seem to be a bit off.

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  4. A note to Marc Harris: I would have voted for Miller if Lee McGroarty was not in the race. I would take my chances with Miller than Phil Liberatore. He did not strike me as a candidate that Tea Party Patriots should have endorsed NOR voted for. It is shamefull that after the primaries, you go on your hate mail and threats against Tea Party members who are voting for candidates with character and moral values. Do your research, Marc. And tell Desare to do the same.

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