McDaniel Campaign Offers Confusing Explanation For Canceled Editorial Meeting

Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, right listens as Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, asks a question of former lawmaker and tree farmer Gene Saucier about his opposition to a suggested enhanced illegal immigration ... Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, right listens as Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, asks a question of former lawmaker and tree farmer Gene Saucier about his opposition to a suggested enhanced illegal immigration reform legislation during the State Senate's Illegal Immigration Reform hearings at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) MORE LESS
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Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel’s (R) Senate campaign canceled a meeting with the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s editorial board on Monday but it’s not clear what the scheduling conflict the McDaniel campaign had that caused the cancellation.

On Monday the Clarion-Ledger tweeted out that the editorial board would interview McDaniel later on in the day. That interview followed a weekend in which the McDaniel campaign has repeatedly had to address its relationship to a political blogger arrested for allegedly breaking into the nursing home of the wife of McDaniel opponent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and filming her.

Shortly after the Clarion-Ledger tweet about the meeting, the McDaniel campaign said it had a scheduling conflict with an event in Meridian, Mississippi, which would be on the latest media advisory. The Clarion-Ledger contacted the campaign again to note that the Meridian event was not actually on the advisory and the McDaniel campaign responded that the event was actually a private event, but wouldn’t provide any more details. Below is the exchange between the Clarion-Ledger’s Sam Hall and McDaniel campaign’s Noel Fritsch. It is a paraphrased conversation, per Hall:

Noel: I misspoke. It’s not Meridian.

Me: You misspoke?

Noel: Yes. I got the city wrong.

Me: OK. Then where is it?

Noel: Everything’s on the media advisory.

Me: There’s not a 4 p.m. event on the media advisory. There’s a 6 p.m. event on the media advisory.

Noel: Everything is on the media advisory.

Me: Then why are you canceling? Is it really a scheduling conflict?

Noel: Yes. There’s a scheduling conflict.

Me: But there’s nothing on the media advisory for 4 p.m.

Noel: Then it must be a private event. Private events aren’t on the media advisory.

Me: Where is it?

Noel: It’s a private event.

Me: You just said it was a public event earlier.

Noel: No, I didn’t.

Me: You said it was on the media advisory, and the media advisory only has public events.

Noel: I thought it was a public event, but it must not be.

Me: So is it in Meridian or Jackson or Brandon?

Noel: It’s a private event, and that’s it.

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Notable Replies

  1. OK, yesterday I thought he’d have to have been nuts to be directly involved in having the blogger go to the nursing home. Today with the cops talking about a possible conspiracy and all this flailing around from the campaign, I still think that. But I also think maybe he was, in fact, just that nuts. Something’s not at all kosher here.

  2. Noel Fritsch needs to get into a new line of work because he’s really terrible at this one. Maybe there are some stables in Jackson or Meridien that need mucking and he can keep on tossing horseshit around…

  3. That voicemail Sojourner left seemed a little panicked. The guilty flee where none pursueth.

  4. republicans tend to not be too nuts to do anything. I won’t at all be surprised if it turns out this was planned by the McDaniel campaign. the GOP will ratfuck anyone.

  5. No doubt. It reminds me of episode of Veep.

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