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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