Mike Murphy a/k/a Richelieu Returns to Hurt Thompson (and Romney?) [UPDATED]
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (23) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Despite some reporters (of all people) making the Mike Murphy link, Mr. Murphy kindly emailed me this evening about this post. He writes:
Your posting is incorrect. I have never told any reporter anything about Thompson being all set to endorse McCain. I have "pushed" no such story. I have openly speculated that if Thompson does ever get out, he is friends with McCain and it is not unthinkable he would support McCain. I'm hardly alone is that speculation among commentators, nor was I the first. I've never spoken to Jed at the politico or Bob Novak about this.I have many friends in this race and I am the partisan of none. Your posting is just rumor incorrectly reported as fact.
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As I noted here, credible rumors are circulating -- having started with reporters who were approached about the story -- that Mike Murphy, who blogs at the Weekly Standard as Richelieu, pushed out the "Thompson to endorse McCain" rumor in Iowa.
This all tracks with a report by Jed Babbin on the Politico hit job notes
All evidence points to the Politico story being the result of a dirty trick. As Bob Novak reports today the rumors of Thompson’s supposed plan to drop out after Iowa were apparently being pushed by Mitt Romney’s campaign. One political consultant who appears on the news as unaffiliated with any campaign was apparently at the center of the trick. His involvement is something we are investigating.
Several reporters at other organizations also got the tip, but figured it for a hit job and did not run it.
This all kind of fleshes together with Murphy, who has worked for both McCain and Romney, but whose blogging has been decidedly pro-McCain at the Standard. Amazing that no media organizations have really gone after this. This story actually wound up hurting, I think, Romney in addition to Thompson. Romney has a connection to Murphy. The morning of the report, I and others immediately made the McCain connection, but by the afternoon, reporters and people close to Thompson were pushing the Romney angle -- all suspecting Murphy. But, given Murphy's blogging lately, it seems he is in this for McCain.
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Mike Murphy a/k/a Richelieu Returns to Hurt Thompson (and Romney?) [UPDATED] 23 Comments (0 topical, 23 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Fred Barnes, Bill Kristol, and the The Weekly Standard are dead to me. There's only so many times I can stomach being called a nativist, racist, xenophobe, and yahoo simply because I want our immigration laws enforced.
Fox News has dropped significantly on my list, too, as a result of this.
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Professor Dumbledore
All you had to do was look and see who benefited from it.
Who benefits from the rumor that Thompson's going to endorse McCain? McCain.
Who benefits from blaming that on Romney? McCain.
That is why I suspected it all along. Now, did McCain order this? Quite likely not. But as He Who Must Not Be Named is learning, as a candidate you're responsible for what people do in your name.
"But as He Who Must Not Be Named is learning, as a candidate you're responsible for what people do in your name."
With Ron Paul, it is telling who supports him. If they go beat up another candidate I doubt it will be Paul in court. Furthermore, that he fails to condemn them, and that they swim in the same conspiratorial waters puts a little more blood on his hands.
On the other hand, if some whackadoo goes and assassinates Jody Foster and says it is because he supports Romney, I don't think I'll be holding Romney responsible. And wouldn't it just be grand if they were held responsible? All you'd have to do to discredit the candidates you despise is to do something awful "in their name".
You've far overstated things.
absentee
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Murphy was seen at events with McCain on the night of his victory or just before. I'll have to do some digging, but I remember that he's been connected with McCain recently again and seen with McCain in public.
Tommy Oliver
www.race42008.com
If one remembers back to Fred's speech at the Orange County Club in early summer, it got mixed reviews based on a quote from a person in attendence who said he was not impressed.
That person?
Mike Murphy
Tommy Oliver
www.race42008.com
McCain is a wily one...slick willy has nothing on him.
He'll do, or do in anyone that gets in his way to becoming president.
If McCain, or the Huckster get the GOP nod for president, I'll be sitting this one out.
impression that some high level folks are meeting in a smoke filled back room to strategize how they want the Republican Party, and the country, to proceed in order to do exactly what we accuse the Democrats of doing - maintain or gain and keep power. I know this sounds like a black helicopter theory, but man are the signs slowly starting to appear. Fred Barnes has gone out of his way to slam Thompson and promote Huckabee calling him the clear winner of the Thursday night debate.
As Newt said:
'Newt declared that we had reached the "end of the Reagan era." This means, he said, that "we're about to redefine the Republican Party based on what people need." A little Romney, a dash of Huckabee.'
http://www.redstate.com/stories/special_features/the_sunday_morning_talk...
Isn't this what Ed Rollins said recently? I also notice that members of the Reagan Administration are also backing those with the same moderate non-conservative values. McCain just had Martin Feldstein endorse his candidacy.
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_feldstein/2008/01/13/63998.htm...
Are they afraid the Reagan legacy will be tarnished if the mantle is seen as passed to someone else? Do they believe that the country has gone so far left that only a non-conservative will win the presidency? Or is it something else all together?
Is conservatism dead in America? I can see the definition change of the Republican Party already with the GWB Presidency (glad the American public didn't bite though), but I do not believe you can redefine conservatism. It's principles have already been set in stone. Has the once considered 'conservative' parts of the MSM been enlisted to help in this endeavor?
I think the public will embrace another conservative, but I don't see the Republican Party itself pushing for one. Sorry if this seems like a 'tin foil hat' post, it wasn't meant to be as such. Just my musings.
--roxer
something is up.....what I don't know...my take on the bulk of those comments are from those who want an open border...Republicans..big business...it's all about the money.
Newt to my mind saw the money that could be made from "global warming" and has given up any respect for smaller government because he will as Al Gore has make a boatload of money.
McCain, Huckabee and for a short period Romney all were looking at some form of amnesty. Fred has not taken that tack at all...for that he has to pay....It will only get worse as his numbers go up....it took we the people to shut down that amnesty bill and it will take we the people to get Fred to the WH despite the "elite". I use that term loosely because I don't find them to be elite at all.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
that hits the GOP for not supporting conservatism.
http://arclightzero.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/why-the-gop-is-failing-fred...
--roxer
The media, and sadly FOX has been very guilty of this, has decided to spin Thompson's debate performance as nothing more than an attempt to help McCain. They refuse to believe he credibly thinks he can win, projecting their own myopia on to him and thus reasoning that he can't have attacked Huckabee for his own gain.
I can't help but wonder if this spin didn't come from the same source.
McCain -- means never having a friend that you won't stab in the back ---
Was McCain always this big of an ass -- of did the North Vietnamese really mess him up this much.
and I hope you really didn't mean to post such a vile thing about McCain's POW situation.
McCain is way down my list of candidates, but your comment is really unacceptable.
according to Mark Levin on Friday night.
It's a pleasure to read all the mostly brilliant comments above, and I encourage you to go sign on with FRED and GIVE the needed donation as well --OK friends--it is up to US!
Not to much humility in the choice of a name, maybe Murphy thought "God" would be taken as overreach. The power behind the throne? No, the jerk who bungled the Lazio/NY campaign beyond all hope and repair. Established his dubious credentials in South Carolina for McCain prior to that pushing Campaign finance reform, which went over about as well as a rock in a tub.
It doesn't take much to be a seer in American politics today, or a so called strategist.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
when Fred Barnes showed his open borders self on FOX News. That they would want McAmnesty to win is not surprising at all.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion