Anyone curious as to why South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer was present at a recent Atlanta fundraiser for presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-Mass.)? Well, he wasn’t. But apparently, the guest of honor thought he was in attendance.
It seems Romney mistook the almost-Lt. Gov. of Georgia, Ralph Reed, for Bauer.
Reed, the overzealous former head of the Christian Coalition with serious ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was soundly whooped in the Republican primary last summer and has since endorsed Romney. Although, after this event, that endorsement may be in doubt.
And, if Romney cared enough to consider Reed, that may have been his intent. By having admitted “difficulty” identifying Reed, Romney may have been able to elude the kiss-of-death usually wrought by his endorsement.
It was originally reported that Romney had mistook Reed for another Bauer - Gary Bauer. While introducing Reed, Romney said, “Why it’s good to see Gary Bauer here.” The claim was refuted though after a Romney spokesman said Gary Bauer, also a member of the religious right, is a very close friend and oft-personal-guest of the former-Massachusetts governor. The spokeman confirmed that, in fact, Romney thought Reed was Andre Bauer.
So we’re not sure which is more insulting for Lt. Gov. Bauer - being implicated in attending a Romney fundraiser or being confused with Ralph Reed AND Gary Bauer. This kind of reminds us of that MasterCard commercial.
Flight to Atlanta: $638.
Mitt Romney Fundraiser: $750.
Handshake with Ralph Reed: Your Soul.
Mr. Romney? Mr. Bauer. Mr. Reed? Mr. Bauer. Mr. Bauer? Mr. Romney. Mr. Romney? Mr. Reed. Mr. Bauer? Mr. Reed. Mr. Bauer? Mr. Bauer.
Confusing Ralph Reed AND Gary Bauer with Andre Bauer: PRICELESS.
_____________________
UPDATE: A savvy tipster led us to this article which notes that Romney is “consistent” in confusing people.
Romney made an eerily similar mistake during his 2002 governor’s race, mixing up two of his general-election opponents in a televised debate. Romney got into an exchange about bilingual education with the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. His first words to Jill were, “Carla, I agree.”
“Carla” was the name of the Libertarian candidate, Carla Howell. She didn’t look like Jill, or think like her, either. As Gitell wrote at the time in the Boston Phoenix, “Romney’s faux pas seemed to suggest a candidate who could not be bothered to listen to the differences between the Greens and the Libertarians.”
To Romney, not only all Christian conservatives look alike, but all women look alike, too. The cyborg programming must be even more primitive than we thought.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 10:50 am and is filed under Executive, Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
That picture shows how eerily similar those three guys look, G. Bauer Romney and Reed. Especially compared to Andre. Its creepy. Slicked back greasy hair, incriminating grimace, evil stare. I’;m getting chills just thinking about it.
WOW! When your candidate is plummeting in the polls and cursing everyone out and this is all you can come up with, you are in pretty bad shape.
I loved Lt. Gov. Andre Braugher in Homicide: Life on the Street!
[...] of conservativism and electability”. However, Million Dollar Mitt made an awkward at best, damaging at worst slip of the tongue in Atlanta last week, mistaking SC Lt. Gov Andre Bauer for conservative activist [...]
Hi Jim. Photos i received. Thanks
[...] a key primary state. But presidential hopeful Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) again showed Thursday that he has a lot of trouble remembering names when he called New Hampshire State GOP Chair Fergus Cullen, [...]
NTSB Factual Report: Bauer’s plane left Columbia Owens Field at approx. 4:00pm landed in Blacksburg at(5:00pm)1700 then at(6:30pm) 1830,took off from Blacksburg at 1830(6:30pm). WLTX(Video Clip) reports that he was attending a friends funeral. The NTSB report states that he coordinated transportation to a friends house. In either event, it appears he was on the ground for an hour and a half turnaround.
“Examination of runway 06 by the FAA after the accident revealed the airplane traveled 819 feet on the take off roll before encountering the dirt section of the runway. Two skid marks were present in the dirt section of the runway. The left skid mark was was measured 417 feet long and the right skid mark was measured 388 feet long.. The width of the Mooney M-20 E landing gear is 9 feet and three quarters of an inch long. The distance between the left and right main landing gear is skid marks are 9 feet and three quarters of an inch. Ten feet past the left skid mark appeared to be a tail strike mark on a stone with a bluish color. The bottom of the accident airplane is blue in color”.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=ATL06L...
Speedy Gonzales said,
So the funeral lasted an hour and a half? Or was he at a friend’s house? What are you saying, it was a drug run? I can see it now, “Hey old man, get in the plane, we’re going to Blacksburg to pick up some snow shoes.”
The private airport owner stated:” the pilot wanted to turn the airplane around before starting it. The pilot and three other personnel attempted to move the airplane by hand with “negative results”. The pilot entered the airplane, released the parking brake, exited the airplane, and attempted to move the airplane with “negative results”.
The pilot and passenger entered the airplane. The pilot started the engine, turned the airplane around with “power”and taxied to runway 06 for VFR departure to Columbia”
“Examination of runway 06 by the FAA after the accident revealed the airplane traveled 819 feet on the take off roll before encountering the dirt section of the runway. Two skid marks were present in the dirt section of the runway. The left skid mark was was measured 417 feet long and the right skid mark was measured 388 feet long.. The width of the Mooney M-20 E landing gear is 9 feet and three quarters of an inch long. The distance between the left and right main landing gear is skid marks are 9 feet and three quarters of an inch. Ten feet past the left skid mark appeared to be a tail strike mark on a stone with a bluish color. The bottom of the accident airplane is blue in color”.
Why would the pilot turn the plane around under “power”, taxi, to takeoff when moments earlier four people were unable to roll the plane. Why would you have skid marks over the length of a football field.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=ATL06L...
“Stupid is, what stupid does” By the way, has anyone heard from Andre?
Is “Blogger Bauer” on the lose again?
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is attempting to deny Lt. Governor Andre Bauer the security detail that was authorized by the Legislature this past session. In addition, our sources are saying that this is coming directly from the Governor’s office to SLED Chief Robert Stewart.
During a contentious budget battle this past legislative year, the Governor attempted to veto funding for a security detail and driver that would be assigned to Lt. Governor Bauer, but his efforts were overridden. Now it seems that SLED is denying the detail based on opinions of staff attorneys working for the department. The back story is that Governor Sanford has his guiding hand on this and is further causing tension (if possible) between the his office…and well…just about everyone.
Bob Peeler ended the practice of providing a security detail for the Lt. Governor when he was in office. Its reinstatement has been opposed by many legislators who see it as a waste of taxpayer’s money. However those same Legislators who opposed it during debate now see it as a done deal and don’t appreciate the Govenor’s attempt to thwart them through back channels.
So far this is speculative, but from good sources. Does it even matter anymore if the Gov is pissing off Legislators, or vice versa? Don’t they hate each other enough already?