Coleman was later quoted as saying, "Nigel SAD!" He then ran out of the room sobbing.Coleman said Monday the owner of the property in Blairs has pulled the plug on the event because of the negative attention the rally has garnered. The bonfire originally included burning effigies of Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th District, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in response to their support of the health care legislation.
“The media attention has gotten pretty large,” Coleman said. “(The property owner) didn’t want to be viewed poorly, and of course we didn’t want that for them.”
News of the event quickly spread online to national news outlets, blogs and even Comedy Central. The effigy burning is “definitely ruled out” for the future, Coleman said, but the intention was to teach “a history lesson” and compare the event to the birth of the Sons of Liberty after the 1765 Stamp Act.
“I feel like I obviously handled this poorly, as far as the press goes,” Coleman said. “We really should have thought this through more … and seen how this was going to affect not only us, but other TEA parties and the TEA party movement in general.”
Coleman, who seemed disappointed, would not say whether he had received any specific requests from other TEA party movements to cancel the event, but said that “I’m always in contact with other TEA party leaders and I always take their feedback into consideration.”
Meanwhile Feda Kidd Morton, who is running for the GOP nomination to run against Tom, did little to cast herself as the reasonable stateswoman rising above the fray:
As far as the political ramifications are concerned, Waldo Jaquith has an interesting take on it over at his blog.Morton praised the Danville TEA Party for “engaging voters of the district to voice opinions on the health care debate.”
“Perriello’s blatant disregard for the opinion of his constituents voiced in town halls he hosted shows his lack of commitment to those who elected him and the needs of his district,” she said in an e-mailed statement. “I have tremendous respect for the TEA Party’s effort and its commitment to protecting our liberty.”
By the way, at what point did Ben Tribbett become a quotable expert on the Fifth?
Liberal political blogger Ben Tribbett, who runs the popular “NotLarrySabato” blog, called the planned burning “stupid,” but acknowledged that there seems to be much discontent with Perriello in the 5th District after his votes for both health care reform, which angered conservatives, and the Stupak-Pitts abortion amendment, which angered liberals.
“Tom has walked himself into a corner on both sides,” Tribbett said. “… And it doesn’t put him in a great position politically for 2010.”
He couldn't be more wrong. I've talked to only a handful of people who aren't happy with Tom's vote on the Stupak amendment, and none of those folks say it's actually a dealbreaker. (The Stupak amendment prohibits federal funding for abortion.) The vast majority of people I've spoken with are just elated that our guy came through on the most important issue facing Congress right now when so many Dems from districts like ours are caving to special interests. Moreover, anyone who has talked to Tom for more than five minutes or has even a basic understanding of the Fifth should be unsurprised that he would vote for Stupak. Yes it's the right political move, but it's also what Tom happens to believe. Most Dems in the district understand that, and I just don't see how he's "walked himself into a corner."
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