Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Pelosi Tries to Pander to NASCAR Vote

Nancy Pelosi, whose House Democrats' staff said people needed to get shots before viewing a race, tried to understand the sport by schmoozing with Jimmy Johnson:
she stayed in Washington to schmooze with a NASCAR driver.

Pelosi, who voted on an absentee ballot last week (for whom, we know not), hosted two-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson in her Capitol suite Tuesday afternoon for the ostensible purpose of congratulating him on his recent victory.

The meeting and photo-op is also a great chance for House Democrats to continue making inroads with the "NASCAR Dad" vote. But House Republicans are hoping to cut Democrats off at the pass, especially in light of the little controversy last fall in which a Democratic official suggested staffers should get immunizations for various diseases before heading on a congressional delegation trip to NASCAR Country. Democrats later said the suggestion was made because staffers would be visiting health care facilities -- and had nothing to do with NASCAR.

But the perceived gaffe was a gift to Republicans, who kicked their spin machine into overdrive trying to win political points with the coveted NASCAR constituency. They continued today, with word that Pelosi was meeting with Johnson.

"The Democrats better hope that Nancy Pelosi received her immunization shots before taking the podium with Jimmie Johnson today," says National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain, who's known for his love of NASCAR. "She might come down with a case of red-blooded Americanism if she isn't careful."


Although the driver she was meeting with, Johnson, is part of the Jeff Gordon wishy washy cabal of Team Hendrick, which Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined this winter to give a dose of masculinity.

It would be too much to wish that Nancy came down and caused a full blown academic of Americanism, but I think their hatred of America on the Left is too far gone.