Tea Party will save Harry Reid's bacon

[MadImmortalMan]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/13/report-tea-party-field-candidate-battle-harry-reid/

Tea Party to field candidate in battle for Harry Reid's Senate seat

By Sun Staff


Sun columnist Jon Ralston is reporting that the Tea Party has qualified as a third party in Nevada and will have a candidate in the Senate race to battle for the seat held by Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The party has filed a Certificate of Existence but needs to get 1 percent of the electorate to vote for its candidate in November to permanently qualify, according to the report.

Ralston reported that Jon Ashjian will be the Tea Party's U.S. Senate candidate on the November ballot. Ashjian still must declare his candidacy.

There are six other third-party candidates going through the verification process to appear on the ballot as U.S. Senate candidates — one Reform Party hopeful and five as independents, Ralston reported.

Reid's Republican challengers currently include former state Sen. Sue Lowden, former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian and former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle.

The news also comes two days after first-term Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said he won't run for the U.S. Senate to unseat Reid. Krolicki said Thursday he will be seeking a second term as lieutenant governor.

According to the party's constitution, the Tea Party of Nevada will "promote this nation's founding principles of freedom, liberty and a small representative government. We believe that our government under both Democrat and Republican control has led to massive national debt, crushing deficits, increased taxes; while establishing a large and powerful federal government in a direct refutation of the founding ideals of America."

The Tea Party of Nevada's constitution, bylaws and officers are available here.

Harry's doing backflips as we speak.

[Ed Anger]

former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian

Is that Tark the Shark's kid?

[derspiess]

former UNLV basketball star Danny Tarkanian

Is that Tark the Shark's kid?

Yep.  I heard he walks around with a towel in his mouth these days.

[Ed Anger]

We need Bobby Knight in congress.

[grumbler]

We need Bobby Knight in congress.

He would have to rip the seats from their moorings before throwing them, but I am betting he could manage it.

[Jaron]

I'm getting mighty suspicious of these Tea Party folk. I wonder if Hans supports them. Actually, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure he does.

[Razgovory]

I'm getting mighty suspicious of these Tea Party folk. I wonder if Hans supports them. Actually, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure he does.

I bet he doesn't.  They are to crazy to control.  While useful in the short term there's no telling where they're anger will be directed tomorrow.

[Jaron]

I'll take that bet.

[MadImmortalMan]

There's some talk that this particular tea party is running a spoiler and not really part of the actual TP movement. Operation Chaos, as it were.

[derspiess]

I wonder if Hans supports them. Actually, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure he does.

What difference does that make to you, either way?

[Razgovory]

I wonder if Hans supports them. Actually, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure he does.

What difference does that make to you, either way?

Well when one of them blows up a federal building we have to know who's "connected" to the terrorists so we waterboard the right people.

[Neil]

I'm getting mighty suspicious of these Tea Party folk. I wonder if Hans supports them. Actually, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure he does.

I bet he doesn't.  They are to crazy to control.  While useful in the short term there's no telling where they're anger will be directed tomorrow.

They get bored after a while.  The militia movement was imploding even before Bush got elected.

[MadImmortalMan]

Hoo boy.

Nevada tea party candidate facing felony charges

  By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter, Associated Press Writer   – Fri Mar 26, 7:18 pm ET

LAS VEGAS – A Nevada asphalt contractor who faces a legal challenge to his Tea Party of Nevada candidacy for U.S. Senate was hit Friday with felony theft and bad check charges in Las Vegas that allege he bounced a $5,000 business check last year.

Scott Ashjian is one of a record 22 candidates, including 12 Republicans, running for the seat held by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is seeking a fifth term.

Bernie Zadrowski, head of the Clark County district attorney's office bad check unit, said he would seek an arrest warrant Monday in Las Vegas Justice Court. Ashjian could face up to 14 years in state prison if convicted.

The tea party movement is a disparate coalition of conservative groups angered by federal spending, rising taxes and the growth and reach of government. Other tea party activists have been distancing themselves from Ashjian, and an ad targeting him has been sponsored by the Tea Party Express, one of the most visible factions of the national tea party movement.

In a separate matter, a Carson City District Court judge on Friday set an April 14 hearing on a lawsuit that challenges Ashjian's membership in the Tea Party of Nevada and his place on the ballot. Documents filed with the lawsuit appear to show that Ashjian changed his voter registration on March 2, the day after he filed his declaration of candidacy.

Ashjian said he's being targeted by unnamed people acting on behalf of the Republican Party.

"Clearly these people are afraid that I will siphon votes from their political party and from the Republican Party," he said in a statement in response to the lawsuit.

The criminal charge in Las Vegas stems from a returned check for $5,000 written Dec. 7 to a Las Vegas businessman.

Zadrowski, a former Clark County GOP chairman now running for judge, said party politics had no role in his decision to file criminal bad check charges against Ashjian.

"We're not doing anything different with this case than we do with any other $5,000 bad check that comes through the door," the prosecutor said.

Ashjian, owner of a business called A&A Asphalt, didn't respond Thursday and Friday to e-mail and telephone messages seeking comment on the criminal case or an explanation for what public documents suggest is a pattern of nonpayment of business and personal debts. A felony conviction would bar him from running for office.

Records show Ashjian lost his state contractor's license Wednesday after failing to appear for a disciplinary proceeding stemming from a complaint that he bounced a $981.82 check to a materials supplier last year. Ashjian also does business as Jon Scott Ashjian.

The Nevada State Contractors Board fined Ashjian $1,500 and ordered him to pay almost $1,150 in investigative costs, board spokesman Art Nadler said.

Public documents on file with the Clark County Recorder show Ashjian also faced foreclosure on home loans totaling almost $1 million, owed a $200,000 Internal Revenue Service tax debt and faced city nuisance actions and liens alleging he failed to pay homeowners' dues, a roofer, and his trash collector.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_el_se/us_tea_party_candidate_charges

[Caliga]

I keep trying to tell Princesca that these Tea Party people are crazy, but she won't listen to me.

[Scipio]

That's what they get for running a contractor as a candidate.  Stupid fucking mooks.