Sarah Palin

Christine O'Donnell Takes To Twitter After Tea Party Rejection

Benjy Sarlin | September 1, 2011, 8:33AM

Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell

The epic drama between Sarah Palin, Christine O'Donnell, and the Tea Party of America over who would appear at an event in Iowa this weekend appears to have reached its conclusion: Palin is in. O'Donnell is out.

But that's about all they agree on. According to CNN, Palin's camp was upset after O'Donnell's staff told the Tea Party group that they had the ex-governor's support in joining the event, even claiming that the two had been exchanging text messages. The group's president, Ken Crow, finally dropped O'Donnell (after briefly re-inviting her) once Palin put her appearance "on hold."

O'Donnell, who is promoting her book "Troublemaker," took to Twitter to defend her behavior and suggested reporters were inventing Palin sources as part of a conspiracy to hurt the Tea Party.

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Sarah Palin

Palin/O'Donnell Event Descends Into Total Chaos

Benjy Sarlin | August 31, 2011, 11:28AM

Sarah Palin

Update, 12:57 PM: According to NBC, Tea Party of America president Ken Crow said "I had to cancel O'Donnell," and is trying to lure Palin back to the event.

Update, 2:45 PM: Success! Palin sources tell RCP's Scott Conroy that the ex-governor will be in attendance.

First Sarah Palin was scheduled to attend the Tea Party of America's Iowa rally this weekend. Then Christine O'Donnell was invited. Then Christine O'Donnell was uninvited. Then she was re-invited. Now Palin is out. Maybe.

Easy to follow, right? According to the Wall Street Journal, Palin will not share the stage with O'Donnell, who she famously endorsed in 2010, because the ex-governor is sick of "continual lying" by the event's organizers. But there's still confusion over what's going on: Real Clear Politics' Scott Conroy disputed the report on Twitter, saying sources had told him the event was only "on hold," while a Tea Party of America official told reporter Shushanna Walshe the event was still a go after a talk with Palin.

It's easy to see where Palin might get a negative impression of the organizers, however. After initially asking O'Donnell to join the event, Tea Party of America's top officials split over their reasons for rescinding O'Donnell's initial invite, with president Ken Crow citing scheduling problems and co-founder Charles Gruschow citing widespread disdain for the former Senate candidate among Tea Party activists. They quickly brought her back into the fold, however, and Crow said they had "panicked" initially in dropping her.

Palin, who has yet to rule out a presidential bid, will still visit Iowa this weekend for other events.

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell Re-Invited To Iowa Tea Party Rally Featuring Sarah Palin

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 31, 2011, 8:46AM

Christine O'Donnell

According to a chagrined tea party leader, Christine O'Donnell will once again be a belle at the movement's ball for Sarah Palin this weekend.

The Delaware News-Journal reports the Iowa-based Tea Party of America re-invited O'Donnell to speak at its Saturday event in Indianola, Iowa after booting her from the list of speakers.

On Twitter late Tuesday, O'Donnell wrote she has "humbly re-accepted the re-invitation."

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell Booted Off Tea Party Event With Sarah Palin

Benjy Sarlin | August 30, 2011, 3:59PM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell, back in the news this month promoting her new book, is no longer welcome at a Tea Party event with Sarah Palin this weekend.

O'Donnell was set to appear with Palin, who endorsed O'Donnell's 2010 Senate bid, at a rally in Indianola, IA. But officials at Tea Party of America, which is hosting the event, told the Wall Street Journal on Monday that they were dropping her. While the group's president cited scheduling problems as the cause, co-founder Charles Gruschow offered a very different explanation: backlash from local Tea Party activists upset over O'Donnell's inclusion.

"We decided not to have her speak," Gruschow said. "We felt it was in the best interest of the movement."

O'Donnell was a brief cause celebre for Tea Party activists in 2010, who helped her defeat heavily favored Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) in a Senate primary before she was trounced in the general election by Democrat Chris Coons. But the magic seems to have faded after her defeat as her much-hyped book has only sold about 2,000 copies.

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell: I Walked Off Piers Morgan Because Of 'Creepy' Sex Questions (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | August 18, 2011, 1:55PM

Christine O'Donnell

Failed Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell said Thursday that she walked out of an interview on Wednesdasy with CNN's Piers Morgan because he "would not stop trying to talk about sex."

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Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell Walks Out Of Piers Morgan Interview

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2011, 6:41PM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell, the Delaware conservative activist who shockingly won the Republican nomination for Senate in 2010 -- and then lost what had looked like a safe seat by a double-digit margin -- walked out of taping an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on Wednesday.

O'Donnell is currently promoting her book, Troublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again, mostly through appearances on friendly conservative media.

In this case, she apparently reacted badly to Morgan's questions about her views on sexuality. As the public learned in the 2010 campaign, she is a vociferous abstinence campaigner, and has even gone so far as to speak out vigorously against masturbation. Morgan apparently couldn't resist prodding her on this, nor could he resist raising her infamous anecdote about having once dabbled in witchcraft. The final straw, however, appears to have been a question about her opposition to gay marriage.

Early Wednesday evening, Morgan tweeted:

BREAKING: Christine O'Donnell just walked out of my interview for @PiersTonight in disgust at my 'rudeness'. Tune in at 9pm ET.

Read more »

Sharron Angle

One Crazy Year: 2010's Most Outrageous Breakout Pols (VIDEOS)

Jillian Rayfield | December 31, 2010, 8:34AM

Though every year brings head-scratching remarks from out-of-the-woodwork politicians, 2010 saw those politicians gaining a national platform to broadcast their head-scratchingest views, thanks to the midterm elections.

Here are five of the most outrageous pols who broke out in 2010...

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2010 elections

Top Five Political Catch Phrases Of 2010

Brian Beutler | December 29, 2010, 12:45PM

Sarah Palin

A big part of politics is coming up with catchy slogans and phrases so that voters draw conclusions that help your party. They run the gamut from Barack Obama's "Yes we can!" to Sarah Palin's "death panels."

The flipside of that is that you have to avoid saddling yourself with unflattering slogans and catch phrases. A bad gaffe will stick to a politician like flypaper -- sometimes for years. These buzzwords and catchphrases bubble up into the political discourse all the time. Most of them dissipate harmlessly, but a few attach themselves to their subjects like stink on, well, chickencrap.

Here's our list of the top five political catch phrases of 2010 -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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Christine O'Donnell

O'Donnell: Unemployment Benefits Deal 'Tragedy' Like Pearl Harbor And Elizabeth Edwards

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2010, 11:13AM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell, the religious right activist and recent losing Republican Senate nominee in Delaware, offered her two cents Tuesday on the deal that President Obama worked out with the Republican leadership on extending both tax cuts and unemployment benefits -- likening it to the death of Elizabeth Edwards, and the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Hill reports:

Today marks a lot of tragedy," O'Donnell, the Tea Party-backed GOP Senate candidate from Delaware, said Tuesday night during an appearance in Virginia.

"Tragedy comes in threes," O'Donnell said. "Pearl Harbor, Elizabeth Edwards's passing and Barack Obama's announcement of extending the tax cuts, which is good, but also extending the unemployment benefits."

O'Donnell continued: "The reason I say this is a tragedy is because his announcement of economic recovery was more of a potpourri of sound bytes. It's like he took a little bit of what each party wanted and put it together. It's not a solid plan constructed on sound economic principles."

Christine O'Donnell

Failed Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell Forming PAC

Eric Kleefeld | December 8, 2010, 10:53AM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell, the religious right activist and recent Republican Senate nominee in Delaware, is now moving to the next phase in her political career -- forming a PAC to finance her issue activism.

The Hill reports:

Tentatively named Christine PAC, O'Donnell said she expects the paperwork for the committee to be filed as early as the end of this week.

"It's in the works right now," said O'Donnell. "The sooner, the better so we can be more vocal. The purpose of my PAC is not getting behind individual candidates but more so issues. I talked about repealing the death tax but also Obamacare."

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Christine O'Donnell

O'Donnell: It's The GOP's Fault I Lost (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 3, 2010, 10:41AM

Christine O'Donnell has wasted no time finding a scapegoat for her loss last night to Democrat Chris Coons in Delaware's Senate Race -- and it's the establishment GOP that didn't give her enough support. Calling it "Republican cannibalism," O'Donnell said that the "division" in the Republican Party "that remained even after the primary I think did hurt us."

She added that it also didn't help that the "Delaware GOP leadership, in their attempt to win the primary, they filed a fake FEC complaint against us that was totally baseless," but they never withdrew it.

Read more »

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell In Concession Speech: 'We Have Won' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 2, 2010, 11:03PM

Republican Christine O'Donnell may have lost the race for Delaware Senate tonight, but in her concession speech she was unfazed: "We worked hard, we had an incredible victory. Be encouraged. We have won. The Delaware political system will never be the same."

She added: "My joking big brother goes: 'We won? Did we miss something?' You know what I meant."

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DE-SEN

Democrat Chris Coons Beats The Memorable Christine O'Donnell For Delaware Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2010, 8:02PM

Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and Sen.-elect Chris Coons (D-DE)

In one disappointment for the Tea Party Movement tonight, Republican activist Christine O'Donnell has lost the Delaware Senate race to the Democratic nominee, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons.

With 0% of precincts reporting, Coons has been projected as the winner by CNN and Fox News.

Read more »

2010 elections

I Am Not A Witch...I'm Aqua Buddha?: The Most Iconic Moments From The 2010 Campaign

Jillian Rayfield | November 2, 2010, 11:56AM

Scenes from the 2010 midterms.

From the moment "Tom Campbell"'s eyes glowed red in Carly Fiorina's "Demon Sheep" ad, we knew this campaign season was going to be chock-full of bizarre and memorable memes. And we were right -- sheep, witches, and chickens were just a few of the iconic moments from the 2010 midterm elections.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Stranger Than Fiction? TPM Casts The 2010 Midterms Movie]

So here are TPM's favorites...

Read more »

2010 elections

Day Of The Tea Party? Election Day Answers Some, Not All Questions

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2010, 8:58AM

Clockwise from top left: Sharron Angle (R-NV), Joe Miller (R-AK), Ken Buck (R-CO), Christine O'Donnell (R-DE)

So this is it -- the day the tea partiers take back America. Or at least part of it. Or at least convince Republicans to stop taking it away as much as they did the last time they were in charge. Or at least convince Republicans to repeatedly respond to the movement's inflamed passions with tea party-friendly rhetoric.

Whatever happens, tonight's tally sheets will be all about the tea party -- those folks on TV will be counting candidates and races to see how big the tea party's influence in Washington will be in the end. There are several races to watch, but the main thing to remember is that the tea party can't really lose tonight: all they can really do is win less.

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DE-SEN

TV Stations: Christine O'Donnell's Closing Argument Fail Was Self-Inflicted

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 1, 2010, 2:58PM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell's plan to end her campaign on a televised high note fell flat after her campaign failed to work out the right details with TV station operators in Delaware, the stations told me today.

At the end of yesterday's Tea Party Express rally in Delaware, the Republican Senate nominee announced a 30-minute closing argument video broadcast on a Newcastle County public access station and WBOC-TV, a Delaware Fox affiliate. She urged her supporters to tune in to the public access channel -- known as Channel 28 to Comcast subscribers in the area -- at a still-to-be-determined time on Sunday night, and to catch rebroadcasts of the spot on both Channel 28 and WBOC today. None of the broadcasts she promised happened. O'Donnell's campaign cried bias, while the TV stations said she and her campaign were confused.

On her campaign twitter feed, O'Donnell announced the first showing would be broadcast at 11:30 PM on Channel 28 last night. As the time came and went with no show, the campaign tweeted "Okay... this is NOT our show! Must be a programming mix up. We will get back to you..." There were no more tweets until 10 AM the next day, when the O'Donnell had said the ad would appear on Channel 28 for the second time. Again, it didn't appear. That time around, the campaign began to allege bias on the part of the operators of Channel 28.

"This isn't our show either!" the campaign tweeted. "We are told channel 28 "forgot" to air it...both times... even though we paid for the time slot last week."

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Tea Party

TPM Interviews Birther-Curious Tea Partier At O'Donnell Rally (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 1, 2010, 1:15PM

One Republican at yesterday's tea party rally in Delaware for Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell told me she hopes that if the GOP takes over Congress, investigating President Obama's birth certificate will be on the agenda. It was, for me, one last tea party rally before Election Day -- and one more instance of birtherism found among supporters of the movement.

The woman wouldn't give me her whole name (she told me her first name was "Linda") and she told me she wasn't from Delaware. But she did say she was an O'Donnell supporter and a "Republican and a conservative" who supports the tea party movement.

Linda's hope for a Congressional solution to suspicions about Obama's heritage was not a universal at the rally. Another tea party supporter of O'Donnell's I spoke to at the Wilmington rally, area local Maureen Harris, didn't go so far as to say she believes Obama is an American, but she said the issue "is irrelevant" when it comes to her hopes for a Republican-led Congress.

But Linda's sentiments suggest that at least some of those turning out to put Republicans back in power tomorrow are hoping that lingering questions about Obama's past first raised on the 2008 campaign trail will become part of the agenda in Washington in 2011.

The birther movement remains alive and well in the tea party, it seems, even as the movement appears poised to help change the balance of power in at least one half of the Capitol building.

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell Goes Back To The Tea Party; Promises Them A Surprise

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 31, 2010, 7:23PM

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R)

WILMINGTON, DE -- It ain't over 'til it's over, says Christine O'Donnell. The embattled Republican nominee for Senate here in The First State told a crowd of supporters from her tea party base not to count her out just yet -- despite polls showing Democrat Chris Coons cruising to an easy win. O'Donnell says she's counting on first-time voters and a new 30-minute TV closing argument (airing three times on statewide TV in the next 24 hours) to pull off what most observers say would be a miracle win.

At a Delaware stop for the Tea Party Express bus tour -- the PAC-funded group that helped bring you such quotable tea party notables as Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), Nevada GOP Senate nominee Sharron Angle, Alaska GOP Senate nominee Joe Miller and others -- O'Donnell called on her supporters not to give up hope.

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DE-SEN

One Last Dance For Christine O'Donnell And The Tea Party Express In Delaware

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 31, 2010, 10:16AM

Christine O'Donnell

In Wilmington, Delaware this afternoon, the Tea Party Express will take Christine O'Donnell on one more trip around the dance floor before the election music stops. With just hours to go before Election Day, the Republican Senate nominee and and the Tea Party Express are likely set for different paths: O'Donnell to an almost certain loss to Democrat Chris Coons, and the group to what's sure to be some post-election tea party infighting. But today, they will share the same stage one more time.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

The group's final bus tour of the campaign cycle is rolling to a stop Monday, but not before touching down in Delaware, where Tea Party Express money and resources helped O'Donnell defeat the GOP establishment pick, Mike Castle, in this September's Republican primary.

Since that time, O'Donnell has come to represent the best and the worst of the tea party phenomenon. Her ability to knock off Castle -- an odds-on favorite for the seat, with the endorsement of just about everyone in mainstream Republican politics -- was indicative of the tea party's ability to scare the pants off the establishment. That could have a big effect on how the party moves forward if the GOP wins big on Tuesday. But O'Donnell's apparent failure to engage voters in Delaware beyond her tea party base also tells a tale of the tea party: the one where candidates find themselves trapped underneath the movement's sometimes eccentric policy views.

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DE-SEN

Monmouth Poll: O'Donnell Closes Gap In DE-SEN, But Still Trails By Double-Digits

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 10:21AM

Christine O'Donnell (R), and Chris Coons (D), candidates for Senate in Delaware.

The new Monmouth University poll of the Delaware Senate race has Democrat Chris Coons's lead over Republican activist Christine O'Donnell shrinking, but Coons is still ahead by ten points.

The numbers: Coons 51%, O'Donnell 41%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous Monmouth poll from just over two weeks ago, Coons led by a wider margin of 57%-38%.

[TPM SLIDESHOW - Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee]

From the pollster's analysis: "While Coons still has the advantage, it has to be uncomfortable knowing that O'Donnell was able to shave 9 points off his lead in just two weeks. The interesting thing is that while her vote total has risen, the majority of Delaware voters still say she is unqualified for the post."

The TPM Poll Average gives Coons a lead of 55.2%-37.7%.

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DE-SEN

Fairleigh Dickinson Poll: Chris Coons Leads O'Donnell By 21 Points In DE-SEN

Eric Kleefeld | October 28, 2010, 4:02PM

Chris Coons (D)

The new Fairleigh Dickinson poll of Delaware again finds that Democrat Chris Coons is cruising to a landslide victory over Republican activist Christine O'Donnell. And again, we find that the GOP would have probably won this thing if they had nominated the moderate Congressman Mike Castle.

The numbers: Coons 57%, O'Donnell 36%. In the previous Fairleigh Dickinson poll from early October, Coons led by 53%-36%.

As for a Castle-Coons matchup, the GOPer Castle leads by 54%-33%, up from a 50%-36% lead int he last poll. Then again, you have to wonder if Castle now has a crucial advantage in polls these days, bound to give a candidate a boost in this anti-establishment political environment: He's not actually running for office anymore.

The survey of likely voters has a ±3.5% margin of error.

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DE-SEN

Radio Station: O'Donnell Threatened To Sue Us For...Posting An Interview Online!

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 2:19PM

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R)

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell has joined the ranks of Republicans who take a hard line with reporters when things go wrong -- in this case, a local radio station in Delaware says, her campaign threatened to sue them if they posted an interview online.

As WDEL reports/announces, O'Donnell appeared with talk radio host Rick Jensen, and took questions from Jensen and from callers, as well as listener-submitted questions that Jensen presented to her:

At the conclusion of the interview, a representative from the campaign who had been in the broadcast studio with O'Donnell asked that the video be turned over to the campaign and not released. He stated that the videotaping had not been approved by the O'Donnell campaign.

O'Donnell also told show host Rick Jensen that she would sue the radio station if the video was released.

WDEL routinely posts audio and video podcasts of interview segments on WDEL.com. O'Donnell's appearance on WDEL in September had also been recorded and posted on the web.

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DE-SEN

O'Donnell: Prayer For My Campaign 'Plays A Direct Role' In The Polls (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 25, 2010, 6:15PM

Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R-DE), in an interview on Christian Broadcasting Network

In an interview with David Brody on the Christian Broadcasting Network, Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell expanded on her previous statements that her campaign for Senate is a mission from God. Indeed, she added that an improvement in the polls was divine intervention, an answer to the prayers of her supporters.

"God is the reason that I'm running," said O'Donnell. "If I didn't believe that there were a cause greater than myself worth fighting for, if I didn't believe that it takes a complete dying of self to make things right in this election cycle I would not be running and when you die to yourself you rely on a power greater than yourself so prayer is what's gotten us all through.

"The day that we saw a spike in the polls was a day that some people had a prayer meeting for me that morning for this campaign so I believe that prayer plays a direct role in this campaign and I always ask please pray for the campaign; please pray for our staff; please pray specifically that the eyes of the voters be opened."

[TPM SLIDESHOW - Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

The TPM Poll Average has Democrat Chris Coons leading O'Donnell by 55.5%-37.2%, despite the one narrower poll that O'Donnell appeared to be referring to. Hmm -- if O'Donnell were to win this election, that really would be a miracle!

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell's New Attack On Coons: Meet 'Rubber Stamp Man' (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 25, 2010, 12:45PM

Christine O'Donnell campaign ad, "Chris Coons is...Rubber Stamp Man"

Republican Christine O'Donnell's latest attack video in the Delaware Senate race uses a cute kid in a Halloween costume to rip Democrat Chris Coons. It also compares President Obama to God.

And that's before you get to the clip from Maddow.

A sequel to the Republican O'Donnell's movie preview-themed web ad from two weeks ago, the new ad casts the Democrat Coons as a "superhero" whose power is rubberstamping the Democratic agenda. To make her point, O'Donnell uses grainy tracker footage and a clip from a Coons' interview with Rachel Maddow in which Coons says he supports the president and would vote in favor of keeping Harry Reid as the Democratic leader in the Senate if the two of them make it to Washington.

Like O'Donnell's last web ad, the message in the new spot is aimed right at the Republican base vote in Delaware. The last video called Coons "The Tax Man," the sort of tax-raising zombie all Republicans fear. The new video not only says Coons will be the White House's man in the Senate, but also makes a less-than-subtle reference to Republican claims of arrogance on the part of the Obama administration that has been a key part of tea party messaging.

"Growing up, Chris Coons wanted to be a superhero with with powers granted by a supreme being," the movie preview voice over says.

"Now, he gets that chance," the narrator continues, as an image of Obama and Vice President Biden stumping for Coons.

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2010 elections

Karl Rove On The Wrong Side Of The Tea Party Again (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 25, 2010, 10:05AM

Karl Rove

Karl Rove is pushing back on tea party accusations that he embodies the worst of the GOP establishment. Again.

Rove has found himself on the wrong side of the tea party quite a few times this election season. Yesterday, on CBS' Face The Nation, he stood up to critics on the ultra-right who say he's part of the failed Republican establishment they're hoping to purge with nominees like Sharron Angle, Ken Buck and Christine O'Donnell.

Rove's stand lasted less than one minute, before he hastily apologized to the tea party and He Who Must Be Obeyed among the GOP, Rush Limbaugh.

The most recent flap began last week, when Rove told Der Spiegel that the movement driving the GOP these days lacked the "well-organized, coherent" and "ideologically motivated" backbone of the Reagan Revolution.

"If you look underneath the surface of the Tea Party movement, on the other hand, you will find that it is not sophisticated," Rove told the German paper, according to the Huffington Post. "It's not like these people have read the economist Friedrich August von Hayek. Rather, these are people who are deeply concerned about what they see happening to their country, particularly when it comes to spending, deficits, debt and health care."

So there you have it. Rove, the Architect, thinks the modern driving force in the GOP -- you know, the one that stars a woman who had to assure voters that "I'm not a witch" in her campaign commercials -- lacks the, er, polish of the party during the Reagan era. (As HuffPo noted, the Der Spiegel interview wasn't the first time Rove's said it.)

Bring on Rush's outrage, Rove's desperate attempts to redeem himself with his conservative Republican friends, and Rove's eventual apology to all involved. It's a movie we've seen before, but yesterday was a far more truncated version.

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell Uses Campaign Cash To Pay Her Rent

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 22, 2010, 6:08PM

Back in September, CREW -- the watchdog group -- filed a complaint against Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell for, as the group said, using the funds she raised in her primary campaigns "as her personal ATM."

Today, the AP reports, she admitted to one of CREW's main charges against her: that she used campaign cash to pay rent on her Delaware town house. She shed new light on the charge, however, saying through attorneys that the FEC "approved the arrangement." Back in March, she told a Delaware paper that she used "campaign funds to pay half the rent at her current town home," a move she said was "legal because of the home's dual purpose as a campaign headquarters."

But commission rules "say candidates can't use campaign money for their mortgage or rent 'even if part of the residence is being used by the campaign,'" adding more murkiness to her already cloudy financial past.

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DE-SEN

Chris Coons Ad Hits O'Donnell On Witchcraft, Evolution, Mice With Human Brains (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 22, 2010, 5:00PM

From a Chris Coons campaign ad, "Twilight"

Chris Coons now has his first bona fide attack ad against Christine O'Donnell -- as if every late night comedy talk show weren't already doing the job for him. In the ad, Coons's campaign responds to O'Donnell's attack ads by going after some of her various wacky statements.

"Christine O'Donnell says a lot of strange things," the announcer says, with a Twilight Zone outer space backdrop leading to video clips of some of O'Donnell's greatest hits: "I'm not a witch," "Evolution is a myth" -- and of course, "Scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully-functioning human brains."

[TPM SLIDESHOW - Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

"Huh?" the announcer says. "Now she's attacking Chris Coons. The truth is, Coons cut $130 million, taxes in New Castle County are among the lowest in the region. Unlike Washington, Chris Coons balanced six budgets."

The TPM Poll Average gives Coons a lead of 55.5%-37.2%.

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Sharron Angle

Harry Reid Camp Tells Sharron Angle To 'Man Up'

Brian Beutler | October 21, 2010, 5:35PM

NV-SEN candidates Sharron Angle (R) and Harry Reid (D)

Examples of female politicians questioning their male rivals' manhood are about a dime a dozen at this point. Christine O'Donnell told her primary opponent Mike Castle to get his "man-pants" on. Sharron Angle told Harry Reid to "man up" and gut Social Security. Democrat Robin Carnahan told her Missouri Senate rival Roy Blunt to repeal his own health care..."and man up." Sarah Palin said Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has "the cojones" that to tackle immigration reform that Barack Obama could use -- just one of many times she emasculated some of her enemies: "impotent, limp, and gutless reporters" and Republicans who won't "man up" and support the Tea Party.

Now one of the men on the receiving end of this phallic fusillade is turning the tables.

Read more »

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell's Quixotic Campaign To Serve On The Foreign Relations Committee

Brian Beutler | October 21, 2010, 4:03PM

Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell has made no secret of her desire to serve, if elected, on the prestigious Senate Foreign Relations Committee. So eager is she for the position that she discusses it as if it were fait accompli.

In a debate last night with her opponent Chris Coons, O'Donnell was unable to name a single Senate Democrat she could work constructively with -- but did describe her future professional relationship with the Secretary of State.

"Hillary Clinton is someone that I look forward to working with," O'Donnell said. "As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the U.S. Senate I will have direct conversations with her about where we should be taking our foreign policy and I look forward to that."

Asked earlier this month on Fox News whether she believes Iran will develop nuclear weapons, O'Donnell demurred, "You know, I don't know, I don't have access to the intelligence information that would help make that decision. Perhaps as a U.S. senator sitting on the Foreign Relations Committee, I will. That's one, I would love that."

And, semi-related, in 2006 O'Donnell claimed that she already had access to classified information on the secret Chinese plot to take over the United States.

Even if she wins, though, her ascension is anything but guaranteed. When it comes to a committee slot, O'Donnell will face more obstacles than just winning in November.

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DE-SEN

O'Donnell Scrubs Park51-Hater Geller Endorsement From Website

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 21, 2010, 1:10PM

Pamela Geller and Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R)

Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell is generally pretty proud of the ultra-conservative company she keeps. O'Donnell made a big deal about her endorsement from Sarah Palin and was the very public star of the Values Voter Summit in September.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Morals, Morals, Morals! Conservatives Gather For Values Voter Summit]

But when it comes to support from the public face of hatred aimed at the planned Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan, the infamous firebrand Pamela Geller, it seems O'Donnell would rather keep her friends to herself.

Read more »

DE-SEN

O'Donnell Stumped On Dem Senator She Could Work With: Hillary -- Or Lieberman? (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 21, 2010, 11:17AM

Delaware GOP Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell

Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell had some fun answers in a debate yesterday when asked to name a Democratic Senator she could work with: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- who she herself noted is not a Senator anymore -- or Joe Lieberman.

During a debate on the PBS station in Philadelphia (which includes Delaware within the local media market), the candidates for Senate in Delaware were asked to name a member of the other party they could potentially work with in the Senate. O'Donnell was asked first. She paused, and then said "Well, she's not a Senator anymore, but I would definitely have to say Hillary Clinton. I use her name a lot on the campaign trail, because she is someone that I admire. She is a woman who's had to hold her own in a man's world, and I think she's doing an amazing job right now."

[TPM SLIDESHOW - Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

She also added that she would be a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- which is in no way a guarantee if she were elected, though it is common for candidates to mention the committees they hope to serve on -- and work with Clinton there.

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell: I Wish I Hadn't Said 'I'm Not A Witch' (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 21, 2010, 10:40AM

If Christine O'Donnell was a witch, she'd want to cast a spell that could go back in time and cancel that infamous first television ad buy of hers.

In an interview with ABC's Jon Karl this morning, O'Donnell said she wished she never aired the "I'm not a witch" ad, which she said was intended to bring an end all the talk about O'Donnell's "I dabbled into witchcraft" past and shift the focus to her 2010 campaign.

In a word, FAIL.

"I haven't publicly stated this, and I don't know if I'll get in trouble for saying it, but our intention was to kill it," she told Karl. "and that's not what happened."

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell: I Won That First Amendment Debate! (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 21, 2010, 9:28AM

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R)

The media and most viewers of the Oct. 19 Delaware Senate debate thought Republican Christine O'Donnell's question about the First Amendment directed at Democrat Chris Coons was a pretty epic gaffe for the hardcore tea party favorite and Constitution proponent.

O'Donnell did not see it that way, however.

"It's really funny the way that the media reports things," O'Donnell told ABC News this morning. "After that debate my team and I we were literally high fiving each other thinking that we had exposed he doesn't know the First Amendment, and then when we read the reports that said the opposite we were all like 'what?'"

As a refresher, here's how we reported the moment at the Oct. 19 debate:

"You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?" O'Donnell asked, when Coons brought up the fact that the very First Amendment to the Constitution "bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion."

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Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh Defends O'Donnell: Separation Of Church And State Not In The Constitution

Brian Beutler | October 19, 2010, 6:21PM

Rush Limbaugh

A prominent Constitutional scholar has entered the fray to defend Christine O'Donnell from the people criticizing her for suggesting that the Constitution does not provide for the separation of church and state. And by "prominent Constitutional scholar," we mean Rush Limbaugh.

In one of his signature rants this afternoon, Limbaugh excoriated O'Donnell's detractors by claiming the left has used the shorthand "separation of church and state" as a rationale for excluding religious people from government -- as evidenced by the profusion of atheists serving in national office.

"Are you telling me separation of church and state's in the First Amendment?" Limbaugh asked. "It's not. Christine O'Donnell was absolutely correct -- the First Amendment says absolutely nothing about the separation of church and state."

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DE-SEN

Scary O'Donnell Ad: 'Shame On You, Chris' For Raising Sewer Tax (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 19, 2010, 1:34PM

From a Christine O'Donnell campaign ad, "Michael"

Amazingly enough, Christine O'Donnell has an ad in the Delaware Senate race that isn't about addressing her apparent history of witchcraft and poor personal finances. Instead, it attacks her Dem opponent, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, on the purely local issue of taxes.

The ad features an extreme close-up on Wilmington City Councilman Michael Brown, who is blasting Coons's record on taxes. "He was left with a $200 million surplus when he took office. But yet still he raised the sewer tax 64%," says Brown. "When he was campaigning he promised not to raise taxes. Shame on you, Chris. Shame on you, Chris."

The Associated Press fact-checks the claim made in some O'Donnell ads, such as the on-screen text here, that Coons brought "New Castle County to the brink of bankruptcy." It's bunk: "Coons has balanced the budget each year, as required by state law, through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. The county maintains a top-notch credit rating, showing that analysts and investors have high confidence in its fiscal stability."

The TPM Poll Average gives Coons a lead of 55.2%-37.2%. Is the shame of the sewer tax enough to close that kind of gap?

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DE-SEN

Christine O'Donnell: Where In The Constitution Is The Separation Of Church And State? (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 19, 2010, 10:58AM

Delaware Senate candidates Chris Coons (D) and Christine O'Donnell (R)

In a debate with Democrat Chris Coons this morning, Delaware's Republican nominee for Senate, Christine O'Donnell, suggested the way she reads the Constitution, there's no ban on the government establishing or influencing organized religion.

"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" O'Donnell said, according to the AP.

The question came as part of a discussion over science education in public schools. O'Donnell "criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons' position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine." She also seemed unclear about what's in the Constitution itself.

"You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?" she asked, when Coons brought up the fact that the very First Amendment to the Constitution "bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion."

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DE-SEN

Watch As Christine O'Donnell Frustrates Stars Of The 90s (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | October 16, 2010, 1:02AM

Al Franken and Christine O'Donnell on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher in 1997

Long before she was frustrating her Democratic opponent Chris Coons with her allegations that he's a closet Marxist, Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell was busy aggravating celebrities on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect.

Maher dropped another O'Donnell clip on his HBO program Real Time on Friday. This one wasn't focused so much on the things O'Donnell said as it was the way guests reacted.

Amongst the celebrities featured in the clip -- many of whom O'Donnell left exasperated -- are Al Franken, Bob Saget, Ben Affleck, Danny Bonaduce, Dana Carvey, magician Penn Jillet, Jimmy Kimmel, actor Patrick Duffy (the dad on Step by Step) and Sisqó, of "Thong Song" fame. "Ah, the 90s!" jokes Maher at the end of the montage.

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DE-SEN

Report: O'Donnell Tells GOPers 'I've Got Sean Hannity In My Back Pocket'

Eric Kleefeld | October 15, 2010, 1:31PM

Christine O'Donnell

Republican Delaware Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell has figured out how to deal with the national Republican Party not giving her enough financial support: Go out and attack them for it on right-wing media outlets, in order to raise money from grassroots Tea Partiers instead.

As Howard Fineman reports:

Specifically, according to two top GOP insiders, she said at a strategy meeting with DC types last week: "I've got Sean Hannity in my back pocket, and I can go on his show and raise money by attacking you guys."

And that was precisely what she was doing on the radio today. On Hannity's popular afternoon drive-time show, the Tea Party-inspired Senate contender acidly criticized the party, specifically the National Republican Senatorial Committee, for not funneling any serious cash (beyond a pro forma $43,000) into her race against Democrat Chris Coons.

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DE-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Coons Leads O'Donnell By 11 Points In DE-SEN

Eric Kleefeld | October 15, 2010, 12:31PM

Chris Coons (D), and Christine O'Donnell (R), candidates for senate in Delaware.

The new Rasmussen poll of the Delaware Senate race gives Democrat Chris Coons a consistent and significant-sized lead over Republican Christine O'Donnell, albeit by a slightly smaller margin than some other firms have shown.

The numbers: Coons 51%, O'Donnell 40%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4.5% margin of error. In the previous Rasmussen poll from three weeks ago, Coons had 49% and O'Donnell had 40%, plus 5% for Congressman Mike Castle, who was considering a write-in bid after he lost the Republican primary to O'Donnell. (Castle eventually decided against it.)

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

The TPM Poll Average gives Coons a lead of 55.5%-37.2%.