Boxer's opponents capitalize on 'ma'am' exchange


WASHINGTON – The widely played video clip of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer reprimanding a general for calling her "ma'am" is the gift that keeps on giving for the two Republicans hoping to challenge her next year.

Republicans Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore are trying to capitalize on the exchange by making it a key ingredient of their fundraising efforts and attempts to recruit grassroots support. Both campaigns say the video revs up a GOP base that already has long-standing animosity toward Boxer, among the most liberal members of the Senate.

Whether it will have currency beyond next June's Republican primary, when the winner will have to appeal to a much larger and more diverse audience, is an open question.

During a hearing last June, Boxer interrupted Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh of the Army Corps of Engineers in mid-sentence: "Do me a favor?" she said. "Could you say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?' It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it. Yes, thank you."

Boxer said the general was not offended by her remarks, but many in the GOP clearly were, including the two Republican challengers.

Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina thought the exchange was so memorable that it prompted her to create a Web site titled CallMeBarbara.com, which she uses to raise money and keep in touch with supporters.

Campaign aides said they could not quantify the site's appeal, except to say it has received thousands of hits and led to thousands of dollars in donations.

The campaign of state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore juxtaposed the Boxer clip with an Austin Powers movie frame showing the Dr. Evil character upbraiding those who dare refer to him as "Mr. Evil." The 30-second video has generated more than 108,000 clicks on YouTube. It's been one of the campaign's most popular tools for reaching out to potential supporters.

Barbara O'Connor, professor of communications at Sacramento State University, said the use of Boxer's comments from the hearing will no doubt fire up the GOP base during the primary campaign but probably will not hurt the third-term senator in the general election. Jobs, health care and other bread-and-butter issues are expected to take precedence.

"It's not the kind of thing that plays well in California," O'Connor said, referring to the type of criticism Fiorina and DeVore are leveling at the Boxer video. "I think the economy is the sole issue that people are thinking about."

Registered Republicans represent less than a third of California's electorate. Women, who vote in greater numbers than men in California, may well see Boxer's statement as a demand for equal treatment.

"I think many California women resonate to the request to acknowledge their accomplishments," O'Connor said. "How you address someone is often a window to how much credibility you feel they have."

Leisa Brug Kline, the campaign manager for DeVore, expects that the Boxer video will be useful after the primary election because it illustrates the senator's regard for others. The popularity of the Dr. Evil video proves that people were upset by the exchange, she said.

"I don't know if it will be a huge issue, but it will be one because it boils down to demeanor and respect," Brug Kline said.

She said it's not easy to quantify the video's effect for the DeVore campaign: "It is more subtle than that. People view it, share it, sign up to our e-mail list, and eventually contribute. A large number of activists have seen the video, and they view it as a measure of our campaign's effectiveness."

Fiorina's campaign is focusing on the exchange because it exemplifies the tone voters have come to expect from Boxer, said Julie Soderlund, a spokeswoman for Fiorina.

"A member of the military calling somebody ma'am or sir certainly isn't something that's unusual," Soderlund said. "Most people who see the video recognize that and recognize the level of arrogance that Senator Boxer brought to the situation."

The Department of Defense has no official policy dictating how service members should address members of Congress, said Cmdr. Darryn James, a Pentagon spokesman.

Boxer said her opponents' focus on the exchange says more about them than it does about her. She's not about to apologize.

"Once in 17 years that I've been a senator, I asked a witness to call me senator, because we were having a back and forth and I kept saying 'general' and he kept saying 'ma'am', and it went general, ma'am, general, ma'am. And I thought, you know what, this is one of those times we ought to call each other by our titles," she said in an interview.

Boxer's strategy for dealing with the fallout is simple: Let her opponents talk about the exchange while she focuses on talking about jobs and other priorities. It's her way of conveying to voters that she is focused on the issues they care about while her opponents are focused on petty issues.

"If this is what she thinks is the most important issue as people are struggling to get jobs, and housing, and health care, it's fine," Boxer said in reference to Fiorina.

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This is pathetic!

Don't they have anything better to campaign on?


Does anyone really want these men to represent them in Washington?

Pathetic!

I REMEMBER WHEN BOXER WAS FIRST RUNNING FOR THE SENATE . she was caught with her hand some where it wasn't suppose to be doing and almost did time rather than serving it

Yeah.

After all....that " Hope and Change " platform that the Dems latched onto during the last go round has worked out SO very well.

Ya know what...it really doesn't matter who gets elected this time around.

They are all, Reps and Dems alike, only interested in lining their pockets and making sure their campaign bribes ( whoops...I mean contributions ) were going to be considered " money well spent " by the nice money having folks that got them where they are.

You can't win elections just by stirring controversy such as this.
Esp. when none exists.
You have to offer something substantive.

It appears the Republicans have nothing.
Have you even seen the video of the exchange between Boxer and the Gen?
It was nothing!

If this is what we can expect from Republican campaigns nation wide,
then they might as well resign now and save themselves the embarrassment.

Meh. Maybe they'll come up with something later on...lol

Maybe they won't.

It's really not going to matter.

You are right.
Afterall, they won't need substance to eat crow.

ROFLMAO

You can't win elections while running up trillion dollar deficits either.
You can't win elections with a job stimulus that failed to do what was promised.
You can't win elections with a health care bill that MOST Americans don't want.

And that is what the 2010 elections will be about - issues.

Why not?

Bush did!

H3ll, he doubled it.

I can tell you just ignore these facts because it was just yesterday that I reminded you of them.
It's either you ignore them or you have the worst memory I've ever seen.

Fanta, you keep pointing out that Bush made the deficit much larger during his time in office.

Exponential, I believe is the word you used.

But...Obama has ALSO increased the deficit exponentially, in less than one year in office, but yet, you choose not to point that out.

You could also be accused of ignoring something that doesn't support your position.

The fact is, until there is an actual recovery, the majority of people who have lost their jobs finding work, people being able to dig out of the financial holes they have found themselves in, Obama is no better than Bush was.

Until there are results, REAL, tangible results, then Obama has done nothing but spend a crapload of money, and made the deficit bigger, just like Bush did.

And you r not interested in accurately seeing what the Obama presidency has become.

The FY (fiscal year) for the US gov runs from Oct 1 to Oct 1.

Now when did Obama take office?
January 20, 2009?

Oct-1, Nov-2, Dec-3, most of Jan-4!

4 months is equal to 1/3 of a year.
That means any deficit incurred in FY 2009 was a joint deficit!
Obama was only President for 8 months of that year. Furthermore, The budget for the year was voted in by the Bush Admin. In Oct.

Effectively, with only 11 total months in office. None of the deficit can be related to him. What can, can only be a partial credit and one must admit, a historically necessary deficit!

When you become interested, and I mean really interested in talking about Obama accurately. Let me know. We'll talk!

You can start with "lobbyist" working in his administration....then go to bills with "earmarks", and on to "transparency and ethics". When u can accept those broken promises we'll get to the rest.

Wow. That is the most impressive job of skirting an issue I have ever seen.

Well done.

Take a look at where the deficit was when he took office, and look at it now.

Whether it's a " joint " deficit takes absolutely nothing away from the fact that Obama has added billions upon billions of dollars to it.

Whether or not it was " historically necessary " will be determined if, and ONLY if, there is a real recovery in the economy.

i watched Religiousless last nite and i found it interesting that a Republican lawmaker stated on camera that you didn't have to be smart to become a Congressman.
I see alot of back and forth banter on here and i say, let the R's use their freedom of speech, none of their diatribes have substance and they eat their sneakers everytime they try to make a point. I mean really, the whole Obama's a kenyan muslim commie is losing substance and...well downright silly.

Yep!
And here's an example of their diaribe,

Obama has significantly and single-handedly ran the deficit up this year.

I say,

The FY (fiscal year) for the US gov runs from Oct 1 to Oct 1.

Now when did Obama take office?
January 20, 2009?

Oct-1, Nov-2, Dec-3, most of Jan-4!

4 months is equal to 1/3 of a year.
That means any deficit incurred in FY 2009 was a joint deficit!
Obama was only President for 8 months of that year. Furthermore, The budget for the year was voted in by the Bush Admin. In Oct.

Effectively, with only 11 total months in office. None of the deficit can be related to him. What can, can only be a partial credit and one must admit, a historically necessary deficit!

Once again, you are only putting lipstick on a pig. The deficit is still a pig.

And considering the lack of economic recovery at this particular point, a pig it shall remain. Might wanna try throwing a dress on it now.

I will repeat my statement from last night that you conveniently chose to ignore...

If....and ONLY if, there is a real, tangible economic recovery, will this increased deficit spending even begin to be considered " historically necessary ".

This recession has already made history as THE worst in a generation. I don't think anyone disputes that, including you.

I doubt John McCain would have been done much different had he won the election. And Ron Paul was never in the running from the beginning because the smart money knew he would repeat the mistakes of Herbert Hoover and let the train jump the tracks in some sort of Addams Family economic experiment to see where all the pieces would finally land.

So really, your point is moot.

-Kerry O.