Gun-toting rockstar creates headache for RomneyKIM LANDERS: The 70s rock star and Mitt Romney supporter, Ted Nugent, has created a headache for the Republican presidential hopeful by saying he will either be "dead or in jail" if Barack Obama wins re-election in November. It has been enough to trigger an investigation by the Secret Service into whether the long time gun advocate is a potential threat against the president. North America correspondent Jane Cowan reports. (Music excerpt: Cat Scratch Fever, Ted Nugent)JANE COWAN: Maybe alarm bells should have gone off for Mitt Romney when he welcomed the endorsement of a man best known for songs like Yank Me, Crank Me and who describes himself as the Motor City Madman.(Music excerpt: Cat Scratch Fever, Ted Nugent)The faded 70s rock star Ted Nugent is used to shooting his mouth off, and he's a long-time Obama critic, but have a listen to what he said to an audience of gun owners at the National Rifle Association convention. TED NUGENT: If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. JANE COWAN: In the same rant Nugent compared Barack Obama and the Democrats to a coyote that should be shot. TED NUGENT: We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November.JANE COWAN: It was enough to score Nugent an interview with the Secret Service.It also created a problem for the Republican presidential hopeful. Mitt Romney must now be regretting saying this on a Missouri radio show last month.RADIO ANNOUNCER: Ted says you're okay, he endorses you. I am pretty tempted to do the same thing.MATT ROMNEY: Well, that's good to hear. Yeah, it's been fun getting to know him, Ted Nugent.JANE COWAN: The Romney campaign has sent an email to reporters saying divisive language is offensive no matter what side of the political aisle it comes from and that everyone needs to be "civil".But he's been criticised for not emphatically disavowing the remarks. Maggie Haberman writes for Politico.MAGGIE HABERMAN: A lot of people were arguing this was a moment that Mitt Romney could have used as a moment of strength, he could have used it to sort of push away some of the more rhetorically radioactive people within his party. He did not choose to do that.JANE COWAN: The dust-up comes as attention is focused on the use of "surrogates" and "proxies" in American politics where every talking head is a former insider to someone and whole second careers are made as commentators.The Obama campaign had troubles of its own last week, when the Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen launched the so-called "mummy wars" by saying Mitt Romney's wife had "never worked a day in her life".That comment sent Obama's entire top echelon of campaign advisers into damage control, working overtime to condemn the remarks. The conservative radio host Michael Smerconish thinks Romney should have done something similar with Nugent.MICHAEL SMERCONISH: If there were no connection between the two, if this was just today's news story and Nugent hadn't embraced Romney and I were whispering in Romney's ear, I'd say go out there and confront this story. It is in your best interests because independents are watching. I think it is a great insight, I think that so many of us have access to the internet and to microphones and to print these days that there is going to be much, much more of this particularly in a 24/7 news world. Candidates are going to be held accountable for surrogates or supporters and it will be very important even if they had nothing to do with the statements, to make sure that they distinguish between what they think and whatever today's knucklehead thought. JANE COWAN: More than six months out from the election, Mitt Romney's also been endorsed by celebrities like Gene Simmons from Kiss and the singer Kid Rock. What else could possibly go wrong? This is Jane Cowan in Washington for The World Today.
The Secret Service said Thursday the agency has completed its interview with rocker Ted Nugent regarding his controversial remarks about President Obama and no action will be taken. "The Secret Service interview has been completed. The issue has been resolved. The Secret Service does not anticipate any further action," said agency spokesman Brian Leary.The 63-year-old Nugent, who recently endorsed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said during a weekend National Rifle Association convention that the Obama administration was "vile," "evil" and "America-hating."He also said that if the president is re-elected, “I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year."Nugent, who said his comments were not a call to violence, revealed Wednesday on Glenn Beck's radio show that he was set to meet Thursday with Secret Service agents.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/19/secret-service-no-charges-against-rocker-nugent-for-obama-comments/#ixzz1sWfbQnJr
On a side note, after an afternoon with Uncle Ted several agents were seen in the local 7-11 buying all the pain relievers and beer they could find. One agent was heard to say "What the hell did I do to deserve this one?"
Can some one please put in writing exactly what he said that warrants investigation.
yet people wonder why I don't like him... PS yes I understand he was "playing the crowd". you still don't say shit like that.
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