UPDATE: CNN picks up the story:
—–
Republican State Sen. Vicki Marble’s spectacularly-strange talk to a group of Cub Scouts in Broomfield, which first appeared on Colorado Pols on Thursday, Oct. 12, has become a national news story after one of the fifth-graders who asked tough questions was kicked out of his Cub Scout Den.
The story of 11-year-old Ames Mayfield was picked up this week by 9News, Denver7, Fox 31 and the Denver Post. Earlier this week the editorial board of the Denver Post chastised Marble for lying to the group of Cub Scouts (“Vicki Marble’s Finger-Lickin Lie”), and on Thursday the Post editorial board again weighed in to support Mayfield.
Marshall Zelinger of 9News sat down for an interview with Ames and his mother, Lori, for a story that ran on Thursday night. Whether or not you agree with Ames, it’s impossible to not be impressed with this kid’s composure (full video after the jump below):
“I know that they probably don’t want me back…and I know that they’re probably still mad at me,” Ames Mayfield said.
Ames asked very specific questions on gun control when State Senator Vicki Marble visited the 11-year-old’s den on Oct. 9…
…Five days later, the Pack leader met with Ames’ mom and said Ames could find another Den within the Pack but not the one he was currently in.
“I am really heartbroken that my Den leader, which I really felt like I had a pretty good relationship with, decided to kick me out,” Ames said.
If you’re skeptical about Ames and his questions to Marble, just watch the 9News story; this is a smart kid who asked smart questions all on his own.
Marble’s bizarre talk with the Cub Scouts started to gain national attention on Thursday, and today Samantha Schmidt flushes out more details for the Washington Post:
Ames’s story drew the attention of gun control advocate and former Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who was shot in the head by an assailant in 2011, suffering a severe brain injury.
“This is exactly the kind of courage we need in Congress,” Giffords tweeted Thursday. “Ames, call me in 14 years. I’ll campaign for you.”
Giffords’s husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, called Ames and his mother Thursday night to talk about what happened, according to Fox 31…
…After Mayfield posted the videos on YouTube, the website Colorado Pols published a story about the senator’s exchange with the Cub Scouts. It was after this article published that Ames’s pack leader requested a meeting with his mother. [Pols emphasis]
Mayfield said she was told by the pack leader that Ames should not have brought up the topic of gun control, although Mayfield asserts the Scouts weren’t given any parameters before the meeting. The pack leader, she said, told her words Ames used were disrespectful, such as “why on earth,” the mention of “Republicans” and the phrase, “if you truly represent your constituents.”
Remember to bookmark this link so that you can show it to your grandchildren when Ames Mayfield is elected President of the United States around the year 2048.
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I just saw this in the Washington Post and popped in to see if it was posted yet. Of course, WaPo linked to the Denver Post, but it links back here. Well done, govs!
Fluffy’s wacko Grammy is, no doubt, already prepping her three-months-from-now finger-lickin’ denial that she ever met with any cub scouts . . .
. . . as for Ames getting canned by his pack, I can already see the FluffyNutlid and the Nevillettes blaming that all on ColoradoPols . . .
So then, to recap, an 11-year-old totally owns a GOP state senator on camera, and gets booted from his Cub Scouts den as a result. That's just precious. Are the Cub Scouts as wingnutty as the Boy Scouts these days? Wasn't the case back when, but my experience dates back multiple decades.
In the give-credit-where-credit's-due department, I dare say there are precious few legislators anywhere who can pull off the Ray Walston in drag look. Sen. Marble cleared the bar with room to spare.
What is it about this woman's appearance that has anything to do with this story?
A. It's funny. Satire, sarcasm and comedy are part of politics.
B. It's the resemble center to a B- list, former celebrity that makes the comedy work. But you know that.
If Randy "The Stache" Baumgardner went full ZZ Top, he'd be called on it too. Just sayin'
We should be happy that Grand Moff Tarkin up there is back to destroying planets, save us all from the cringey CGI.
LOL.
What, pray tell, did Ray Walston — alive or dead — ever do to deserve an insulting comparison with Vicky Marble?
Well he did portray someone from another planet. We've often wondered from what world Vicki Marble came.
You have to wonder about the scout leaders who took this action. Someone needs to take some names and ask these Trumpettes some pointed questions. At a minimum the fuckers need to apologize and resign. Who wants to be lead by asshole Ostriches with their heads in the sand.
That photo of Marble scowling at the kid. Jesus.
You seriously believe an 11 year old kid came up with these questions??
Sure, if his parents talk about this kind of stuff while he's in the room and treats him like a real person when he asks questions.
But does it really matter? He asked a real question and got kicked out of his den for asking it. What makes this question so dangerous that his den leader actually kicked him out? I mean, is someone being over-sensitive about gun ownership, wife-beating, or the two combined…? Or is it about the comparison between gun ownership and health care rights vs privileges, or the fact that it was aimed at a particular political party of which Sen. Marble is a member? At the least, I would have thought such a finish would have been an opening to talk intelligently about explicit rights via the 2nd Amendment vs any implicit right (not yet recognized) around health care…
Not in your family, but if you watch the 9 interview, that's how the kid talks.
But, to the point: should he have been kicked out for asking?
Is the Scouting lesson really that he deserved expulsion, condescension and negative attention?
F**h the scouts.
And you believe that's germane … why? Would the total ass-kicking Marble received at the hands of a child be more palatable in your mind if someone fed the tyke a question or two? Cuz if so, LOL.
Did Grammy Marble tell you to write that?
Me thinks Moddy wasn't the brightest 11 year old in the Soviet Macedonian reeducation camp.
I could have asked those questions at that age. I grew up in a family with siblings half-a generation ahead of me. There were adult conversations at the dinner table and I was expected to keep up and I did.
Am I the only one who thinks that overly sensitive den leader should no longer remain anonymous?
No — but clarification, it says Ames mother met with the “pack leader”, not “den leader.” In Cub Scouts a pack is comprised of a number of dens. The “pack” leader is a higher level — maybe over 60 to 80 Scouts and the den mothers and fathers. So, if “pack” is correct, this is someone who may be responsible for somewhere between 60 to 100 kids and their den leaders. Because of this level of authority, he or she should most definitely know better, and should be brought to the attention of the larger public.
I not saying that Ames shouldn’t be drawing some positive press for his questions, but it would be a crying shame if the spotlight of the largest attention in any coverage of this debacle is removed from the fact that Marble is one hell of a complete and total out-of-control wacko-bird-nutcase . . .
. . . (my sincerest apologies to any and all complete and total out-of-control wacko-bird-nutcases, except for Moderatus, that may be offended in any way by my lumping Marble with them.)
All this story needs now is for President Trump to call the Mayfields and remind them that Ames knew what he was getting into when he joined the Cub Scouts . . .
That will be Sunday morning's tweet.
On an unrelated matter, I predict that numerous other Gold Star families will be interviewed and/or will be playing the recordings of their various phone calls from Trump – some pro-Trump, other not.
And of course there is the ongoing developments over kneeling during the national anthem in NFL to keep people occupied.
Meanwhile, the Republican Congress quietly is going about slashing taxes for rich leeches while North Korea keeps progressing in its nuclear weapons program.
You gotta love our sense of priorities. Dogs may bark but the parade marches on.
Can't wait to see if Mr. Fiscal, Ken Buck, votes for that deficit skyrocketing piece of shit. It will lay bare what total bullshit Buck fed people about being a fiscal conservative.
Republicans claim fiscal responsibility only when a Democrat is president, silly.
Isn't that a depressing thought gertie. The bastards have no basic governing principles other than to seize power by any means available including help from the Russians all the while waving the flag like it is some kind of magic totem. Buck, Coffman, Lamborn and Tipton are all in on it too. Did I mention that they are as bad for the country as this pack leader is for the Boy Scouts.
Bad dog!
Ha ha, look at that dog!
Then there's this: http://www.coloradoindependent.com/165356/marble-ethics-complaint
Marble is facing an ethics complaint for allowing Extraction Oil and Gas to cover the cost of one of her town halls last February. The exact amount is unknown; Extraction's PR guy refuses to return calls about it. However, based on the free drinks and food, if it's less than $500 I'll eat my hat, or other appropriate headgear.
Zelinger also scored an interview on NPR's Here & Now detailing the event.
It covers the 9News story plus I think a few other angles, including
1) Ames is extremely involved, had something like two pages of research to lead up/fall back on. Yes, he wrote the question.
2) Yes, it was a pack level leader that called, but it was the den leader (whose own son apparently asked why people voted for Obama) who couldn't stomach Ames' question.
3) It was gun control that flipped his switch.
4) Marble also got tagged pretty hard in the piece for trying to deny her fried food/genetics idiocy when asked at the scout meeting.
5) Ames has found a new pack to try out this week.