ICYMI: Cramer Comes Unhinged – Defends Window Peeper, Lashes Out at White House

After unsuccessfully pleading for Trump’s praise, Cramer endorses a convicted Peeping Tom, then blames White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short for GOP legislative failures

(BISMARCK, ND) — Still jilted from getting snubbed by President Trump – or perhaps just jealous of his opponent’s legislative prowess – Kevin Cramer came a little…unhinged.

After pleading with the White House to campaign more for him just last week, the president’s gratitude for Senator Heitkamp’s leadership during the signing of the Banking bill caused Cramer to – well, snap. Asked about reports that he was upset that the White House wasn’t campaigning for him enough and being too friendly to Heitkamp, Cramer lashed out at White House Legislative Director Marc Short, saying yesterday, “If Marc Short was very good at his job, you know, we’d have a repeal and replacement of Obamacare, we’d have a replacement of the venting and flaring rule.”

This comes one week after Cramer rushed to the defense of the political career of a convicted Peeping Tom who preyed on freshman female students at North Dakota State University where he was employed as a 29-year-old married father. Cramer called the predator, Will Gardner, a “very good man” who handled the exposure of the criminal record he tried to hide in a “gentlemanly way,” saying Gardner “absolutely” has a bright political future ahead of him.

Politico: GOP Senate candidate lashes out at Trump’s legislative director

• Rep. Kevin Cramer, one of the GOP’s top Senate recruits, launched an unusual attack on the White House’s legislative director Wednesday, blaming him explicitly for the party’s legislative failures in the Senate.

• The comments from Cramer (R-N.D.) come amid rising GOP angst over President Donald Trump’s close relationship with his opponent in the North Dakota Senate race, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

• After POLITICO published a story on Wednesday outlining the awkward dynamic between Heitkamp, Cramer and the White House, Cramer told North Dakota radio host Rob Port that he had done some digging and believes that there “are some people in the White House that think, you know, the president’s too friendly too her.”

• Then Cramer laid into White House legislative affairs director Marc Short for two prominent failed GOP efforts in the Senate: Repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of an Obama-era regulation that would limit flaring and venting from oil and gas wells. Heitkamp voted against both and Cramer has criticized her in particular over the flaring vote.

• “If Marc Short was very good at his job, you know, we’d have a repeal and replacement of Obamacare, we’d have a replacement of the venting and flaring rule,” Cramer said.

Daily Kos: ND Congressman leaps to the defense of Republican candidate caught peeping with his pants unzipped

• The party of questionable “family values” is at it once again. This time Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-At-large) of North Dakota appeared on the conservative “Jarrod Thomas Show” to discuss his feelings about Republican Secretary of State candidate Will Gardner dropping out of the race after revelations he was arrested in 2006.

• Although currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cramer is challenging Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), hoping to make the leap to the United States Senate this fall. At the time, Gardner was a 29-year-old married father of two who was caught peeping on women undressing in a North Dakota State dorm.

• To this day, Gardner’s account does not match those of the three officers who witnessed his prowling. You’d think that would be enough for North Dakota Republicans to distance themselves, but not United States Congressman Kevin Cramer. No sir! on the “Jarrod Thomas Show” Cramer thought Gardner’s withdrawal from the race for secretary of state was premature and he wishes he would’ve weathered the storm.

• Furthermore, he called Gardner a “good man” and hopes he runs again.Does a good man, a married 29-year-old with two kids at home go creeping outside the women’s dorm with his pants unzipped? Is this someone who should be representing North Dakota?

• On whether he would’ve won the primary if voters had known in advance?

  • I’m not so sure Will wouldn’t have still won the Republican endorsement had he done, had he revealed this much, much earlier and explained it to people, and in which case, I think he wouldn’t have much of an issue.

• Should Gardner have exited the race as quickly as he did once the arrest became public? Cramer thinks he should’ve chilled out for a bit, let the peeping brouhaha die down.

  • I think that a little time, you know, is always valuable when you are faced with something like this. […] So but you’re right, there was, in my view, there was no urgency for the party to have had to have this settled immediately.

• Should Gardner run again some day? Why, of course! Everyone loves to see creepy guys get another chance at public office.

  • [Could Gardner] one day run for a state office again? I absolutely think there is. I absolutely think there is. And I think that maybe that was part of this calculation of how he handled it because I do think, again, North Dakotans, like other Americans, like the redemption story. Will is that. He is by all measure, by anybody who knows him and knows him well, including his wife, a very good man.