Washington (CNN) - Former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling blasted Martha Coakley Saturday after the Massachusetts Democratic Senate hopeful told a Boston radio talk show host that Schilling, a Republican, is a Yankees fan.
This is a serious charge in "Red Sox Nation": Schilling is a part of baseball lore as the pitcher who battled through pain with a bloody ankle in 2004 to defeat the Yankees in Game Six of the American League Championship Series.
"I've been called a LOT of things," Schilling wrote on his blog at 1:06 a.m. ET. "But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn't know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could…."
Schilling, who considered running for the Senate seat, is backing GOP nominee Scott Brown in Tuesday's special election to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Coakley quickly recanted her assertion after host Dan Rea challenged her on the statement in the Friday interview. A campaign spokesman told CNN that Coakley simply failed to deliver on the joke.
"Curt Schilling has been involved in a lot of strike outs over time," the spokesman said. "I guess Martha whiffed on that joke."
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From CNN Politics
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Who really cares about what an overpaid former baseball says? Schilling is MA's answer to Joe the plumber, and he has no clue about the struggles of real people.
Schilling is a republican... which makes him a fascist not a yankee fan. Coakley should know the difference. Go Red Sox!!!
I loved Shillings response. Well done Curt. It sounds like Coakley isn't too bright.
It's only sports – it is not the end all be all but if people decide they'll base their votes on a GAME..... then that's the epitome of stupidity.
Yep, whenever I want astute political analysis, I turn to CURT FREAKIN SCHILLING.
Another slow news day? It was a joke!!!!
This is American politics at its best?
At this late stage in the game, you DON'T try out untested material in your interviews, for exactly this reason. If the humor goes bad, it has a tendency to backfire, and you end up insulting someone who can do serious damage to your campaign.
In fact, she shouldn't even be answering new questions at this point. She should be saying "I need to look into that" or "I'm sorry, I don't recall that, please call my office after Tuesday and I'll look into it."
Ms Coakley is quickly on her way to losing the Mass Senate seat to a Republican for the first time since 1972, not because he is a great Republican / Conservative candidate, but because of her own incompetence.
I don't know too much about Coakley, but these last few days she has shown that she isn't very good with this whole politics thing. Does she live in another state or does she not get out much.
Red Light Schilling.
Most athletes are meat heads. They get paid for brawn, not brains.
Who cares about Schilling and who he's backing in politics. He was just a baseball player!
Good grief! Schilling can't take a joke? Or was he too slow to recognize it?
Or it could be simply more of the GOP's age-old strategy of picking apart anything and everything their opponent says to give a phony impression to the public. It's getting old and trite.
Schilling is another blow hard like Roger Clemens. He has an ego larger than the State of Mass. He sprouts off about issues he really has no idea about. When it comes to intelligence Mr. Meeks, Coakley has more intelligence in her pinky finger than Schilling has at all!
Wow if she can't get this right...what else will she screw up?
Coakley is running a pathetic campaign and to be losing or tied in Massachusetts as a Democrat indicates how much the tide is turning in America against the liberal, socialist agenda of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi Express. The people of the traditionally left-leaning state of Massachusetts are making it known with their vote that Obama's version of health care reform, his terrible charm offensive in world diplomacy that's getting laughed at, his clear vulnerability on terrorism, and his strong desire to keep raising taxes on EVERYONE (higher taxes on middle class and businesses gets passed on in higher prices for consumers), is finally being noticed. VOTE BROWN!!!!
If Brown wins it's not just Oakely that loses, it's the millions of people without health insurance.
Big Deal!
Well done Curt.
I give Chokley this....she responded and recanted.....HMMM, might be a lesson for the absurd remarks.
Come on MASS. Make history. If the Sox can break the curse so can you.
Celebrity..... Republicans.... did the Republicans say that all celebrities endorse Democrats? Nice job GOP.
Brown is the best man for this job, Dem or Repub!
She will make a good Democrat Senator. Just follow along behind Obama the Pied Piper. All a bunch of amateurs. God help America.
Coakley is the only Democrat I know that can make Sarah Palin look like a Rhodes Scholar. She would be better off representing Arkansas than Massachusetts. Of course, spelling Arkansas right might be too much of a challenge. I may hold my nose and vote for her but I will not be proud of it.
Is this what we are reduced to electing our officials by? We seem to get dumber and dumber these days.
This argument between Coakley and Schilling goes back a few days........
First, she tried to attack Brown by insulting him AND the citizens who were going to the stadium to meet/talk with him. BIG mistake Martha--you don't insult citizens/voters when you are a candidate in an election and need their votes. So, Schilling came out a few days ago and publicly, verbally attacked her for insulting/attacking these people who showed up at the stadium to meet Scott Brown.