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They both were! That's right. Charlie Bass and Frank Guinta were named two of the most corrupt members of Congress by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW's annual report on congressional corruption identifies 14 members whose actions violated the law or who otherwise engaged in serious misconduct. Both of the Granite State's Republican congressmen made the select list.
Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) fudged the numbers and cooked the books to buy a seat in Congress. Beginning in 2009, Rep. Guinta made several shady loans to his campaign committee, claiming the money was his own despite an income that seemed to preclude that possibility. ...
"It is impossible to believe Rep. Guinta simply 'forgot' about a bank account with over $250,000 - by far his largest asset. He's not exactly Bill Gates," said [CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan]. "It just goes to show, there's really no line Rep Guinta won't cross to land a seat in Congress."
Politics is a family affair for Rep. Charles "Charlie" Bass (R-NH), who abused his office to seek preferential treatment for his nephew's business New England Wood Pellet (NEWP), a New Hampshire-based company that produces wood pellet fuel for use in heating systems. Rep. Bass also appears to have lied on his personal financial disclosure forms about his interest in the company. ...
"Members of Congress should be working on behalf of their constituents not themselves or their family members. It seems some members really are just out for themselves," said Ms. Sloan. "This is exactly the kind of thing that makes Americans believe members of Congress are just out for themselves."
Got a simple little story for you today of a multinational corporation that wants to build a great big cement plant in North Carolina really, really, bad, and the local opposition to what appears to be a corrupt and distorted decision process.
Two local activists in particular have drawn the ire of Titan Cement, the Grecian corporation who seeks to build the plant-and because the Company doesn't like what the activists have been saying about what the impact of that plant will likely be or how the deal's going down...they're suing Kayne Darrell and Dr. David Hill, residents of North Carolina's New Hanover County, and the two folks who are doing the complaining the Company dislikes the most.
The Company further claims that they were slandered and defamed by the damaging statements that were uttered by the two at a county commissioners' meeting and that they have lost goodwill and the chance to do business with certain parties as a result of these statements.
But what if everything the Defendants said was not only true...but provably so-and the Company was, maybe...just looking to shut people up by sending teams of lawyers after them?
As I said, it's a simple story today-but it's a good one.
So we are now finding out the answers to some of our questions about which members of Congress actually represent We, the People...and which ones represent, Them, the Corporate Masters.
We have seen a Democratic Senator propose a policy that would put people in jail for not buying health insurance and a Democratic President who has taken numerous public beatings from those on the left side of the fence for his inability to ram something through a group of people...and yes, folks, the entendre was intentional.
But most of all, we've been asking ourselves: "why would Democratic Members of Congress who will eventually want us to vote for them vote against something that nearly all voting Democrats are inclined to vote for?"
Today's conversation attempts to answer that question by looking at exactly how money and influence flow through a key politician, Montana's Senator Max Baucus-and in doing so, we examine some ugly political realities that have to be resolved before we can hope to convince certain Members of Congress to vote for what their constituents actually want when it really counts.
(Hat tip to Talking Points Memo for raising the question and linking to this transcript.)
Note: Blagojevich here is ROB Blagojevich, the governor's brother.
BLAGOJEVICH: So I will just shoot straight with you.
BURRIS: (chuckles) Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: And manage expectations. Now I may be, I may be a little bit different than other family members, but I'm not a bullshitter.
BURRIS: Okay Rob. 'Cause I've been, I've been trying to figure out what the heck, you know, I can do. Go ahead.
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, I'm just following up.
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: We've had a number of conversations about, you know, anything you might be able to do; you and Fred might be able to do here before the end of the year for Rod. Again, we're trying to get as much as we can in his war chest, ah, so that when he has to, you know disclose in January ...
BURRIS: Sure.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... what he's done and if he, you know looks formidable. ... whoever might be out there.
BURRIS: Yeah. Right, right and, and now how do, answer me this question because I'm very much interested in, in trying to replace Obama, okay. Now I ...
BLAGOJEVICH: So you, let me just tell you Roland, ...
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... you and 1 million other people.
BURRIS: That's right, that's right so ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Of every race, color, creed and faith, it's amazing.
BURRIS: So let, it is and so if I put on a fundraiser now ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: ... and, I, you know I, I think it would have something ... this is what I've been talking to Fred about it, it has so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
But this never comes to closure.
BURRIS: ... from the governor ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: ... for the Senate seat. I mean and I'm a high-profile person.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yep.
BURRIS: You know and, and so, I'm now, 'cause I've been just holding off calling you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I'm trying to figure out how in the hell and since you called me I will be honest with you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment.
BLAGOJEVICH: I hear ya. No, I hear ya.
BURRIS: And, and if I do that I guarantee you that, that will get out and people said, oh, Burris is doing a fundraiser and, and then Rod and I both gonna catch hell,
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: And if I do get appointed that means I bought it.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmmm.
BURRIS: If I don't get appointed then my people who I'm trying to raise money from are gonna look at me, yeah, what, what's that all about Roland. I mean, so, Rob, I'm in a, I'm in a, a dilemma right now wanting to help the governor.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean I, you know I, I have been with him on all of the, all the issues and I'm now trying to figure out what the hell the best thing to do.
Maybe Burris is playing a game, trying to shift the burden of asking to Blagojevich? If so, Blagojevich is smart, he doesn't bite.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I know I could give him a check.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: Myself.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and my law partner we were gonna try to do something at the law firm. I might be able to do this in the name of Tim Wright.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: Okay, 'cause Tim is not looking for an appointment, okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: So if I can talk to my law partner who's been, you know, in New York trying to drum up business.
But, inevitably, duty calls.
BLAGOJEVICH: ell, ah, you know I'll stand by. I mean if you wanna write a check and have Fred write a check or have someone else write checks, that'd be great. I mean ...
BURRIS: Mm hm.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... we're, we're just trying to do some clean up here. We've got a number of events we've got like ...
BURRIS: Okay, how, yeah ...
BLAGOJEVICH: ... 18 events set up between now and the end of the year.
BURRIS: Okay. Maybe I can join in on one of those events too. What, what, do you have any going with the people that I know?
BLAGOJEVICH: You know right now we have no-, you know to be honest with ya I, ah, we have no law firms.
BURRIS: Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: We've got a lot of ethnic groups. A lot of, ah, contract, not a lot of contractors, but, ah, ...
I love that little moment at the end there.
BURRIS: (chuckles) And, and so, we couldn't hook up with him.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and that's what I am wrestling with.
BLAGOJEVICH: I understand your concerns, ah, Roland.
BURRIS: And, and God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod. Number two, I also wanna, you know hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: And, and however that goes, ah, it would dictate, ah, you know how the press treats it.
BLAGOJEVICH: Understand.
BURRIS: 'Cause man I, I will be, you know we both would be profiled ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: ... and we don't need that.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, hey, I appreciate your candor.
BURRIS: Yes.
BLAGOJEVICH: I, I can't help you with your dilemma other than want to encourage you to, ...
BURRIS: Sure, sure.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... to do what you think is fair from your standpoint ...
BURRIS: Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: ... and Fred's standpoint and ya know, I'll work with you. And if I can think of a place where we can tie you guys in.
BURRIS: Oh, yeah, ple-, please consider that and give me a call back to, to, ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: ... to let me know.
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: 'Cause I'm working on it. I mean I'm just, ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: ... I'm just trying to figure out what the best way to do where it won't create any, any conflict for either one of us.
So what have we got? Burris wanted to "help," and the seat was not for sale, but the gov could really have used some cash.
The whole thing has the air of two married people meeting at a bar in Vegas. So how married are you? Burris's partner doesn't understand him:
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay Roland. How's your business by the way?
BURRIS: It's terrible.
BLAGOJEVICH: Is it? Shit, I'm sorry to hear that.
BURRIS: I mean, you know Fred and I we might lose Burris and Lebed because we've been trying to get contracts. We don't have any clients renewing for 09.
BLAGOJEVICH: No kidding.
BURRIS: We have no clients renewing for 09. Fred is dying on the vine because, I, you know, a lot of our clients have run out.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and so we're thinking about, you know going our separate ways.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmmm.
BURRIS: And I'm going back into the law practice ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: ... rather than the consulting business ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS . . .because we don't have any clients. And anything I give would be out of my personal funds.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: ... because there ain't nothing coming in from the business. Ah, ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmm. Got that, it is a tough time for everybody I mean ...
BURRIS: It, it, it's bad.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean I, I didn't spring that on you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: But you, but you asked.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean that, that's, Rob, that's just where it is.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: Urn, at the end of the year if we don't get a major client in, Burris and Lebed will, you know, Fred will go his separate way and I will try to go into the law firm ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
(snip)
BLAGOJEVICH: Hey, you're a good friend. I'll pass on your message.
BURRIS: Please do and ...
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: ... tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya? (chuckles)
Our current economic situation is due in large part to the refusal of banks to make loans to companies and individuals. In many cases, this refusal is justified- too many banks made too many poor loan decisions, got caught and lost money, so their asset bases shrank and their ability to make new loans took a hit. But last fall, the US Gov recognized the risk that banks not lending posed to the economy, and made an unprecedented amount of cash available to them, to keep them lending. Hopefully responsibly.
Lawmaker Tried to Aid Bank Partly Owned by Husband
By Binyamin Appelbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 14, 2009; Page A03
A California congresswoman who this fall helped a bank partly owned by her husband seek government money has said she previously intervened with federal regulators to help clear the way for that bank to buy another firm.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has said she arranged a September meeting at the Treasury Department, where executives of OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts asked the government for money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited, the nation's largest minority-owned bank, as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.
Maxine Waters is something of a legend. She is a fierce advocate, and has even been played on stage by Anna Deavere Smith (for her speeches after the Los Angeles riots). I hope this works out for her, but it does not look good.
Waters's involvement with the bank dates at least to 2001, when the company, then called Boston Bank of Commerce, bought a minority-owned institution based in Los Angeles. Waters's husband owned shares in the latter firm and, after the acquisition, became a shareholder in Boston Bank of Commerce, according to Waters's congressional financial disclosure files.
Responding to articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal about her role in setting up the Treasury meeting, Waters said in a statement, "These articles have revealed only one thing: I am indeed an advocate for minority banks."
(I've updated the title to include Elwood's new pet name)
Former Gregg staffer caught up in corruption probe
By DEVLIN BARRETT and ERICA WERNER
Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former congressional aide to Commerce Secretary-nominee Judd Gregg has been caught up in a long-running investigation into a lobbying scandal.
A person familiar with the case confirmed Wednesday that "Staffer F" in court documents is Kevin Koonce, who worked as legislative director in Gregg's Senate office from 2002-04. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation.
As part of the plea documents, prosecutors said Staffer F tried to help insert spending measures and add other amendments to legislation for Boulanger's clients. Later, the staffer asked Boulanger if he could "score some hockey tickets," and Boulanger got him front-row seats.
Boulanger later got the staffer box tickets to see the Baltimore Orioles, but he wanted more.
"Could you make sure there's beer this time," he wrote in an e-mail. I "mean, the red sox, crab cakes, and fillet mignon's were nice but ... haha."
Could make the hearings a little more interesting. Don't pop the champagne cork just yet, Senator Gregg.
2 former Abramoff lobbyists lose jobs
WASHINGTON AP Two former congressional aides-turned-lobbyists with ties to Jack Abramoff lost their jobs in recent days as federal prosecutors signaled interest in them in court papers. One of them, James Hirni, was fired last week by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. where he worked as a director of Republican outreach, the company's spokesman said Monday. Hirni worked for former GOP Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee and others....
Last night on Facebook, a little bird (a bluebird? of happiness?) gave me this hot tip, which I said I'd pass on if no one else did. I could swear the bird said Hirni was the name, but someone else named in the story worked for Bob Smith, so could there be two New Hampshie ties to Abramoff? (Sorry, bluebird, I can't access Facebook from the office -- which was wise of my employer. Someday they'll exclude Blue Hampshire.)
HuffPo Gets It -- DIGG their front page story on this
Crossposted from MY LEFT WING
John McCain's CAMPAIGN MANAGER, Rick Davis took a leave of absence -- that is, he "stopped taking a salary" -- from his lobbying firm in 2006... but that firm has been accepting FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS a MONTH until...
LAST MONTH.
For, apparently, no reason. No work has been done by Davis's firm on behalf of Freddie Mac since Davis "stopped drawing a salary." John McCain and his campaign claimed as recently as TWO DAYS AGO that Rick Davis has NOTHING TO DO with Freddie Mac. Nothing. And that he has NEVER lobbied for Freddie Mac.
Why was Freddie Mac paying Rick Davis's lobbying firm $15 THOUSAND a MONTH until 24 days ago?
THIS IS FUCKING HUGE.
No, seriously. If this is not THE NUMBER ONE STORY in the media this week, there is something VERY VERY VERY wrong with the media and with us for not MAKING them cover it as the NUMBER ONE STORY.
Because THIS IS FUCKING HUGE.
Connect the dots: McCain... Rick Davis... Freddie Mac... FINANCIAL APOCALYPSE... Government Bail Out.
Sounds like a page-turner, out soon from Simon and Schuster--How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Law Breaker.
Allen Raymond was a Republican rising star in 2002, until "pushing the envelope" for his GOP clients landed him in a three-month sentence in jail. He has not been making his former colleagues happy since he got out--for example telling the Boston Globe that Republicans have turned so "ultra-aggressive" and "ruthless" that he feared saying no to James Tobin about jamming phones would shut him out of future business with the RNC.
The RNC, which paid millions in legal bills for Tobin, but nothing for Raymond, is no doubt regretting that decision as they wait for Raymond to publish a much longer version of his bitter memories...especially because Raymond's co-author is...
(From the incomparable Betsy Devine... - promoted by Mike Caulfield)
Update: Correction below
Amazingly, even under Paul Hodes's threat of Congressional oversight and the (occasional) spotlight of national press, the Justice Department continues to slow-walk the 2002 NH phone-jamming "investigation."
The latest trick seems to be keeping Andrew Levchuk, the hard-working federal prosecutor the federal prosecutors overseeing the case of James Tobin busy elsewhere with nearly full-time demands. Recent court documents (quotes below the fold) make this clear.
This is of course the same Justice Department that assigned exactly one FBI agent to work part-time investigating the phone-jamming and then prevented said agent from following any leads that led to Washington, DC.
Is it just me, or does John Edwards sometimes remind anyone else of your typical superhero? You know, fighting for the little guy, saving democracy, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Well, OK, maybe not that last one, but the man is inspiring.
Today, John gave a speech in New Hampshire that was all about saving democracy. After years of having politicians tell us that the best we can expect is incremental change within our broken system, it is quite astounding to hear someone actually tell the truth about what is wrong with our system, and propose major reforms to fix it. To me, having the courage to confront our big problems and offer real solutions makes John a real hero, despite the conspicuous lack of spandex in his wardrobe.
Last night John Edwards talked about his plan to end cronyism and corruption in Washington. He discusses Blackwater and no bid contracts in New Orelans.
(Another great update by Betsy. And please consider thanking Paul Hodes for drawing attention to this crime by contributing to him through ActBlue (look for "ActBlue Hampshire" on the left-hand margin). - promoted by Dean Barker)
"The Bush administration has spent a lot of time talking about mythical cases of voter fraud and election improprieties," says the editorial in today's NY Times, "but the New Hampshire phone jamming case was the real thing."
Amen!!
The Times is endorsing the recent request by Representative Paul Hodes for a Congressional investigation, citing multiple actions by the now-disgraced Department of Justice that left many avenues unexplored or even blocked.
In other phone-jamming news, James Tobin's lawyers filed a motion (on September 14) for a Judgment of Acquittal on grounds that seem to me completely outrageous...more below the fold.
Many new voices are now asking why the Federal investigation of the NH's 2002 phone-jamming scandal moved so slowly. (Paul Krugman called it a "slow-walk.")
How long should it take the US Department of Justice--and NH's Bush-appointed US Attorney Thomas Colantuono--to investigate phone-jamming? Just for comparison, in Virginia in 2002, a GOP official was indicted in April of 2002 for a phone-crime committed in March of 2002.
If you're new to this angle, or wondering where to dig further, this post would be a very good place to start.
(Of course Sununu wants to distance himself from Gonzales. After all, he had no problems justifying Gonzales' taste for torture when he wasn't near an election cycle. - promoted by Dean)
AP has the story!
Just hours after President Bush expressed confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sununu told the AP, "I think the president should replace him."
Interesting...Sununu was first elected to the Senate in 2002, in a close race against former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. NH's own US Attorney Thomas Colantuono (not one of those fired) has been under some scrutiny of his own for what Krugman called, in the March 12 NYT, a "slow-walk" of the phone-jamming case.
Let me tell you, after the elections last Tuesday the last thing I ever wanted to think about again was Charlie Bass. But I couldn't help wondering, now that the people of New Hampshire's 2nd District have fired him, what on earth will he do?
Bass said that the election outcome wasn't a surprise, but it didn't ease the pain of losing. He called it one of the hardest nights of his life.
"When you lose, the first thing you worry about is your family. What's going to happen to them? How are they going to take it? how are my friends going to view me?" Bass said. "Am I a failure or am I a success? What's it going to be a like? There's a feeling of loneliness."
Oh, boo hoo! Lets all crank out some tears for our poorly judged and misunderstood FORMER congressman. Considering the source of this information, WMUR TV, its not surprising that they are trying to guilt the voters of the second district into feeling sorry for the man they recently fired. I'm not too concerned. As I understand it, he'll find a windfall of money in his future.
