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Posted at 2:31pm on Jul. 10, 2008 Corrupt Democrat Watch, July 10 Edition, Part One

Crooks, Creeps, And Even A "Democrat Of The Year"

By Dan McLaughlin

Time once again for our roundup of corrupt and misbehaving Democrats around Washington and the country at large. Miss a week and they pile up on you. Dan Spencer has already covered Obama's mortgage deal, and you know all about Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad, but as usual, there's so much more. In fact, this installment is so big that we have to break it in two parts; we'll have a second piece later today or tomorrow just to update you on the sagas of the Democratic mayors of Detroit and Baltimore.

Also, I leave it to the reader to count how many of the news reports cited below fail to mention the party affiliations of the miscreants.

Read on...

Posted in Corrupt Democrat Watch | Democrats — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:31pm on Jun. 28, 2008 NY-24: Arcuri Borrows Bill Clinton's Defense in Fundraiser Flap

'We hired a girl, a woman, who did some work for us,' says Democrat

By Bluey

A 31-year-old fundraiser who worked for the re-election campaign of freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) is likely to be called as a witness in the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, the woman's lawyer told an Upstate New York television station.

Meanwhile, Arcuri for the first time publicly addressed his campaign's connection to the Spitzer confidante, telling WKTV, "It's one of those things where there's absolutely nothing whatsoever. In fact, we welcome the scrutiny. We hired a girl, a woman, who did some work for us, who also did some work for Eliot Spitzer, and that's where the story begins and ends."

That "girl" is Kristian Stiles, who began working for Spitzer in her mid-20s. Her connection to Arcuri lasted from July 2007 until March 18, two days after the New York Times reported she was under federal investigation for her unusual ties with Spitzer.

Arcuri paid Stiles more than $44,000 to serve as a fundraising consultant in New York City. The large sum of money for just nine months of work has raised questions, especially because she did similar work for Spitzer. A source with knowledge of New York City fundraisers told me this week it seemed rather odd that Stiles would be paid such a large sum for such work.

Aside from WKTV's Joleen Farris and a Utica, N.Y., blog JusticeDenied13501, Arcuri appears to be getting a pass from local media. The daily paper, Utica Observer-Dispatch, has a history of going easy on him, dating back to the 2006 campaign.

Posted in Archived | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Michael Arcuri — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:17am on Jun. 27, 2008 Hypocrisy, FISA, Guns, and Government: Jim Cooper Abuses His Congressional Throne

By Erick

The government, some would have us believe, is beyond the kind of criminal conduct that necessitated the second amendment. The Bush Administration, some Democrats would have us believe, is reprehensible in its handling of FISA matters and fascist in its nature.

If only the Democrats had more control, all would be well. Except it would not.

Today comes word that the FBI is investigating Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN) for an abuse of his power. Congressman Cooper sought information from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association ("NRECA"), my former employer, that the NRECA refused to give him.

Cooper, undeterred, obtained a user name and password to the NRECA's intranet site from someone, and proceeded to probe internal documents and get what he wanted for his hearing without a warrant or permission. Having navigated through this same site, I assure you someone else was complicit in Cooper's actions. It's a difficult site to navigate to get to the information Cooper was after.

I worked at the NRECA. I know the organization. It is one of the most upstanding organizations in the Washington. It's programs around the world are impressive and commendable. I realize people have varying views on electric cooperatives, but without them, much of the nation would have been without power for a lot longer than they were.

Some cooperatives do dumb things, like any business. In this particular case, however, whether you care for electric co-ops or not, it is beside the point.

The point is the congressman, having been denied permission by a private entity to search its records, and without a court order or vote of the Congress granting him permission, went into the entity's private computer system and got what he wanted. Then he set about having a congressional hearing to probe the conduct of electric cooperatives nationwide using the documents he obtained through surreptitious means.

If an individual member of Congress can and does do that to one private group, a member of Congress can also do that to you.

There must be no tolerance for this behavior.

Posted in Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Jim Cooper | NRECA | Tennessee | TN-4 — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:33pm on Jun. 26, 2008 NY-24: Arcuri Tied to Spitzer Prostitution Scandal

Former Fundraiser Under Federal Investigation

By Bluey

Freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.) paid $44,000 to a political consultant who is under federal investigation as part of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal. The story first broke on a blog in Arcuri's hometown of Utica, N.Y., and is now leading the news in the Upstate New York city.

The woman, 31-year-old Kristian Stiles, began working for Spitzer in her mid-20s doing fundraising work for the disgraced former New York governor. Her connection to Arcuri dates to July 2007, when Arcuri's campaign began paying her $4,000 a month for fundraising work, according to campaign finance records. The timing is critical because it overlaps the period federal authorities were investigating Spitzer for his connection to a prostitution ring. Spitzer resigned on March 12.

Stiles relationship with Arcuri lasted until March 18, 2008, just two days after the New York Times reported that the federal authorities "had requested detailed documentation for thousands of dollars" in transactions between Stiles and Spitzer.

The Arcuri campaign is downplaying the connection, claiming in statement to WKTV: "In March, Arcuri did not have any opposition and it was determined by the campaign that a fundraising consultant in New York City was unnecessary."

A former campaign staffer with knowledge of New York City fundraisers told me they generally work on commission by event, not as consultants. "If you want a fundraiser, you go to the experts, not some 20-something woman," my source said. "Let's see her invoices. Let's see the events she arranged. Let's see the PAC contributions she brought in."

Posted in Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Michael Arcuri — Comments (3)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:04pm on Jun. 26, 2008 "I didn't go around wielding a bunch of clout."

Not The City of Chicago He Knew

By Dan McLaughlin

...and the entire city of Chicago goes under the bus, along with the whole Illinois Democratic Party. Barack Obama never really knew you:

"You will recall that for my entire political career here, I was not the the endorsed candidate of any political organization here," the Democratic presidential hopeful said at the Westin Hotel downtown. "I didn't go around wielding a bunch of clout. My reputation in Springfield was as an independent. There is no doubt I had friends and continue to have friends who come out of the more traditional school of Chicago politics but that's not what launched my political career and that's not what I've ever depended on to get elected, and I would challenge any Chicago reporter to dispute that basic fact."

Well, so much for Obama touting his experience as a significant player in the state legislature. Of course, Obama's managed to make his records as a State Senator disappear, and aside from his war speech and his first book, it's awfully hard to find any evidence of his public statements before 2004. Presumably, his Illinois record on guns will be next down the memory hole.

Aside from his own record, it's not hard to see why Obama wants nothing to do with his old friends and allies, now that even Illinois Democrats are talking about impeaching their own governor (more here), among the many scandals and fiascoes surrounding the Illinois Democrats. (Maybe the socialist New Party will still have him). Of course, the Chicago Sun-Times isn't fooled enough to avoid mentioning this:

Obama friend Tony Rezko was convicted of corrupting state government, but Obama was never implicated and has returned contributions Rezko made to his Senate campaign. Obama did run as an independent Democrat but worked closely with state Senate President Emil Jones, an old-school organization Democrat. Obama runs for president with the full blessing of Mayor Daley.

"Worked closely" is, I guess, a euphemism for Jones basically creating most of Obama's legislative record by adding Obama's name on other people's bills, and bringing home a whole lot of Obama-directed pork ever since. As Jones once said, I'm gonna make me a U.S. Senator":

Read On...

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Obamabus | Obamafiles | The Chicago Way — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:27pm on Jun. 24, 2008 Eric Holder: "Not ethically qualified", and Obama once thought something was wrong

By Soren Dayton

The National Legal and Policy Center has called for Eric Holder to be fired by the Obama campaign. Holder is the co-chair of Obama's campaign and the co-chair of his VP selection committee. According to NLPC:

According to NLPC President Peter Flaherty, Holder is not ethically qualified to serve on the Vice-Presidential selection committee. His track record is not one of independence or objectivity. Instead, he has been guided by politics and self-interest.

That Holder is ethically unfit is not news to Redstate readers. I have written on Holder before. Read on for a recap of old stories, and some shocking new ones.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Culture of Corruption | Eric Holder — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:24pm on Jun. 19, 2008 Culture of Corruption Alert

Is the media interested in Democrats pay-to-play schemes?

By Kevin Holtsberry

Is it just me, or is the Democratic Party developing a "culture of corruption" based on nefarious "pay-to-play" schemes?

As evidence I would like to offer the developing scandal surrounding Countrywide Financial and the sweetheart loans for politicians. If you haven't been following the issue, Tim Carney adds some detail and connects the dots:

"We call it the 'Bank of America bill on steroids.'" A House staffer told me that, demanding anonymity, but speaking on behalf of aides to GOP members of the House Financial Services Committee.

He was talking about the bill whose Senate version has been brought to the floor this week by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CN, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL. Dodd-Shelby would let mortgage lenders off the hook for bad loans, shifting the burden ultimately to taxpayers. Dodd has received approximately $70,000 in campaign contributions from Bank of America in the last year-and-a-half.

Dodd-Shelby hit the Senate floor this week amid controversy over sweetheart loan deals Dodd and other powerful politicians received from Countrywide Financial, the lender with the most exposure to subprime mortgages at risk of default.

So let me understand this: Dodd got a sweetheart deal that saved him $75k, Bank of America has given him $70k in campaign contributions in the last 18 months, all while Countrywide and Bank of American stand to benefit from a bailout and he is not only the Chairman of the relevant committee but the sponsor of a bill that is up for a vote?

For more read on.

Posted in Barack Obama | Breaking News | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Countrywide Financial | Sen. Chris Dodd — Comments (10)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:47am on Jun. 17, 2008 Rezko lied to help Obama

By Soren Dayton

Soon after Tony Rezko's conviction on 16 of 24 charges, Rezko claimed that federal prosecutors (translation: George Bush stooges and GOP operatives) pressured him to tell them things about Barack Obama:

Two months before he was convicted of federal corruption charges, political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told his trial judge that "overzealous" prosecutors were pressuring him to tell them about any wrongdoing involving Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama or Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

But in a two-page typed letter, Rezko said he was never involved in any wrongdoing with either of the Democrats and wouldn't make up stories about them in an attempt to benefit himself.

But there's a catch. Now his lawyer says that no meeting with prosecutors ever happened. Rezko said that he wouldn't make up stories about Obama to help himself. It does seem that he would make up stories about himself to help Obama, though.

Obama's friends really care for him. Too bad they are so scary.

Posted in Archived | Barack Obama | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Obamafiles | Tony Rezko — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:36am on Jun. 17, 2008 If Gregoire Were a Republican, This Would Be Front Page, Above the Fold in the New York Times

By Erick

Twenty-three of our United States have entered into agreements with Indian tribes to allow casino gambling. Of those twenty-three, twenty-two collect millions of dollars as part of revenue sharing agreements.

What about the twenty-third state? Well, that would be Washington State and we're coming to learn that it is more and more likely Washington collects no money from Indian gambling operations because Governor Christine Gregoire decided she'd rather get campaign contributions.

Washington State Republicans and some Democrats are demanding an investigation into Governor Gregoire's handling of revenue sharing agreements with Washington State Indian tribes.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports

Gov. Chris Gregoire is benefiting from more than $650,000 in campaign contributions from Indian tribes that hit the jackpot in 2005 when she killed a gambling compact potentially worth more than $140 million a year to the state.

Unlike 22 other states that collect millions from revenue sharing agreements for tribal gambling, Washington gets no money from tribal casinos under the compact that Gregoire renegotiated with the Spokane Tribe.

The newspaper quotes Senator Ken Jacobsen, a Seattle Democrat, making a good point for a Democrat: "Why would you give someone a monopoly without taking a cut?"

And that is exactly it. In 2005, Washington intended to enter into agreements with the tribes that would have expanded tribal gambling operations and given Washington a cut of the money. But, before the legislature approved it, Governor Gregoire insisted the deal be renegotiated. Her staff was directly involved in the negotiations and they negotiated the state out of millions of dollars.

Gregoire, in what seems to clearly be a quid pro quo arrangement, received $650,000.00 in campaign contributions. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, "The bulk of the tribal campaign contributions came from tribes that opposed the 2005 agreement Gregoire killed."

Posted in 2008 | Christine Gregoire | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Democratic Governors | Indian Casinos | Washington — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:21pm on Jun. 16, 2008 Another Corrupt Democrat

By LanceKates

Promoted by Dan McLaughlin

In Oklahoma we have had a bit of a scandal.

Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan resigned today after a jury had found both him and his wife guilty of illegally accepting campaign money, jewelry and trips from corrupt businessman Steve Phipps.

In return, the state auditor, with his wife's help, provided favors for Phipps' abstract companies, the jury determined.

Read On...

Posted in Corrupt Democrat Watch | Democrats — Comments (15) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:14am on Jun. 16, 2008 The Sharpton Shakedown

Not The Al Sharpton Barack Obama Knew?

By Dan McLaughlin

There are few more reprehensible people in American politics than former Democratic presidential and Senate candidate Rev. Al Sharpton, a man whose litany of public sins and scandals stretches from slander to anti-Semitism to theft to tax evasion to incitement of lethal riots and deadly arson. By Sharpton's own admission in response to a federal investigation that resulted in a raid of his offices in December, "I have probably been under every investigation known to man and I can't remember a time that I've not been under investigation." No decent person would embrace this man.

Of course, Sharpton played his own role in this year's Democratic primaries, playing the 'bad cop' who darkly threatened disorder and litigation if the DNC ruled in favor of Hillary Clinton on the disputed Florida and Michigan delegations. These were not idle threats, as many establishment Democrats recall how Sharpton's falling-out with a pair of white Democrats who had defeated minority candidates in racially-divisive primaries (Bob Abrams, who beat Sharpton in the 1992 Senate primary, and Mark Green, who beat Fernando Ferrer in the 2001 Mayoral primary) contributed to their defeats in the general election. Of course, the DNC caved, awarding Hillary her Florida delegates but effectively handing the nomination to Obama with its ruling on Michigan; mission accomplished. And Gothamist notes that Sharpton's National Action Network does not lack for friends, or at least supplicants, in high places in the Democratic establishment:

Sharpton's organization, a non-profit founded to promote black civil rights, holds a yearly, influential conference in April (last year a who's who in the Democratic party attended, from former President Bill Clinton to Senator Barack Obama, from Senator Hillary Clinton to DNC chair Howard Dean) and attracts corporate sponsorship.

Given his background, the latest news on Sharpton, via an investigation by the New York Post, should surprise absolutely nobody, but it's an instructive look nonetheless in Sharpton's business as usual.

Read On...

Posted in Al Sharpton | Barack Obama | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Obamafiles | Shakedowns | Special Features — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:48am on Jun. 16, 2008 Time to Call Mitch McConnell

By Erick

Your must read of the morning is this editorial at the Wall Street Journal.

This week, the Senate takes up the Mortgage Bailout Bill.

We have known Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) received preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial.

We now know that the legislation will mostly benefit mortgage lenders like Countrywide Financial.

We now know that the two Senate leaders pushing this legislation, Chris Dodd (D-CN) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), received preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial, in addition to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

Kent Conrad, on Friday, issued a statement saying he "never met Angelo Mozilo," the CEO of Countrywide Financial. But, the Wall Street Journal reports Senator Conrad now admits he "called Mr. Mozilo and asked for a loan. The result was a discounted loan on his million-dollar beach house and a separate commercial loan of a type that residential lender Countrywide did not even offer to other customers, regardless of the rate."

Call your Senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell him we should not be bailing out mortgagors as payback for Senators.

Call the Republican Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, at (202) 224-2541 and tell him that in light of apparent Democrat indiscretions with Countrywide, he should not agree to limit debate on the mortgage bailout.

Posted in Chris Dodd | Congress | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Kent Conrad | Mitch McConnell | Mortgage Bailout | Nancy Pelosi — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:06pm on Jun. 13, 2008 Why is Christopher Dodd Still the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee?

And Why Are Republicans Still Known As the Party of Corruption?

By blackhedd

You’ve seen the fine reporting done by my RedState colleagues on the Jim Johnson story (Here’s Moe’s take.)

Jim Johnson is the past CEO of Fannie Mae. You know, the government-sponsored entity that buys up a huge chunk of all the home mortgages originated in this country.

Being an accomplished business executive is a fine credential to be a member of Barack Obama’s Vice-Presidential vetting committee. But it’s a bummer that Johnson has accepted low-rate loans from Countrywide Financial that are available only to friends and associates of embattled Countrywide former CEO Angelo Mozilo, as the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week.

Obama isn’t the kind of guy to tolerate conflicts of interest among people who work for him. Therefore, he immediately denied that Johnson actually does work for him. (Johnson was running Obama’s VP-candidate vetting process, but he wasn’t actually working for Obama. I think that means that Johnson was planning to just send Obama an email with some recommendations at the end of the process, but I can’t be sure.)

Anyway, Obama got tired of being second-guessed on this, so he fired Johnson informed Johnson that he would no longer be not working for the Obama campaign.

Today, there’s this. It turns out that Jim Johnson wasn’t the only important guy to receive loans at rates you and I can’t touch.

There’s also Senator Christopher Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut.

Now let me tell you why you need to be mad as a plucked hen about this:

Because Senator Dodd is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Along with Barney Frank, Dodd is the guy whose name will be on the landmark mortgage-bailout legislation now pending.

Haven’t I been telling you for months that bailing out homeowners who bought more house than they could afford will inevitably have the effect of bailing out mortgage lenders who had no business making those loans in the first place?

Why is Christopher Dodd accepting personal handouts from the mortgage-lending industry, while simultaneously pushing legislation to bail them out at the expense of everyone who plays by the rules?

Why is Christopher Dodd still running the Senate Banking Committee?

-Francis Cianfrocca (“blackhedd”)

Posted in Breaking News | Christopher Dodd | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Countrywide Financial | curruption — Comments (28)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:48am on Jun. 13, 2008 Hey, Senator Obama! I got a couple more candidates for that party trick you do.

You know? The "___ was not the man I knew" game that everybody loves?

By Moe Lane

Looks like you have a couple more volunteers lined up. Courtesy of Conde Nast, who put something together for the weekend just for you:

Countrywide's Many 'Friends'
by Daniel Golden Jun 12 2008

Two U.S. senators, two former Cabinet members, and a former ambassador to the United Nations received loans from Countrywide Financial through a little-known program that waived points, lender fees, and company borrowing rules for prominent people.

Senators Christopher Dodd, Democrat from Connecticut and chairman of the Banking Committee, and Kent Conrad, Democrat from North Dakota[*], chairman of the Budget Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, refinanced properties through Countrywide’s “V.I.P.” program in 2003 and 2004, according to company documents and emails and a former employee familiar with the loans.

Really, I wouldn't even bring this up if you hadn't so obligingly dumped reluctantly accepted the resignation of James Johnson when it came out that he did the very same thing as two of your very prominent super-delegates. You see, I figure that there has to be a point where even you won't duck and cover whenever another one of your infamous judgment calls goes pear-shaped; two sitting Senators should fit the bill. Even if Chris Dodd is precisely the sort of juiced-in corporate fatcat that you're supposedly against.

Yes, yes, not the Chris Dodd that you knew. It's funny, Senator Obama: all those times that I get told about how Bush was "intellectually incurious" by the very people who are now your most avid supporters, and not once did I twig to the fact that they actually meant it as a compliment.

Go figure.

Moe Lane

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Chris Dodd | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Countrywide Financial | Kent Conrad — Comments (14)/ Email this page » / Read More »