Drip, Drip, Drip....

"A file allegedly suppressed by Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-NM) has been obtained by RAW STORY.

In 1995, just three days into her tenure as Secretary of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, Wilson removed a routine working file alleging that her husband had engaged in inappropriate contact with a minor. The file was then transferred to the department's attorney in her own Albuquerque office, where it soon went missing.

At the time, a local investigative news team learned about the swap, but could not confirm certain details of the file. They were not able to recover the document itself.

More than ten years later, RAW STORY has uncovered and confirmed the authenticity of the police incident report believed to be contained in the missing dossier. Filed as a case of child abuse in 1993, it contends that Wilson's husband Jay Hone, an Albuquerque attorney, touched a then-16 year old boy "in a manner that was not welcome."

Charges were never filed against her husband, but Wilson's handling of the affair drew the ire of Bob Schwartz who at the time served as district attorney in Bernalillo County. He described Wilson's actions to the news team as "absolutely inappropriate," citing her "obvious conflict of interest." He also admonished Wilson for not following official procedure for the removal of official documents. "If this file is behind Secretary Wilson's desk," Schwartz said, "then she shouldn't be behind this desk anymore. She should resign."

Wilson originally denied to the news team that she had removed the file. Footage from that investigation was available on the internet site YouTube as recently as several days ago, but has since been removed by the site over concerns regarding copyright infringment.

In that video, also uncovered by RAW STORY, Wilson is seen flatly denying ordering the removal of the document. The Congresswoman ultimately admitted to doing so in a press conference just days later.

Six years after the incident, in 2001, Wilson began a three year term on the House Page Board, where she sat while rumors of Mark Foley's inappropriate behavior with underage men were reportedly widespread. Her campaign staff told the Albuquerque Tribune that she only became aware of the Congressman's behavior after an ABC news report on the matter prompted him to resign.

Wilson also currently serves on the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's caucus.

RAW STORY spoke with members of Wilson's legislative and campaign staffs, but neither office was able to provide comment before press time.

Scans of the report follow:"

Jack Davis was a Republican until a few years ago. The Foley scandal may not mean much to most voters nationwide, but it's obviously dooming Reynolds in his district. If Reynolds was up against a far-left candidate then he could hang in there. But Davis has such perfect conservative credentials that his campaign has exactly what it takes to get a decisive number of Republican voters on his side. If attacking Davis for having supported tarrifs on certain imported goods is the best that Reynolds can do then things are not looking too good for the GOP holding on to that seat.

Something about getting hoisted on one's own petard keeps swirling in my head.

'I just brought up that I think it's tasteless and classless to hope that children are getting molested and soldiers are being maimed.'

What is wrong with republicans? I am serious. A lot of you people are mentally ill. I am getting so tired of this crap. Give me one instance, "hokie' you moron, where any of us have cheered at soldiers being maimed and children getting molested? Excuse me? All we have donee is ask that people who are protecting child molesters step down.

Where have any Democrats cheered at soldiers getitng maimed? Excuse me again, but whose fault is it that they are getting maimed? Did we start this insane war? NO. You did. Democrats just want to let the Iraqis clean up their own mess, and to bring our soldiers home. So stop setting up these straw men.

As to outing gay men, I don't like it. However, I must add, outing these preeaching carping hypocrites who have made life miserable for other gays, well, have they not asked for it?

The Democrats' Plans The WSJ notes that Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., sent an email to the media Tuesday explaining what Democrats will do if they capture the House: "plot to establish a Department of Peace, raise your taxes and minimize penalties for crack dealers." Although his information seems to be solid, obviously he missed some of the other major initiatives planned, such as furloughing Willie Horton again and buying new pink Cadillacs for the nation's welfare queens.

'Back home, the WSJ's poll reveals nothing but bad news for the GOP. Less than three weeks before the election, approval of Congress has fallen to 16%, a low that's lower than the poll's previous record, set during the House banking scandal in 1992. Also significant is the public's 52%-37% preference for Democratic control of Congress, the widest spread the poll has ever recorded and the first time it has recorded more than half of voters favoring one party. '

PER Oct 18th Greenwich Time Editorial
NRCC active all over:

A sad turn in the Shays-Farrell race

October 18, 2006

Sleazy they are. Surprising they're not.

Fliers mailed to voters recently that suggest Diane Farrell is chummy with the Taliban were outrageous, offensive and ideally would have no place in an election fueled by a productive debate on the issues. Unfortunately, they have a place in our election race for the U.S. House.

Politics has always been a dirty business. There are moments spotting our past, after all, when politicians settled scores with clubs and guns. But there's no doubting that our current era is dirtier than most. Anyone who's seen a political ad from New Jersey over the past few years can tell you that. This is a time when people who criticize the president are called traitors, and the president himself has been called a terrorist.

So why should we expect the race for the 4th Congressional District in Connecticut to be any different? It's a close battle that could affect which party controls the House of Representatives next term. Sad to say, it would defy the odds for this race to remain respectable.

That doesn't make what happened any easier to swallow, however. Residents in our district recently found mixed with their mail a flier proclaiming: "Diane Farrell: Coffee talk with the TALIBAN." On it was a picture of Ms. Farrell, who is trying to wrest possession of the House seat away from incumbent Christopher Shays, superimposed on a coffee cup.

Mr. Shays has denounced the fliers, which were a gift from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to increase the party's majority in the House. It apparently is a job members take seriously. The flier claims Ms. Farrell is endorsed by an unnamed organization "with a leader who wanted someone to sit down and have a talk with the Taliban É instead of just forcibly removing them from power."

If producing a political ad that stands out as particularly offensive in our sad environment can be considered an accomplishment, the Republican congressmen in charge of the NRCC are clearly high achievers -- a fact they buttressed with a second flier about Ms. Farrell's opposition to the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that featured her photo superimposed on a biohazard symbol.

It's important to point out, however, that the slime can flow both ways, and usually does. Earlier in this race, Mr. Shays was the target of so-called "robo-calls" conducted by "527 groups" -- shady political organizations not regulated by the Federal Elections Commission -- that he says distorted his position and made him appear part of the far right wing. The 527s have done much to up the sleaze factor in politics, operating in a hazy realm where it's often hard to sift out who is behind them and with whom they are aligned. Ms. Farrell denounced the robo-calls.

The two candidates, to their credit, have scheduled a remarkable 11 debates to help to cut through the muck. But even the candidates' discourse, to each other and through the press, often has taken an invective tone that voters in the 4th District are not used to hearing.

Whether it will be possible to return to some level of civility in this race and all of politics remains to be seen. Like most things in public life, levels of rancor tend to be cyclical.

For the foreseeable future, however, it's hard to see a different course than the one this Swift Boat is taking straight into the gutter.
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

Live by the sword;Die by the sword. One of the reasons Rove isn't breaking a sweat is he is aware of two democratic congressman having sex with underage pages. This is going to be fun to watch, after all you said about Foley and proteting our kids, how will you spin this brewing scandal. Adios Amigos

JimD,
Do we know if Hillary Clinton and Elliott Spitzer are helping other candidates in significant way financially?

HokieG: This was explained in the interview about Craig not being up for re-election this year and the person said flat out he would have held off if Craig was up this year. Listen to the tape and then you can have your so called facts straight, Not what you seem to want them to be.

I just brought up that I think it's tasteless and classless to hope that children are getting molested and soldiers are being maimed. If people are being violated, then by all means those responsible should not be in office, whether they be Rs or Ds... I just can't see myself hoping that some kid might be molested just so my party of choice can gain one more seat in the Senate. Never mind the fact that Craig isn't even up for election next month.

I'd just like to take a second to comment on the comment about endorsements from newspapers and if they really matter. The fact that the WaPo has endorsed Webb will itself most likely not get him any votes, with the exception of some WaPo staff, BUT, and this is the big part, the article about the endorsement brings about 4 good things for the candidate.

1 A good story about the candidate, if there is anything a candidate likes to have it is his name out in the public in a good way. The article contains very good info and paints a great picture of Jim Webb as being a good Senator and someone to vote for.

2 Negative Press about his opponent, the article tends to give reasons as to why you should not vote for the endorsee's opponent, as you can see, this endorsement calls Allen mediocre and says he doesn't deserve to be re-elected.

3 Free press this story is a press related article that Webb didn't have to pay for or even have written. Its not like Webb can write a press release about anything here, he got a free story in the WaPo without doing much of anything except being a good candidate, and even doing that doesn't always get you a free story like this one.

and 4 buzz, the WaPo endorsed Webb and here we are talking about it. Thats exactly what a candidate wants, the story has created buzz among the people online here and may do so in Virginia as well. People talking about Webb in a good way will only help him.

Dems in 06: The Hokie thing is just to be expected. They sho did bring out Studds even though he was re-elected many times and I'm not sure but I think he passed on recently. The wing nuts had a field day with Studds, which is typical for them to slander someone that has gone to meet their maker, and has no chance to fight back. I did get the info a few minutes ago and it is something I suspected for a long time but had never heard a peep about. I can not say if it will be released or not. Stay Tuned.

Hokie,

With all due respect, I hope you hold this high road when the GOP starts its race-baiting, gay-bashing, self-righteous, holier than thou biennial venon spewing, character assignation on DEMS. Remember all's fair in love, war, and politics

Oh and one more thing Hokie, his "kids" are his step kids from the staffer he married in the aftermath of the 82 page scandal

HokieG, Mike Rogers, who has been investigating this story for months, personally interviewed Craig's many male lovers in Idaho, DC and elsewhere. He was one of the first people to out Foley and Shrock, as well as Drier and Mehlman (two of the worst kept-secret closet cases in DC)

And there is plenty of documentation from the 82 page scandal that Craig's actions at least raised flags at the time, when he was still in the House. He had to come out and publicly issued statements to defend himself. And please, the Republicans were the ones to raise '82 by bringing up Studds, trying to balance out Foley.

This is completely fair game. Bush won OH, and the presidency, by demeaning gays. It's only fair to expose the hypocrisy of his party.

It's still a rumor... and I would still think decent human beings would want rumors of kids being molested to be false, if for no other reason than the sake of the kids. I guess that's not true in this case, though. Combined with drindl's apparent wishes, stated earlier, for US casualties, it's a sad state of affairs.

I suppose the Democrats have realized that their (lack of?) policies don't exactly win elections these days, so praying for scandals and bad things happening to our troops is all they've got.

Rumor on Craig has been running intensely all day. Mainstream media has info but not documentation. Once proved, this is going to blow (perhaps a bad choice of words) the leaking dikes apart.

I love how Dems in 06 has the gall to cite a completely unsubstantiated rumor, even admit the source is not credible, and then say "Let's hope the truth gets in mainstream press and breaks the back of Republicans..."

It's amazing that you'd like the truth to be that some innocent page was attacked in the past just to help the Democrats. I don't know what's wrong with you people, but it sickens me.

Could this be the final nail in the coffin?:

"Various blogs are posting Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) as a homosexual, contending that he was implicated in the page scandal of the 1980's and based on interviews of his numerous conquests, including one in the bathroom of Union Station."

http://www.blogactive.com/
http://www.perezhilton.com/

Granted, Perez isn't necessarily a credible news source, but is one of the most widely read sited on the Web, and will give this story great exposure.

Let's hope the truth gets in mainstream press and breaks the back of the Republicans this election!!

RMil: I was going to comment on this and Stickaforkinit as well, and just am learning about somethig that was supposed to break Friday but likely will be held until Monday. I should know within an hour or so, waiting on a call now from a very very good information base. These little tid-bits are coming on an almost hourly basis. Stay Tuned.

New York, PA, and OH, are going DEM in a huge huge way. Forget, stick a fork it the GOP in these states. I love the fact that mouthy Peter King is going down.

Mouse,

To answer your question, yes it is legal. In fact, that is one of the main ways presidential contenders try to attract support within their party. Congressmen also use this to win support from colleauges for conressional leadership contests. Tom Delay required Republican members in fairly safe districts to raise money to help other Republican congressional candidates. I

Reynolds numbers are in free fall, now down 56-40% to Davis according to a 10/10 RT Strategies/CD poll. Now it looks like he is taking some of his neighbors with him.

Sweeney (R-NY-20) who held double digit leads is now trailing 54-41 to Democratic challenger Gillibrand.

Now Republican Kelly (R-NY-19) who wasn't even on anyones radar is losing to Democratic challenger Hall 48-40%.

Both are recent RT Strategies/CD polls conducted 10/15-10/16.

PS- In case you missed on the big 50 list I posted a couple days ago, Cong. King (R-NY-3) is now in a dead heat with Dem challenger Mejias, with only a slight lead 48%-46% in a 10/10 RTS trategies/CD poll.

New York is a minefield for Republicans, as is PA, IN, IL, OH. Conceivably, Dems could get their 15 seats from those 5 states alone. It wouldn't surprise me at this point.

Is it legally possible for Hillary Clinton and Elliott Spitzer to assist with the campaigns against NY Congressmen Reynolds, Kelly, Sweeney, etc?
I assume both must have several million dollars in their campaign accounts that won't need in the next 3 weeks.

More bad news for Republicans. The more tragic the news, the better my day, at least until November 7. I know the Repugs are doing tons of damage to themselves through their own scandals, but a little more success for the insurgents can only help.

Nor'easter

I was, of course, referring to New Hampshire when I mentioned the Union Leader. I'm sure you knew that, but some of the other bloggers might not.

Stick a fork in it: The talk radio shows you mentioned are pure rep talking points, in that they only talk about what their listeners want to hear, they naturally go along line but sometimes they have listeners that try to catch them and to no ones suprise this happens more than they like to admit, An example of this was Rush saying a woman's life was never in danger during a pregant period and to have an abortion during this time was muder. This is not the exact quote but I think I saw something about it on this blog but am not sure.

JEP,

I suspect you do, but enevitably most folks dont want to believe this this to be true at Wash Post.

On the other hand, I hired an editor that worked at Washington Times. Those editors absolutely make sure that paper represents the GOP mantra. Everything from headlines, story selection, etc. Nothing at that paper leaves without a GOP spin put on the story. Just like FOX, Limbaugh, Ingram, Coulter, and Savage.

I think Tom Reynolds' problem is more than just fallout from Foley. This is a guy whose support is not very deep - he spends little time "politicking" in his district. So when the Foley thing broke, Reynolds didn't have a strong base of constituents who liked and admired him - just people who always pull the lever for 'R'. Hopefully, not enough this year. (Davis actually ran a surprisingly close race in 2004. His message on jobs resonates in this economically depressed area, and he is a pretty conservative Dem, which appeals to this very Republican district.)

This does my heart good to see how many of you youngsters are interested in the way our country is run and these fairly new things i.e. Blogs, Google, Internet etc. are having, and the knowledge you have to pass along to your own kids. What I see is spare no expense when you CYA, or attempt to.

"For the last time, reporters or their editors DO NOT have input into the editorial staff."

hey, Sitckafork, I knew that.

I was just fishin' for a response.

"the US now claims to own --the universe"

...is this the first installment of a new scifi series, "The Empire Strikes Out!"

And what has our trolls so fearful to show their blogfaces right now, is it the Allen endorsement?

just more of that old wahwahwah!! mommy-mommy-mommy, them mean old Dems are picking on us poor Republican babies again!!!

dribble, sniffle, whimper and whine...

What a bunch of crybabies!!

New NBC poll:

Satisfied with Congress:
Oct 16-17: 16%
same time in 1994: 24:

Dissatisfied with Congress:
Oct 16-17: 75%
same time in 1994: 67%

Nor'Easter:

In support of your comment about 'what difference does a newspaper's endorsement make?" - NBC4 here in DC asked one person that exact question and she said - 'I vote for the whomever the Post DOESN'T endorse' - however, who knows how many they had to ask to get that answer. . .

Anyway - it may not matter much - but it does matter some because this is a VERY close race that was expected to be the exact opposite. And he is a political novice, which only makes it more unlikely.

'GOP on the run' -- what sweet music...

This is nothing new. The RNC are there to protect their own.

Nor'easter

It doen't matter much these days. Sometimes, if a candidate is endorsed by a number of papers, his ads trumpet it as proof he is the second coming of FDR or Reagan (depending on his party).

However, at one time and in certain places it did mean something. The Manchester Union Leader endorsement used to help candidates in the Republican primaries - but that was a long time ago

Colin - Sorry I can't remember what the Davis quotes were, or the sources for them.

My impression was that this is a guy who shoots from the lip, says what he thinks, and seems to have a Libertarian perspective. All of which I suspect would be driving his handlers crazy.

Others - With respect to the Post's endorsement. Since when has a newspaper's endorsement ever affected a race that you were aware of? I don't remember anybody ever saying, "You know the ______'s endorsement helped me make up my mind."

OK, I use to work at Wash Post in administrative. manageent capacity. I know the players, budget, personnel etc. For the last time, reporters or their editors DO NOT have input into the editorial staff. See the masthead.

Not only is there separate staff, but the editorial department does not report to the Editor, Downing.

Additionally, the on-line product is a separate business entity.

Now back to the issues....

RNCC spending on Reynolds is a sure sign they are in real trouble. So they pull from Ohio and try to save Reynolds in New York.. the GOP is on the run.

how the british conservatives, our 'allies' feel. you may not be aware of it, but the US now claims to own --the universe:

'SPACE: no longer the final frontier but the 51st state of the United States. The new National Space Policy that President Bush has signed is comically proprietory in tone about the US's right to control access to the rest of the solar system.
The document makes a serious point about our growing dependence on satellites, the military threats to them and ways of protecting them. But America has rejected the desire by 160 other countries to have United Nations talks about banning an arms race in space, an extravagantly unilateral approach whose appeal you might have thought would have been tarnished by its experience in Iraq.

Its vision of the space programme, military more than scientific, is also undermined by its taste for manned missions -- and the breathtaking cost.

Bush signed the document on August 31, and the White House released the text this month in the late afternoon of the Friday of a holiday weekend. So the first full revision of space policy for ten years has provoked controversy abroad as much as at home. The eyecatching declaration is that the US asserts the right to deny access to space to anyone "hostile to US interests", although it gives no basis for that right. It also rejects arms control talks that would limit future US actions in space.

JEP:

It IS true - the editorial is online right now - and they are about to announce it on NBC4. Wow - this might just help him enough to get overthe top - it is still a long shot. . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701477.html -

It's TRUE!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701477_pf.html

The Washington Post openly endorsed Webb!!

Hey, CC, did you have a hand in this, or are you remaining "neutral" on the issue?

Either way, isn't it good to know you work for a publication with some big-old iron kahones?

Allen's neocon pals won't like this a bit.

But since they obviously can't do anything to keep him from chewing on his toes, they probably knew it was coming.

And here's the first, best reason why, right from the WaPo pages;

"Still, there is an even better reason to vote against Mr. Allen: Quite simply, he is a mediocre senator whose six years of undistinguished service do not justify rehiring."

Couldn't have framed it any better myself.

Is it true?

Has the Washingtonost actually endorsed Jim Webb?

Bravo, if so.

But watch out for the trolls, this will really put their knickers in a hitch.

Sorry fore the double post. When I posted it the first time I received an error message (something like must enter a name). It looked okay, so I posted it again and "wa-la!".

If the GOP is successful with this tactic, this country is over. When one party willingly protitutes themselves to corporate and wealthy interests and raises so much money that they simply swamp the oppossing party, then we end up in exactly the same place we have ended up with outsourcing. Everyone will have to do it to compete. On that day, democracy is dead and buried in this country and we have an oligarchy.

If the GOP is successful with this tactic, this country is over. When one party willingly protitutes themselves to corporate and wealthy interests and raises so much money that they simply swamp the oppossing party, then we end up in exactly the same place we have ended up with outsourcing. Everyone will have to do it to compete. On that day, democracy is dead and buried in this country and we have a oligarchy.

Nor'Easter -- What kind of quotes are you talking about? I've heard Davis is prickly about political handlers trying to run HIS campaign and that he can be a bit stubborn - is that what you mean? Or did he actually say some crazy stuff? Man, with all these races suddenly on the board, it's hard to keep up with every single candidate...

I guess that's an unexpected benefit of chairing the RCCC--if you get in deep doo, you can redirect $$$s to your own district.

How much of that is Foley money, by the way? Just asking...

More proof: Not all Republicans make good pets. http://www.eyewitnessmuse.com/diary.php?p=231

When Reynolds first came into the Foley spotlight and he went home to Buffalo to face the cameras on home ground, there were some articles with quotes from Davis that were eye openers.

Assuming that the quotes were correct, the Democrats outside NY-26 could be in for a surprise with Mr. Davis.

Wish I could remember them, there were some doozies.

Yawn, GOP lies, I'm surprised you give them any coverage. Oh wait, it is the biased Washington Post.

On a related note, I am waiting of the headline proclaiming that Holy Joe Lie-berman has lost two debates in a row not only to Ned "allegedly in trouble" Lamont but also to Alan Gold, GOP gambler. I won't however hold my breath.

"the decision to run ads in Reynolds's district reflected the fact that "his reelection is so critically important to the state and his constituents,""

Really. I don't think so. It's more likely a reflection of the fact that Reynolds is running scared and has called in his favors. Somehow I don't see Reynolds being mostly concerned about his constituents as much as his own backside. Oops, maybe that was a poor analogy. No pun intended. Well, maybe.

Of course it's skewed, balmon. Tariffs are the only brake on cheap imported goods flooding our markets and destroying what's left of our manufacturing sector. China, particularly, is guilty of this.

It's also incredibly hypocritical--considering that Canada is suing the US for its republican-led tariffs on imported softwood.

It's just pure desperation and you can smell it a mile away.

So, is the RNC ad accurate? i.e. is this Davis fellow really suggesting new tariffs? Or is this another GOP smear based on skewed and/or twisted facts? Those are the ads they run in this neck of the woods (Minnesota). Not that the Dems are much better, of course.

Well Duke Cunningham was back in the news yesterday. Will RNC send some money his way.

They have opened the flood gates in Illinois.

Time honored way of solving problems. Thro tons of money at things. In the case of RNC attack ads, the rubes in the gullible 51% will fall for them every time.

By the Way. Amazingly, despite the RNC's financial and smear efforts the Chicago Tribune endorsed Tammy Duckworth over Roskam. They think she is better qualified.

Amazing.