Buckeye State Blog - Republican Corruption

Iowans Attempt To Arrest Karl Rove

JeanLR — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:32:37 -0700

Iowans Attempt To Arrest Karl Rove

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 27, 2008
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(AP) Des Moines police arrested four people Friday who attempted a citizen's arrest of former White House adviser Karl Rove.

Rove was in Des Moines to speak at a fundraiser.

A news release says a retired minister and three members of the Des Moines Catholic Workers community were cited for trespassing and released.

The four accused Rove of election fraud and conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States in the time before the Iraq war.

The arrest complaint also says they accused Rove of treason, sedition and subversive activities for fraudulent acts leading to the deaths of 300,000 Iraqi civilians and 4,000 U.S. Military personnel.

Kirk Brown and Mona Shaw, two of the four arrested Friday, attempted a similar arrest last March when Rove spoke at the University of Iowa.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/27/national/main4297842.shtml

Mrs Phil Gramm is no whiner

JeanLR — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:08:01 -0700

Wendy Gramm has no regrets

The former Enron board member cashed out early after rigging the system to let the company run wild. Now she's arguing against changes in the rules that might prevent future corporate disasters.

http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2004/01/28/wendy_gramm/index.html

...You'd expect Wendy Gramm, now head of the Regulatory Studies Program at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, to recognize that the Enron board's extraordinary failure indicated a dire need for reform. You'd be dead wrong.

Gramm thinks the system works just fine. After all, she pocketed an estimated $2 million as an Enron director.

Gramm joined Enron's board after chairing the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission, where she issued regulations that legalized the type of electricity trading that helped Enron make millions in illegal profits (on Gramm's watch as a director). As a member of Enron's audit committee, Gramm found nothing wrong with accounting tricks that inflated earnings and siphoned money to selected executives in violation of company rules, if not federal laws. Coincidentally, Enron also delivered campaign cash to Gramm's husband, former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, and now provides that arch opponent of big government with his first private-sector job in decades at the Swiss bank UBS, which owns the rump of Enron's energy trading operations. ...

...While she preaches living by the market's risks and rewards, Gramm found a pretext to avoid that risk herself while making decisions that helped bankrupt Enron.

In 1999, Gramm declared that owning Enron stock presented a conflict of interest with her duties as a director. That assertion is pure drivel, violating basic common sense and norms of good corporate governance; directors legally bound to protect investors should be investors, too. By Gramm's logic, only non-citizens should be lawmakers or judges, so their decisions won't be tainted by having to live with the consequences.

Gramm's ludicrous claim made sense in one context: It provided a convenient alibi to cash out her Enron shareholdings for $300,000 and to insist on getting paid in cash while she was approving the company's secret steps along the financial precipice. When Enron went over the cliff, the Gramms even portrayed themselves as victims: Wendy's stand on her imaginary moral high ground led her to sell before Enron's price peaked, they whined, so she forfeited some potential profits. Enron employees lacking Gramm's finely tuned ethics, and the rest of the investing public lacking her inside knowledge of the company's twisted finances, were left holding worthless paper. ...

60 Minutes Also Sucks

raz — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:40:43 -0700

Alabama Governor Don E. Siegelman

This looked like a good place to sneak this story in just in case you missed it. Before you go around thinking that CBS caved into all the EMails and letters we sent in just consider the time slot and who they are running this program against.

CBS News will be broadcasting their long-awaited feature dealing with the trial of former Alabama Governor Don E. Siegelman. It will air on the next 60 Minutes program, on Sunday, February 24. Mark your calendar and if you"re out, or don't wish to offend the west coast super lefties this is the time to master the Tivo or the VCR record function.I guess we need to hope that someone places it on Youtube

Blackwell/Bush

raz — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:16:59 -0700

Interesting post in the Democratic Underground.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1723

Are Ohio Voters A Joke

raz — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:27:42 -0700

I watched this post today and although I knew that things like this had happened I just wondered if and why we never saw this video. http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/145.html

How does it make you feel as an Ohio voter that we are responsible for putting this administration back in for the final kill.

State Rep Brinkman Called "the real criminal" by conservative Republican Judge

Muffet — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:34:47 -0700

From The Cincinnait Enquirer, not a bastion of liberal tendencies. From a judge, who is a conservative Republican.

Judge: Brinkman the 'real criminal'BY SHARON COOLIDGE | SCOOLIDGE@ENQUIRER.COM

E-mail | Print | digg us! | del.icio.us!

A judge said two women were wrong to falsify election petitions to earn bonuses, but directed much of his ire at state Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr., who headed up the unsuccessful petition drive last year to repeal Cincinnati’s city’s gay rights ordinance.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman scorched Brinkman from the bench Wednesday, calling him the “real criminal” in the record changing.

The Republican judge said the lawmaker should be charged with complicity to election fraud, acted without ethics and suggested the state House of Representatives should toss him from office.

“It’s terrible,” Ruehlman said during the women’s plea hearing. “It takes away the right to democracy. It takes away the right for people to decide issues when you cheat like that.

“This is an important issue in the city, for a lot of people in the city,” Ruehlman added.

Ruehlman’s harsh rebuke came after Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor David Stevenson told him Brinkman admitted he changed more than 1,000 addresses on the petitions to make them valid.

Brinkman, R-Mount Lookout, was a leader of Equal Rights Not Special Rights.

Brinkman denied Thursday making any changes on the petitions and said Ruehlman is mistaken about what happened. “I personally did not touch a single address or date or signature or name or anything,” he said.

The petitions were an effort to overturn an ordinance passed by Cincinnati City Council in spring 2006 that protected gays and lesbians from discrimination.

The group, chaired by anti-porn activist Phil Burress, collected just two signatures more than the 7,654 needed to put the referendum on the ballot.

Citizens to Restore Fairness, a group born out of Equality Cincinnati, the leading local group working for the rights of gays, lesbians and transgenders, challenged the petitions and filed a complaint with the Hamilton County Board of Elections pointing out hundreds of fake signatures, including those of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and Reds owner Bob Castellini.

In several instances, the names and addresses of the signer were crossed out and replaced with the addresses of registered voters in order to make them appear valid.

Burress withdrew the petitions, but the complaint was forwarded to prosecutors.
Prosecutors determined campaigns are allowed to strike out information on a petition, but only if it’s done “under the direction and by the authority of the signer.”

A lawyer wrongly advised Brinkman that the addresses could be altered, Stevenson explained to Ruehlman.

That’s not a good enough excuse, Ruehlman said. He added even his grade school-age granddaughters know not to sign somebody else’s name. “Under the complicity stature it could be complicity,” he said.

“He’s the real criminal,” Ruehlman said. “What he did is terrible, almost defrauding. A layer of foundation of our democracy is voting and free elections. To cheat the voting system… he’s a state rep on top of that…”

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Brinkman’s conduct fell in a gray area and was “not a clear-cut violation.”

Brinkman’s role in collecting the faulty petitions was presented to the grand jury, which declined to indict him, Deters said.

Out of the same investigation, a Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted Lois Mingo, 48, of St. Barnard, and Precilla Ward, 32, of Winton Place, on charges of altering petitions.

The women worked for Labor Ready, a temporary jobs agency hired by Equal Rights Not Special Rights, and got paid by the hour and the signature. They got bonuses based on the number of signatures collected, Stevenson said.

On Wednesday, Mingo pleaded guilty to election falsification; Ward pleaded guilty to writing a false signatures.

They will be sentenced Aug 20.

Gary Wright, the former president of Equality Cincinnati, who filed the complaint against Brinkman with the Board of Elections, said he agreed with Ruehlman’s assessment.

“The big question is why Tom Brinkman, a state representative, did not know better than to change the addresses of voters in his own district,” Wright said. “He has no compunction, no guilt, no admission of responsibility.”

He praised Ruehlman’s public comments.

“I’m gratified the judge understands there is a bigger issue here that all along was ignored,” Wright said.

Former BWC CFO sentenced to Prison

No Vested Interest — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:06:49 -0700

According to AP, in Thursday's Cincinnati Post, Terrance Gasper was sentenced Wed. to 5 yrs, 4 mos. in a federal prison for his role in the investment scandal that led in part to GOP losses last Nov.

He got less time than the 20 yr. maximum in exchange for testifying against others involved in the scandal. 16 people have been convicted in the scandal, according to the AP article.

Gasper also received a fine of $60,405, the value of his stays at a FL condo and other bribes.

Election Joke of the Day

raz — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:37:33 -0700

The funniest story I saw was in this Sundays Canton Repository. They reported that DIEBOLD was named to The Global Outsourcing 100. One of the world's top out sourcing providers.

I remember Diebold when it was started by one of the Timken people and was a big employer in my parts of Ohio.

Edwards the GLBT candidate?

saggitarius — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:35:18 -0700

Anne Coulter sure thinks so!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCeqZLrhkvQ

Edwards the GLBT candidate?

saggitarius — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:33:39 -0700

Anne Coulter sure thinks so!

The Thunder Rolls for Bob Ney!

J-Dog — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 07:32:48 -0700

Bullet Bob Ney is heading for prison today. He took the time to quote Garth Brooks in his fairwell, as reported by CNN.com below. I'm not sure he picked the right Garth Brooks song, though...

Crooked congressman says farewell from Alexander Mooney--> WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, expresses remorse and quotes singer/songwriter Garth Brooks in an e-mail sent to friends Wednesday, a day before he is to enter federal prison after pleading guilty to corruption charges.

Ney will report Thursday to a minimum security prison in Morgantown, W.Va., to begin serving his 30-month sentence after his guilty plea in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

In the all-lowercase e-mail note to friends, Ney thanks them "for all you have done for me and my family. your kind words, thoughts, and prayers throughout the last six months have helped us quite a lot."

Ellen Ratner, a friend who is the bureau chief at Talk Radio News Service, was one of a handful of friends who confirmed to CNN that she received the e-mail on Wednesday.

"I am a liberal, liberal Democrat," Ratner said. "I am not enamored with Republicans in general. But Bob Ney is a very good human being and he is really glad he is sober. And he feels like sobriety saved his life."

Ney, once a rising star in Congress, resigned his seat on Nov. 3 after acknowledging in October that he used his office for personal gain.

"would i change things if i could, sure," Ney wrote. "am i sorry for things that happened, absolutely, and i will pay the price. but, i am grateful for many good people in our office that helped the district and grateful for a free nation, the men and women that protect it, and a wonderful constituency in the district that i used to serve."

Ney also noted how his personal actions affected his family and expressed gratitude that they have stood by him during this ordeal.

"my family and i have lost everything on an economical basis, house, health care, possessions, but so have other people, people in the district, many, have lost all. and yes, that is painful for anyone that has gone through it, but, i am so fortunate to have my wife and children, we are so rich with family, friends like you, loved ones that are there for us, and full of hope for a good future."

Ney also quoted the lyrics from Brooks' song "The Dance":

and now i'm glad i didn't know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go
our lives are better left to chance,
i could have missed the pain,
but i'd have had to miss, the dance

The former congressman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, deprive his constituents of honest service and violate his former chief of staff's one-year lobbying ban; and a count of making false statements to the House. All of the allegations stemmed from the long-running probe into actions by disgraced lobbyist Abramoff.

Ney was sentenced on January 19.

-- CNN's Ed Henry and Mark Preston

Blackwell & Duracell Bunny - Still Running

King — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:42:03 -0700

On Keeping Perspective and Beginning Again
By Ken Blackwell January 23, 2007 Reposted from; Town Hall

Although Los Angeles Dodgers’ center fielder Willie Davis was widely considered the fastest man in baseball throughout the 1960s and 70s, he is perhaps more often remembered for a remark he made following game two of the 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

In the fifth inning Davis committed three errors on two consecutive plays. L.A. lost the game 8 to 4 and was swept in the series. When asked about his less than stellar performance, Davis dryly remarked, “It ain’t my life, and it ain’t my wife, so why worry?” Even more important than his amazing speed, Davis had extraordinary perspective.

More than once since the release of the November 7, 2006 general election results, I’ve given some thought to Mr. Davis’ quip.... While the results of the 2006 election represent a temporary set back to me......

In more than thirty years of pubic service one thing I have learned is that the only way a cause is truly lost is if the army is scattered and resolved to defeat. We are not defeated. Indeed, there is still work to do. More...

Ken Blackwell is the former Secretary of State of Ohio.

----------------------------------------------

This guy ceases to amaze me! Blackwell of all people wants to compare his election to a team sport?

Ken Blackwell does not even understand the basic concept of being on a "Team" In thirty years he learned pretty darn good how to SCATTER an army!

We are not defeated? ONE MILLION VOTES He thinks he has more work to do? There is no doubt this man intends to run for office again.

He can't even get his story straight - LA got shut out that game, much like Ken in his election!

Well, maybe it is the bedtime story he tells Senor ~~Toad~~ Taco. Or maybe it it's how he figured the bonuses 9x0= $80,000

1966 World SeriesGame 2
Box Score
For Game 2, the Orioles' Jim Palmer was given the monumental task of keeping pace with Sandy Koufax... Silencing his critics, Baltimore's twenty year-old "underdog" finished on top by allowing only four hits for the 6-0 win. More...

Good story Ken!! Will you please move out of OHIO?

King

Blackwell in Wonderland!

King — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:08:16 -0700

WEEE!
This is fun - A bonus for everyone!

Is this guy for real? What world does he live in? Did he forget he lost? How can this guy justify giving out year end bonuses to his employees? These were bonuses were higher than all previous ones handed out. His office is the ONLY state office giving out bonuses.

I guess losing by ONE MILLION votes wasn't enough of an embarrassment, so he gives out bonuses to make more republicans hate him. Nothing like giving the dems a TON of more ammo to use against us. Click here for Toledo Blade Article

This nut job should not be allowed to run for anything more than, to the store! He has caused a deep divide within our party. Has done nothing but reinforce the feelings that the republicans are crooked and nothing but scandal.

In my opinion, Blackwell did this out of spite for what he perceives as a slight by our party. There could be no other logical excuse for this behavior. He is a hypocrite, poor sport, immature and vindictive. This is not a "Leader" we need in our party.

I guess Blackwell forgot what he wrote in his recent, Conservative Movement Needs Leaders letter. He states...

Conservatism in America is in need of leaders who demonstrate fidelity to principle. Voters across the nation expressed their growing dissatisfaction with Republican leadership.

Adherence to our essential principles by Republican leaders will return conservatism to triumph in our traditional two party system.

The battle conservatives face and must fight is for the recognition of the individual, in both our moral culture and in our marketplace. The human being is set apart by his ability of self-direction.

These statements ARE very true and would be great if he meant them. To bad Ken does not practice what he preaches!

Every conservative minded or republican should email or call the Ohio Republican Party and ask Mr. Bennett to do everything within his power to keep Ken Blackwell out of Ohio politics. This man should never be allowed to run for office in Ohio again!

Other republicans are saying....

The Upper Arlington Progressive Action Blog

Blackwell Pays $80,000
You know, on some level it is really an achievement when a politician can get headlines even after they have left office. In Ken Blackwell's case, we shouldn't have been surprised. For those of you joining the party late, lets review what I call the Blackwell Transition Highlights: More...

Nothing like giving the democrats MORE ammo against us -

Jerid at Buckeye State Blog says- $80,000 Bucks And All I Got Was This Dumb Beltbuckle
So, if the Republicans EVER complain of fiscal irresponsibility or requests for an increased budget remind 'em about this one:

On his way out the door, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell handed 19 of his key employees more than $80,000 in bonuses, even as his replacement, Democrat Jennifer Brunner, said he left her some $1 million short to meet her office’s obligations for this fiscal year. more.....

Then, As Ohio Goes.com, gives another resounding endorsement of Blackwell -

Republicans Give Themselves Golden Parachutes w/ Your Money How Ohio Republicans spend your tax dollars:

.....8k bonuses. Amazing, huh? ..... “For a lot of the employees, it was almost like a golden parachute,” Brunner told The Columbus Dispatch for a story Wednesday. “I just think that taxpayers’ expectation of how the government operates is that bonuses aren’t generally considered to be something that government does.” More....

----------------------------------------

Come on Mr. Blackwell, you have to get off! Time to get back to reality, the RIDE is over!

King

Edwards to announce 12/28 in New Orleans

Lorraine_Bieber — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 07:56:00 -0700

HT to Lorraine for the story.

Story here.

The campaign kickoff tour will continue through the weekend and Edwards has rallies planned in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The tour will end here in Chapel Hill at his campaign office at Southern Village Green. The following are the dates and locations:
A Special Event and Town Hall Meeting with John Edwards

Thursday - December 28, 2006 - Des Moines, IA
Friday - December 29, 2006 - Portsmouth, NH
Friday - December 29, 2006 - Reno, NV
Saturday - December 30, 2006 - West Columbia, SC
Saturday - December 30, 2006 - Chapel Hill, NC
You must have tickets to attend but registration is free. To get tickets click below.
Get Your Free Tickets to John Edwards Campaign Tour

Republican Robo calls

Lucie — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 17:44:51 -0700

I've had two obvious ones today (why am I so blessed?!).

The first claimed to be from Mary Jo Kilroy -- but as soon as she said "Hi, I'm Mary Jo Kilroy," there was an echo-y, reverbed overlay of the same voice -- annoying, and you couldn't understand any of it. I called Kilroy's campaign to say that either a taped call had gone haywire, or the Republicans were playing tricks. The staffer I reached said the campaign had no recorded calls on today, although supporting groups did (and I got one from Sierra Club). Mary Jo is making live calls today.

The second one came a few minutes ago, from "Amy" who says she is voting for Ted Strickland but against Emily Kreider. I think she said her call was funded by RSCC. I called ODP to report it -- and I am taping all the rest of our calls tonight (unless my family rebels).

So the tricks are up and running. Happy belated Halloween.