Target Dems Entangled in Waters’ and Rangel’s Web of Corruption

August 5, 2010

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following incumbent and challenger districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04); John Barrow (GA-12); Melissa Bean (IL-08); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); John Boccieri (OH-16); Leonard Boswell (IA-03); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Bruce Braley (IA-01); Dennis Cardoza (CA-18); Ben Chandler (KY-06); Jim Costa (CA-20); Lincoln Davis (TN-04); Chet Edwards (TX-17); Bob Etheridge (NC-02); Joe Garcia (FL-25); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL); Brian Higgins (NY-27); Baron Hill (IN-09); Tim Holden (PA-17); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Larry Kissell (NC-08); Rick Larsen (WA-02); Jim Marshall (GA-08); Jim Matheson (UT-02); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Michael Michaud (ME-02); Walt Minnick (ID-01); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Ed Perlmutter (CO-07); Gary Peters (MI-09); Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); Mike Ross (AR-04); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Dan Seals (IL-10); Heath Shuler (NC-11); John Spratt (SC-05) Katrina Swett (NH-02); Harry Teague (NM-02) and David Wu (OR-01).

Rodriguez Entangled in Waters’ and Rangel’s Web of Corruption
Texas Dem Adamantly Refuses to Cough Up Tainted Cash

Washington- As Americans witness Maxine Waters’ and Charlie Rangel’s web of corruption unravel, Texas voters are questioning why Ciro Rodriguez won’t relinquish $23,500 of their tainted campaign funds and cut ties with the shady duo. Upon retaking the majority, House Democrats promised to “drain the swamp” and restore accountability in Washington, but after a series of ethical embarrassments the swamp couldn’t be more full. Rodriguez’s colleagues have coughed up $637,000 of the dirty funds, so his adamant refusal to return the money begs the question: Does he support this kind dubious behavior?

“Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel are facing a stack of serious charges against them for breaking House rules and possibly the law, yet Ciro Rodriguez refuses to cough up their dirty campaign donations,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “While Rodriguez may think this is just business as usual for his corrupt Democrat friends, Texas voters believe otherwise. Rodriguez’s failure to condemn these ethical lapses only further fuels the fire for disgruntled voters who are fed up of the out-of-touch Democrat majority’s culture of corruption.”

This false sense of entitlement from Washington Democrats may cost them the majority in November’s midterm elections:

“Two possible ethics trials of senior Democratic members of Congress are compounding the governing party’s political woes and raising hopes among Republican leaders that they can make large gains in November’s mid-term elections.”

“‘This is precisely the distraction that Democrats don’t need right now,’ said Nathan Gonzales, a political handicapper with the Rothenberg Political Report. “The entire Democratic strategy is to focus on Republicans….The more the public is focused on Democrats this fall, the worse the losses are going to be.’ The ethics issue ‘almost ensures that the conversation is going to be about Democrats,’ Mr. Gonzales said'”. (Naftali Bendavid and Brody Mullins, “Ethical Woes Fog Democrat Hopes for November,” Wall Street Journal, 8/02/2010)

Will Rodriguez end up on the losing end of his party’s culture of corruption?

###