We soon may not have Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Abramoff) — the Florida congressman accused of conspiring to create vote-rigging software, and one of the country’s most corrupt — to kick around anymore, as reports The Miami Herald on Friday.
But that good news could lead to even better news…
In 2002, Feeney carved a Congressional district for himself from a Republican-leaning swath of Orlando. Now, after three terms in Congress and a barrage of bad publicity, the National Republican Congressional Committee this week pulled plans to advertise on Feeney’s behalf — proof of their concern that he could lose his seat to Democrats on Nov. 4.
So with Feeney’s days in Congress, perhaps, finally coming to a close, that could also mean we may get to see him thrown in jail sooner.
In the early days of my coverage of the Tom Feeney/Clint Curtis vote-rigging scandal (see the documentary film about that story now here, purchase a signed DVD in support of The BRAD BLOG here), it was explained to me by a Congressional staffer on the Judiciary Committee that one of the reasons they might have trouble calling Feeney — a member of the committee himself — on the carpet was because of the Congresional ethics rules.
“If we file ethics charges charges against another member of Congress,” it was told to me, “and any part of them end up being untrue, we can face ethics charges ourselves.”
Well, with Feeney out of Congress, as is looking more and more the case for him next week, neither Congress, nor anybody else, should have trouble in their quest to bring accountability to this horrible man, right?
By the way, though we’d have much preferred to see Clint Curtis get the chance to whip Feeney next week, the DCCC’s hand-selected candidate, Suzanne Kosmas, who defeated Curtis in the recent primary, will have to do. If she can pull it off. And that’s fine by us!
UPDATE 6:39pm PT: AP confirms the Miami Herald report about the NRCC giving up on Feeney:
Feeney is among the at-risk Republican incumbents left to fend for themselves by a cash-strapped House of Representatives campaign arm in the crucial final days of the campaign amid a tough political environment for President George W. Bush’s party.
The National Republican Campaign Committee also has canceled planned TV ads to help Reps. Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado, Michele Bachmann in Minnesota and Joe Knollenberg in Michigan, spokeswoman Karen Hanretty confirmed.
Musgrave, Feeney and Knollenberg are extremely vulnerable. Democrats, who are eyeing double-digit gains in their House majority, have been targeting them heavily. Feeney is battling Democrat Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach.
– A Quick Summary of the story so far.
– An Index of all the Key Articles & Evidence in the series so far.
Allen Raymond, “How to Rig an Electionâ€.
He was on Bill Maher’s Real Time last night.
I would not hold my breath waiting for Feeney to lose the 2008 election.
Feeney most likely rigged the 2006 election against Clint Curtis when the final percentage was 58%-42% when the polls were indicating the race was neck and neck.
He has successfully demonstrated his forte of election fraud even before that with the considerable backing of his buddy Jeb and his band of thugs.
And,as long as you are in Florida and have the right connections,it appears that you can violate any law you want,either state or Federal,and get away with it. The Coulter case is just one example.
True Steve B. But FL will now be using paper ballots this year, which makes it’s slightly (though not entirely) more difficult to steal an election.
Well, it might be just as easy to steal it, but much harder to get away with it, in any case. And with those ever-vigilant Democrats on the case…um…well, never mind…
His face is a reminder of Gus Boulis Konstantinos, Jack Abramoff, and Ray Lemme. His name is connected with Yang, fraud, election tampering, and espionage. He’ll probably be reelected. And he probably won’t go to prison. He has “Friends” who will keep trouble away.
(Maybe not.)
I don’t know….he wrote a letter to the editor in the Orlando Sentinel and he was “grumpy”. Of course, this time around the Sentinel endorsed his Democratic opponent…last time the Sentinel endorsed Feeney – even though numerous letters were written on endorsing a candidate with dubious ethics. What goes around, come around.
I just watched for the second time, Murder Spies and Voting Lies [Brad’s delicious film] and – what can I say! It’s way more than excellent.
Wow – after all the research I, myself, did during ’05 & ’06 it was great to see it unfolding on film. I was thrilled to hear Mavis Georgalis tell her story, in person.
Michelle L. #4 mentioned a few more of the key characters involved in this ring of corruption.
I PRAY Tom Feeney gets his just desserts. I PRAY the Republican party implodes this year. I PRAY Vincent Bugliosi finds his lawyer – the one who will prosecute bush.
I’ve had enough – I hope the majority of American Citizens have had enough.
This sentence from the story above – “If we file ethics charges charges against another member of Congress,” it was told to me, “and any part of them end up being untrue, we can face ethics charges ourselves” seems utterly ridiculous to me. How can a justice system prevail with that kind of stricture? Oh woe is me.
Forgot to add this link: Have You Had Enough? The Fabulous Rickie Lee Jones
Utterly delicious, utterly just.
I split my latest Obama-Biden donation to Kosmas, Tinklenberg, Franken & Obama, $25 each. And I’m in Ohio.
Evil Feeney’s numbers are going down enough to have genuine faith in seeing him go to the unemployment office really soon, even if not to hell, where he belongs.
Bradbloggers,
I’m just back from central Florida where I had to endure numerous Feeney ads. Unfortunately my aunt and uncle are not in Dist 24 but they’re close enough to get the ads. Unbelievable and priceless — Feeney sitting there in an attitude of abject contrition, soft violin music in the background, stating how sorry he is for any of his ethical transgressions and how facing up to his mistakes and apologizing is a vital and important sign of his leadership and character. BARF! My poor aunt and uncle heard quite a tirade of ranting every time the ad came on and soon too they were cursing and carrying on right with me about Feeney’s election crimes, about hiring Clint Curtis to rig the South Florida vote, the stolen 2000 and 2004 elections, and the upcoming vote theft! It was a raucus trip! Note, I helped them vote their absentee ballots. In every SINGLE race the GOP candidate was listed first. Disgusting. One nice sight was a great huge billboard right on I-4 (approximately where that sickening “Our Leader” sign used to be, remember?)but this time it had a giant “McSame” with a gigantic circle slash through it. LOL!
Carry on Brad! Stay mad!
Ginny
Ginny,
The rethugs are listed first in all of the races because we have a republican Governor.