Updated with a new post here -
I'm always amazed at how quickly Republicans jump on their own when irregularities are found out. - On the other hand I'm always amazed at how slowly Democrats will jump on their own when irregularities are discovered. If Democrats jump at all...
We've seen examples of this through the Scandals/Ethics Charges of Mark Foley (ex-R-FL) - (Quits in disgrace) and Harry Reid (D-NV) (Who Can't Bleed)
- For those who missed the news, it was revealed that Mark Foley had been having homosexually charged computer comunications (IM's) with a young male page. I've heard that the communications were actually after the page had turned 18 but the press and opponents still called the affair pedophilia. The page, it appears, was responding to Mark Foley's IM's as a gag, just leading him on, and was not really seeking a sexual relationship with Foley. Mixed in the story is the fact that their were first some emails sent that were not at all risque and later the IM's that were. The two get mixed up in the retelling.
Harry Reid on the other hand apparently had sold property to a casino lobbyist pal in 2001 and two years later recieved $700,000 from it's next sale. He did not report it to the Senate Ethics Committee on which he was serving at the time.
While the two stories have different motivations both concern ethics and the Republican is out on his ear while the Democrat is going to change his report filing with the Senate...
Mixed also into the scrum is Dennis Hastert (R-IL who is accused of knowing of the (innocuous) emails in advance and also of working to pass a highway bill that increased the value of property he owned.
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Now I turn to the "Orange County Mailer Scandal". - A letter written in Spanish was sent out to Hispanics in Orange County, California in which it stated, "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time." - It also said federal officials are keeping a searchable database – available to anti-illegal immigration groups – that tracks people casting votes. -
- What was left out of the letter were the words, "Immigrants who are adult naturalized citizens are eligible to vote." - Had that been put in it would be no big deal EXCEPT - The letter was on a forged letterhead. - The mailer was sent on letterhead from the California Coalition for Immigration Reform
Barbara Coe, founder and chairperson of the Huntington Beach based anti-illegal immigration coalition, said her group had nothing to do with the mailer.
Coe is quoted as saying: "We would never send a letter like this to an individual, because we don't know their status," ... "The letterhead was altered and I've never head of any Sergio Ramirez," (Whose name was signed on the letter). ... "Who really knows what the story is?"
Coe has received death threats. (prying1 sez: I hope that is being investigated!!!)
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Tan D. Nguyen, The Republican running for office against Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) said that he had no knowledge of the mailers and fired a staffer and is treading water trying to stay in the race. Republicans and Democrats both are calling for him to quit. Everybody wants him to be thrown underneath the bus. - Well! Almost everybody.
U.S. Immigration Reform PAC Supports Nguyen and California Flier
The Washington, D.C.- based U.S. Immigration Reform Political Action Committee (USIRP) reiterated its endorsement for congressional candidate Tan D. Nguyen and said it sees "nothing wrong" with a bulk-mail flier his campaign sent to the foreign-born in Orange County, Calif., warning that illegal immigrants cannot vote.
USIRP Communications Director Phil Kent said, "What is wrong with sending a message that immigrants here illegally cannot vote in elections? A campaign or individual has every right to disseminate that opinion under the First Amendment -- especially when you consider this is the No. 1 suspect district in the country because state and federal probes revealed over 1,000 illegal aliens voted in the 1996 November's congressional election."
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prying1 sez:
I think that everyone is too quick to jump on the "HANG HIM AND HANG HIM HIGH" bandwagon both in this instance and in other unethical goings on. It seems that nobody wants to wait for the investigations to start much less finish.
If Tan D. Nguyen, it is found out, knew of the forged letterheads then I think he should be given the boot. One thing I have NOT seen in all the news accounts is a translation of the entire letter. I'm told supposedly what it says but...
Update: Finally found a spot where the actual letter was posted: - Click here for PDF file - Thanks to The Liberal OC dot com and hat tip to LAist dot com...
Now I need an interpreter...
Ed Dickson of Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds notes in the comments that the State Department of Justice raided Tan Nguyen's home... - I wonder again if the death threats against Barbara Coe are being taken seriously???
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