November 21-22, 2007
Nov 21 01:44 Beyond Ethical Nov 21 05:14 Ritchie Hits Rock Bottom, Starts Digging Nov 21 10:42 Obama Hits Hillary With Unscripted KO Punch Nov 21 11:47 Is The Other Shoe About to Drop? Nov 21 12:33 The Escalation Continues Nov 21 14:24 Violating The Public's Trust Nov 21 15:29 Chairman Carey Calls For Ritchie's Resignation Nov 21 15:11 BREAKING NEWS!!! Nov 22 10:36 Happy Thanksgiving
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Prior Years: 2006
Beyond Ethical
That's how Tim Potts, founder of Democracy Rising PA, characterizes the ethics of Bill DeWeese & William Chadwick. Here's what he's specifically refering to:
Pennsylvania's House Democrat caucus has paid over $180,000 to a firm for legal representation and also ostensibly for advice to its leadership on ethical matters. D.C.-based Chadwick Associates receives $25,000 a month for services rendered by its principal William G. Chadwick. He acts as an attorney representing the House Democrats in Attorney General Tom Corbett's investigation of up to $1.9 million in legislative bonuses allegedly awarded for campaign work. He also gives the Democrat leadership advice on its handling of "bonusgate" and other scandals, as far as one can tell, anyway.What's most ironic is that DeWeese is attempting to sell himself as a reformist & a champion of transparency. Just this morning, DeWeese said that they were moving forward with the House version of the Open Records Act to bring greater sunshine into the state. Mr. Potts is exactly right in ridiculing Rep. DeWeese for not demanding documentation of Mr. Chadwick's activities.
Mr. Chadwick and the office of House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene) have said the attorney's input has helped to develop ethics training undergone by 650 of the caucus's 800 employees. Mr. DeWeese dismissed seven House Democrat staffers last week based, in part, on Mr. Chadwick's guidance. But the advice Mr. Chadwick, a former Philadelphia acting district attorney and a former Pennsylvania inspector general, gives to House Democrats is not recorded in print, according to Mr. DeWeese's office. The lack of documentation on this facet of Mr. Chadwick's job has drawn sharp criticism from advocates of greater transparency in the state legislature.
How do we know that Chadwick isn't giving them legal advice on how to avoid getting indicted? Like Mr. Potts said, thinking people shouldn't take Bill DeWeese's word on anything. Based on his recent actions, I wouldn't give Rep. DeWeese the benefit of the doubt.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 1:44 AM
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Ritchie Hits Rock Bottom, Starts Digging
Mark Ritchie denied giving his campaign names to be solicited before admitting that he'd given his campaign names to be solicited . Then he said that the solicitations were just to cover the cost of the SecState's newsletter. Here's the content of his fundraising letter :
Here are two upcoming events, I invite you to join me:First off, it should be noted that Jim Hightower is a hyperpartisan ultraliberal. Secondly, it's important to remember that Mark Ritchie was listed on a website called 21st Century Democrats. Here's what's part of Ritchie's profile :
On Oct. 25th I will be speaking at a remembrance service to mark the fifth anniversary of the deaths of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, Marcia Markuson Wellstone, Mary McEvoy, Tom Lapic and Will McLaughlin. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the service begins at 7:30 at the Coeur de St. Catherine Student Center, 2004 Randolph Ave. in St. Paul.
Also, please join me for a NOVEMBER 2 Anniversary Party and Fundraiser, featuring author and radio commentator Jim Hightower, Friday, November 2, 5-7 p.m. at the home of Jeff and Emily Blodgett, 1437 Chelmsford in St. Paul. Check here for more details. If you can't make it to this event but would like to help me cover my campaign related expenses for this year, you can donate online here . You can still qualify for the State of Minnesota refund of up to $100 per couple if you make your contribution in this year.
Thank you again for all your help and support. I hope to see you very soon. Mark
To combat low young adult voter turnout, Mark is working on special programs to involve more young people in voter registration, serving as poll workers, and in getting out the vote. At the same time, Mark is working with local election officials to reduce barriers to political participation faced by young voters, legal, financial and technological.Here's what The Nation said about November 2:
"We're talking about Twenty-First Century leadership to help expand and protect our democracy. Ours is a campaign to restore access to the political process and to tear down barriers that prevent it.~ Mark Ritchie
Mark's work toward increasing voter registration includes National Voice, where he led a coalition of community-based organizations working to increase civic engagement and voter participation for the 2004 election. National Voice's "November 2"~ media campaign helped to register over 5 million new voters across the country, making it one of the most successful non-partisan voter mobilization efforts in the country's history.
The November 2 Campaign, operating for the most part below the media radar, grew out of a decision by the NAACP National Voter Fund, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, the People for the American Way Foundation, the USAction Education Fund, ACORN and 1,000 other nonpartisan groups to create a new kind of voter registration and mobilization effort. The point, explains Mark Ritchie, national coordinator for National Voice, the temporary coalition set up by the nonpartisan groups, is to reach people who aren't touched by traditional campaigns. "There's a huge group of Americans, many of them young people, women, African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and other communities of color, who have become disengaged from the voting process, some by choice, some by neglect and some by forces beyond their control," says Ritchie.PFAW, ACORN and the NAACP certainly aren't the nonpartisan organizations they characterize themselves as. They're considered part of the liberal fringe of the party.
The point of all this information is that Mark Ritchie saying that this fundraiser wasn't political is utterly laughable. Mark Giga and Jack Tomczak signed up for the SecState's newsletter, which they reportedly received. Then they got an invitation to attend the November 2 Anniversary fundraiser. The price of admission was $100 per couple.
Most importantly, Mark Ritchie lied. He denied that Mark Ritchie, 'nonpartisan' Secretary of State, gave Mark Ritchie's campaign committee the list of names from an official SecState function. Now he's admitting that Mark Ritchie, 'nonpartisan' SecState, gave Mark Ritchie's campaign committee the names on that list.
This is official: Mark Ritchie didn't tell the truth. Here's another truth: Mark Ritchie didn't admit to doing wrong when asked.
The harshest truth is that Mark Ritchie is toast. He might serve his full term but he's a dead man walking politically. He's a dead man walking politically because he's the most corrupt & partisan SecState in recent history.
UPDATE: Welcome CQ readers. I just talked with one of the legislators involved in the investigation. I was told that I'd be getting an official statement regarding the latest developments. I'm told that it'll include what additional steps will be taken. Stop back later today for that statement.
UPDATE II: Follow follow this link for the GOP leadership team's response to this new information.
Originally posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007, revised 23-Jul 7:45 PM
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Obama Hits Hillary With Unscripted KO Punch
I wish that were the case but it isn't. That said, Obama delivered a hard blow to Hillary's chin if this Mo Dowd column can be believed. Here's what I'm talking about:
Making an economic speech in Knoxville, Iowa, earlier that day, the New York senator had touted her own know-how, saying that "there is one job we can't afford on-the-job training for, that's the job of our next president." Her aides confirmed that she was referring to Obama.If Hillary wants to claim credit fo running the Clinton War Room, I'm ok with that. If she wants to claim credit for the various appointments to second-tier DOJ jobs, most of whom didn't make it through, I'll stipulate to that. If she want to take credit for the Clinton economic policies, I'll laugh in her face. Tony Blankley's latest Townhall column pokes fun at her experience claim, too:
Pressed to respond, Obama offered a zinger feathered with amused disdain: "My understanding was that she wasn't Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, so I don't know exactly what experiences she's claiming."
What plausible claim does Miss Hillary have to experience in managing a national economy, balancing a budget or fixing income inequality? Even on health care, according to her husband, the aspiring "first louse (he wants to be called first laddie, but I think the derivation from first spouse works better) claims that she didn't have much to do with Hillary Care -- it was his fault.Hillary's only policy experience was a flop. Hillarycare didn't singlehandedly deliver the House majority into GOP hands for the first time in 40 years but it would've had the House not gotten caught with the House Banking Scandal and House Post Office scandal. Simply put, Hillary's health care plan scared people.
Is the national media actually going to accept without even a murmur of skepticism Hillary Clinton's claim to possess all the experience gained by her husband as president? If Obama (or for that matter any other candidate in either party) were to claim such experience, a reporter might well ask him on what basis he claims such experience.
That's the only real policy experience she's had. It was a disaster.
If I were advising a candidate who was running against her, I would lay into her loudly and often with a challenge to her claim of experience. If she actually was managing the national economy from 1993-2000 from her perch as wife of the president, let her release White House documents showing her active participation in such management. When I worked in the Reagan White House, I wrote hundreds of memos on my areas of responsibility. There was a paper trail. If Hillary actually was doing what she implies she was doing, there will be a long paper trail of memos that she either wrote or commented upon.EXACTLY!!! Hillary's claims of being the experienced candidate in the race would be more believeable if she showed documented proof of that alleged experience. If she's claiming this great experience, she should produce proof of it. Al Gore didn't have a right to claim credit for Bill Clinton's economic successes because the credit rightfully goes to Bill Clinton and LLoyd Bentsen, to his successor Robert Rubin. That said, Al Gore had more right to claim his experience than Hillary.
The 'invested in Hillary media' wants to give her a pass on this, that's their right. Rational people won't give her a pass, though. These days, we're too into the accountability and credibility thing to blindly accept Hillary's claims without doing our due diligence first. Here's another quote that can't make Hillary's advisers happy:
"She hasn't accomplished anything on her own since getting admitted to Yale Law," wrote Joan Di Cola, a Boston lawyer, in a letter to The Wall Street Journal this week, adding: "She isn't Dianne Feinstein, who spent years as mayor of San Francisco before becoming a senator, or Nancy Pelosi, who became Madam Speaker on the strength of her political abilities. All Hillary is, is Mrs. Clinton. She became a partner at the Rose Law Firm because of that, senator of New York because of that, and (heaven help us) she could become president because of that."Hillary knows that she wouldn't have a serious chance at winning the White House if there hadn't been a President Bill Clinton. What real credentials does Hillary have? She's touted as the "smartest woman in the world" but that's just opinion. What proof do we have of that? Ms. Di Cola makes a great point in citing DiFi's experience as running San Francisco.
Things are changing now that we're drawing close to the Iowa Caucuses. Media scrutiny appears to be ramping up. Thus far, I haven't seen Hillary's offer of proof that she's presidential material. Her most memorable moments thus far are her fumbling a simple question about whether illegal immigrants should be issued drivers licenses and her planting questions with the audience .
That isn't exactly the best thing to be remembered for.
Originally posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007, revised 26-Nov 2:38 PM
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Is The Other Shoe About to Drop?
Based on Brad Bumsted's article in the Pittsburgh Trib-Review , I'd think that answer is an emphatic yes. Here's what I'm basing my opinion on:
Internal House Democratic Caucus documents were shredded as a grand jury investigation was under way late this summer, according to several independent Capitol sources. The documents are believed to include personnel records that might be pertinent to Attorney General Tom Corbett's investigation of whether legislative staffers were paid bonuses for political work, sources say.If that turns out to be more than allegation or hearsay, then this investigation will widen immediately. Indictments would be handed down. Check out this paragraph:
A Democratic legislator, who asked not to be named, said he heard "20 to 30 boxes" that included "leave slips and comp time" records were shredded.
The lawmaker said he heard there was no room for the boxes and they had to get rid of paper records. It's not known how many of those records might be available electronically.There wasn't any room for the boxes so they had to "get rid of paper records"? That's insulting intellectually.
Democrats reclaimed control of the House in that election for the first time in 12 years, following an all-out effort directed by party leaders.Pennsylvania's Democrats hold a miniscule single seat majority in the House, 102-101. I'd say that that majority is fragile at best. It wouldn't surprise me if that was a single term majority. In fact, I'd be surprised if Democrats kept control of the PA House.
But it wasn't long before their victory was overshadowed by the news that legislative leaders of both parties had paid $3.6 million in secret bonuses to staffers. Official scrutiny turned to House Democrats, following reports that they awarded $1.9 million in bonuses in 2006 alone. DeWeese, a Democrat from Waynesburg, advised staffers in writing to refrain from discussing their bonuses.
Alot of information has already been discovered since Tom Corbett's investigation started focusing on Bonusgate, none of it flattering to the PA House Democrats. alot more will likely be forthcoming in the aftermath of the Tuesday Morning Massacre. Even more will likely be forthcoming now that the 'LaGrotta family' has been arraigned. This could spin out of control for Rep. DeWeese rather quickly. That's if it isn't already beyond his control. This information must have Rep. DeWeese scared out of his wits:
At his news conference last week, Corbett suggested that LaGrotta, who worked as a Democratic caucus staffer until July, was cooperating with investigators. The charges against LaGrotta, his sister and niece reflected their degree of cooperation to date, Corbett said.Rep. DeWeese signed off on the hiring of Ann Bartolomeo & Alissa Lemmon, LaGrotta's sister & niece respectively.
The news has gotten so worrisome that Democrats have started circling the wagons :
DeWeese emerged from the meeting expressing confidence that his grip on leadership remained firm while rank-and-file lawmakers dismissed any talk about pursuing a leadership change. "I have had tens of tens of either letters or e-mails or pats on the back," DeWeese said afterward. "And I feel encouraged by our membership, and I'm looking forward to moving on to our substantive agenda. I felt strong before the meeting," he added. "I fell stronger after the meeting."That step is the political equivalent of a coach getting an owner's vote of confidence. Once that happens, it's time to start polishing one's resume. I suspect that Rep. DeWeese won't need that, that he'll instead step into a $1 million a year job with CTC or some other defense contractor.
Rep. Jaret Gibbons, a freshman Lawrence County Democrat, said he's backing DeWeese to ensure the southwest does not lose its lone member of leadership in either the House or Senate. All of the other Democratic leaders are from Philadelphia and northeastern Pennsylvania. "Our concern is that the southwest continue to be an important part of the future of this caucus and this Legislature," Gibbons said.
Gibbons' statement isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Rep. DeWeese. In fact, I'd describe it as being rather tepid. I wouldn't feel too comfortable if I was DeWeese right now. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's sleeping with one eye open these days.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 11:50 AM
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The Escalation Continues
Nancy Pelosi is between Iraq and a hard place thanks to David Obey, John Murtha and the Nutroots on the left side and swing voters she'll need to retain her majority on the right side. I wouldn't want to be in her position, especially after Mssrs. Obey and Murtha made this statement :
Leading House Democratic appropriators vowed Nov. 20 not to bless off-budget supplemental appropriations that President Bush requested for Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere until he compromises and agrees to conditions that have already garnered a veto threat.Why shouldn't the White House treat Mssrs. Obey and Murtha rudely after seeing how unserious and uninformed these gentlemen are? Why shouldn't President Bush push them to either defund the war and suffer the political consequences or to fund the war his way? Murtha and Obey have the power of the purse; they don't have policymaking powers. According to this Washington Times article , Murtha has gone so far as saying that the situation in Iraq is hopeless:
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and defense appropriations subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) declared they would support Bush's entire $196 billion supplemental request immediately if the president concedes to House-passed provisions concerning troop readiness, CIA interrogations and a goal of troop withdrawal from major Iraq operations by the end of next year (DAILY, Nov. 19).
They said administration efforts to achieve political progress in Iraq have fallen short while the military, increasingly strained by prolonged operations, has to draw down ground forces there and reset. But Bush chose to "surge" troops into Iraq instead of embracing the Baker-Hamilton commission's recommendations last year.
"The money is not the issue; the lack of a plan is," Obey told reporters at a Capitol Hill conference. Obey and Murtha decried what they deemed White House obstinacy and said the administration was making the choice to sacrifice funding of noncombat defense efforts for the unpopular war, despite public sentiment.
"Look at all the people that have been displaced, all the [lost] oil production, unemployment, all those type of things," said Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of Appropriations defense subcommittee. "We can't win militarily."John Murtha wouldn't recognize reconciliation if it bit him in the backside. Murtha's making his claims based on what his vision of reconciliation looks like. He won't admit that reconciliation can happen without following Murtha's vision. That's what happens when arrogance supplants objectivity.
The Pennsylvania Democrat conceded violence was down dramatically and some normalcy restored on Iraq's streets, but he said U.S. victory remains unattainable as long as Baghdad fails to pass national reconciliation laws.
"To change the political law, it doesn't seem to me you need the military stability," Mr. Murtha told reporters on Capitol Hill.
The appropriators further slammed a recent letter to Congress from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England as a "political document" designed to scare Democrats and defense workers. England and Army leaders have warned of worker furloughs and depleted operations and maintenance accounts as money was transferred to pay for combat operations.Jim at Gateway Pundit offers proof that Mssrs. Obey and Murtha are wrong:
Obey and Murtha, both longtime appropriators, said they know full well when the Defense Department will run out of money - in March, they said - and what effects internal money shuffling has there.
If Congress does not come through with a supplemental bill President Bush will sign, money for defeating the largest killers of American personnel in the war on terror will run out Dec. 1, a senior official said here today. Retired Army Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, told Pentagon reporters that the organization will have to stop funding new initiatives and just maintain operations.As Jim points out, " This is an outrage." It's time we told Mssrs. Obey and Murtha that we'll hold them personally responsible for any deaths that happen because they didn't appropriate the money needed. This isn't a game. This is war. This isn't the place for irresponsible ideologues to start playing to their lunatic base for a few extra dollars of campaign contributions. This is a time when patriotic statesmen to step forward and do the right thing.
"We're out of (funding) new stuff now; we're going to have trouble sustaining current contracts after the first of December," Meigs said.
The anti-IED organization needs the funding to sustain operations and to pay for equipment fielded but not yet turned over to the services for funding, Meigs said. For example, he said, his organization funds the Guardian man-portable jammer, the contractors to service it, and the training in the system.
The organization tests new projects, ideas, ways of doing business and equipment against IEDs. If they prove effective, the organization is nimble enough to quickly can get the equipment to the hands of servicemembers. Meigs said the organization has enough money "to keep the lights on" through April. The organization is funded via supplemental spending bills.
"What I can't fund today will not go into the field next summer or next fall," Meigs said. "It'll be delayed by the amount of time we wait for funding."
This is occurring at a time when IED attacks have dropped 55 percent from their high in June. The average daily attacks are down 42 percent. "That is really good news," Meigs said. "This is coincident with the surge." The overall peak in June and July of this year, and IED attacks have been dropping steadily ever since.
"This is a function of more soldiers on the ground being more aggressive," the general said.
The most positive indicator in Iraq is the number of enemy weapons caches being discovered, he said. "This year cache finds are up significantly," he said. "And we're finding big caches. If you can damage (the enemy's) wholesale system, it's a lot harder for him to operate." In 2006, the coalition and Iraqi forces found a total of 2,667 caches. This year so far, the number is 5,364.
Mssrs. Obey and Murtha are neither patriotic or statesmen. I'm confident that President Bush will stick to his guns. I'm confident that he'll prevail. Thankfully, he won't 'compromise' on America's defeat. Thankfully, the American people will agree with President Bush.
Now if they'll just help get Murtha and Obey out of the chairman seats, we'll be in great shape. Isn't it time to ask people if they haven't had enough of the Democrats' unserious approach to fighting the gravest war in a generation?
I'd say it's long past time.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:35 PM
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Violating The Public's Trust
According to this article in the Marshall Independent , the House GOP leadership has accused 'nonpartisan' Mark Ritchie of violating the public's trust in running impartial elections next November. I couldn't agree more.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, and Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague, said Wednesday that Ritchie violated public trust by transferring non-partisan personal information to his political campaign.At this point, I don't see a reason why anyone should trust Mark Ritchie if the subject is elections. He's proven to be the most partisan SecStates in Minnesota history. He's also the most incompetent SecState in Minnesota history.
Both also said the action calls into question Ritchie's ability to be a nonpartial director of the state's 2008 elections, which is overseen by the Secretary of State office.
I can't think of a legitimate reason why Ritchie should serve out the rest of his term.
"Under the guise of civic engagement, they're using (information) to generate campaign funds," Brod told the Independent. "That generates civic cynicism." At first, Brod and published reports said, Ritchie denied that he'd passed nonpartisan information on to his campaign. But in a story published Wednesday by the Star Tribune, Ritchie admitted doing so.I'll modify Rep. Brod's statement just slightly. Instead of saying that "We need questions answered," I'd say "We need important questions answered honestly."
The story said solicitation for funds was in a Ritchie campaign newsletter. He told the Star Tribune the solicitation was to pay for costs of the newsletter, but the paper reported that the text of the newsletter asks for money for the campaign itself. "We need questions answered," Brod said. "Especially in light of the fact that the secretary said he himself transferred the information. I was shocked when I read it. This is not a little thing. That office is absolutely integral to our (election) system. to have that integrity called into question is a significant issue that warrants significant action."
Reps. Brod & Emmer called for an investigation when this story broke. Despite their calls for an investigation, Rep. Gene Pelowski said he wouldn't conduct an investigation. According to this article , Marty Seifert is again calling for an investigation:
A House Republican leader is calling for an investigation of Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.If Rep. Pelowski refuses to investigate Ritchie's ethical lapses, then he should be defeated in the next election. His inaction would be unacceptable & reprehensible. the only legitimate reason not to conduct an investigation is if Ritchie resigns. Even so, this legislature should immediately pass a law making it a crime for any constitutional officer to pass names between their official office & their campaigns. Ideally, this legislation should mandate jail time & a substantial fine.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert (SY'-furt) of Marshall contends Ritchie "got caught in a lie" about sharing a list of participants in a state-sponsored program with his campaign.
Seifert told the Independent of Marshall he believes a House committee should investigate.
Ritchie says it was a mistake for him to share the list. The first-term Democrat admitted to the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that he turned over the list to his campaign.
His disclosure comes about a month after a pair of Republican operatives asked the Legislative Auditor to investigate whether Ritchie violated any rules. Ritchie had previously told the Star Tribune that the list was public information, but that he did not authorize his campaign to use it.
Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles says his office is analyzing the case.
If the DFL refuses to (a) investigate Ritchie's behavior and (b) pass legislation that disciplines politicians for this behavior, then Minnesota's voters should turn the DFL into the minority party in 2009. This isn't just a DFL leadership issue either. Each legislator is capable of demanding an investigation. If freshman Democrats won't call for an investigation, that should be considered a silent consent for Ritchie's behavior.
The resolution mandating this investigation shouldn't be a toothless resolution. It should spell out what the House demands the investigating committee to do to meet its responsibilities. They shouldn't give the chairman the option of pulling a Sertich . That isn't acceptable.
If the DFL doesn't conduct a real investigation, then that's proof that protecting their politicians is a higher priority than maintaining the integrity of the House of Representatives. If that happens, the DFL should be made to pay with their political careers. It's just that simple.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:25 PM
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Chairman Carey Calls For Ritchie's Resignation
I'm with Ron Carey, the chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, in calling for Mark Ritchie's resignation . Here's Chairman Carey's statement:
Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today issued the following statement calling on Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to resign following his abuse of the public trust.I outlined Mark Ritchie's liberal connections here . Here are some of the outside-the-mainstream organizations that Mark Ritchie was associated with during the 2004 campaign:
"Minnesotans must have a Secretary of State whose honesty, integrity, and nonpartisanship are unassailable. Mark Ritchie, by his own admission, has failed to deliver on his promise of honesty and integrity in the office and should resign.
"By exploiting his office for partisan political purposes and then lying about it, Mark Ritchie has destroyed the public trust. Minnesotans deserve a Secretary of State who will not abuse his position and proceed to lie about having done so."
Secretary Of State Caught In Lie:
After Claiming He Didn't Know How Campaign Got Access To Email Addresses, Ritchie Now Admits He Personally Provided Campaign With Information
Ritchie Initially Said He "Did Not Authorize The Use Of The List For His Campaign." "Ritchie, elected last year after campaigning on a platform of de-politicizing the Secretary of State's office, said the list of participants in the civic engagement program is public information that can be accessed by anyone, including a political campaign. But he said he did not authorize the use of the list for his campaign." (Mark Brunswick, "Election Official Allegedly Used List Improperly," Star Tribune, October 30, 2007)
Ritchie Said There "Was No Crossover" Between Campaign List And Civic Engagement Lists. "Ritchie, often a target of the Minnesota Democrats Exposed blog, said he did not authorize use of the civic engagement sign-up sheet for campaign contributions but emphasized that the names of the 600 people are public information. 'There is no crossover, but the list of civic engagement groups is public. It's public information,' Ritchie said." (Mark Brunswick, "Election Official Allegedly Used List Improperly," Star Tribune, October 30, 2007)
Ritchie Now Admits He Personally Gave His Campaign Email Addresses. "Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie now says that he personally gave his campaign a list of participants in a state-sponsored 'civic engagement' program so it could send them a campaign newsletter that asked for a political contribution. ... Previously, Ritchie had denied knowing how the campaign got the list. He now insists that it solicited contributions only to pay for the newsletter itself. But its text invites recipients to an upcoming campaign fundraiser." (Mark Brunswick, "Ritchie Now Says He Gave E-Mail List To Campaign," Star Tribune, November 20, 2007)
Ritchie Said He Provided Copy Of List To Campaign And "Requested" They Get His E-Mail Newsletter. "Ritchie said Tuesday that he personally provided a copy of the directory to his campaign and requested that those on the list get a copy of his campaign's civic engagement newsletter, which is distributed to about 12,000 individuals and groups whom he described as active in civic life in the state." (Mark Brunswick, "Ritchie Now Says He Gave E-Mail List To Campaign," Star Tribune, November 20, 2007)
Election Experts Weigh In
"Something Like This Crosses The Line." "David Schultz, a professor at Hamline University and a former head of the state's chapter of Common Cause, said recent irregularities with elections in Florida and Ohio have raised the stakes in the traditionally low-profile offices of secretaries of state. ... 'Something like this crosses that line. It looks like people who are contacting the secretary of state's office for business are getting their names converted over to a fundraising base,' he said." (Mark Brunswick, "Ritchie Now Says He Gave E-Mail List To Campaign," Star Tribune, November 20, 2007)
"There Must Be A Wall Between Constituent Information ... And ...Information For Use In Campaigns." "'There must be a wall between constituent information compiled at public expense while representing the public and the transfer of that information for use in campaigns,' said Steven Clift, a digital democracy expert based in Minneapolis. 'Ideally, secondary use would be prohibited. Or, if an incumbent can use it, then everyone should be able to access it, including challengers.'" (Mark Brunswick, "Ritchie Now Says He Gave E-Mail List To Campaign," Star Tribune, November 20, 2007)
FLASHBACK: Mark Ritchie Campaigned With A Promise Of Restoring Integrity And Non-Partisanship To The Secretary Of State's Office
Ritchie Says His Victory Came From Those Who "Wanted A Return To Non-Partisanship." "The secretary of state race was equally contentious, featuring a frontal attack on Kiffmeyer's basic competence and integrity as the state's chief election judge, even though voter turnout under her has been some of the highest in the nation. , 'What I heard everywhere was people saying they wanted a return to nonpartisanship in the office,' Ritchie said late Tuesday." (Mark Brunswick, "'Lesser' Races Shaped Up As Major Battles," Star Tribune, November 8, 2006)
Ritchie Accused Former Secretary Kiffmeyer Of Running Office As "Arm Of Republican Party." "Ritchie, one of the architects of a progressive get-out-the-vote effort in the 2004 elections that he said resulted in 5 million registrations nationwide and tens of thousands of poll monitors, derided Kiffmeyer, the two-term secretary of state, as 'incompetent, lacking integrity and partisan.' He also accused her of running her office 'like an arm of the Republican Party.'" (Mark Brunswick, "DFLers Round Out Statewide Slate," Star Tribune, June 12, 2006)
Ritchie Says We "Need A Secretary Of State Who Will Stop Playing Politics" And Promised A Campaign Based On "Trust, Integrity, And Respect For Constitution." "Voter rights leader and local non-profit president Mark Ritchie began campaigning as he officially announced his candidacy for Minnesota Secretary of State today in Saint Paul and Duluth. 'We need a Secretary of State who will stop playing politics with the office,' said Ritchie. ... 'One of the key challenges we face in the November election is the cynicism so many citizens now feel about our election process,' said Ritchie. 'To overcome this, we are running a campaign based on passion and hope, passion for the democracy we've inherited from those who fought for our right to vote, and hope for the future based on trust, integrity, and respect for the Constitution.'" (Press Release, "Mark Ritchie Announces Challenge To Mary Kiffmeyer For Minnesota Secretary Of State," Ritchie For Secretary of State, February 6, 2006)
- NAACP National Voter Fund
- Southwest Voter Registration Education Project
- People for the American Way Foundation
- USAction Education Fund
- ACORN
That's before I start talking about Mark Ritchie's getting endorsed by Ellen Malcolm, the co-founder of EMILY's List, the superliberal fundraising/activist organization.
As noted in Chairman Carey's statement, Mark Ritchie campaigned on the theme of depoliticizing the SecState's office. It's understatement to say that he's failed in meeting that benchmark.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 3:31 PM
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BREAKING NEWS!!!
Tom Emmer & Laura Brod have issued this press release on the latest developments in the Mark Ritchie scandal:
SAINT PAUL - (November 21, 2007) ; In response to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie admitting he took data from his elective office and provided it to his campaign, State Representatives Laura Brod and Tom Emmer renewed their call for a legislative investigation.
"Our concerns with the actions of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie have been elevated," said Representative Tom Emmer. "Illegal use of public data is a violation of the state's data privacy act. The improper use of this data by a state constitutional officer casts a shadow of doubt on not only Mark Ritchie but the entire Minnesota Secretary of State Office. A thorough investigation will shed light on the activities taking place and ensure the office is operated in a nonpartisan, transparent manner that complies with state law."
Brod and Emmer made their first investigation request after allegations that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie or someone in his office used data from a nonpartisan public meeting for political fundraising. In response to a data information request submitted by Brod and Emmer, the Minnesota Secretary of State Office confirmed that no data information request was made. The Office also denied having any knowledge of how that information was entered into the Mark Ritchie campaign database.
"Public trust in safety and security of information related to our system of elections is crucial. Any breach or perceived breach of that trust is serious and warrants immediate response," said Representative Laura Brod. "Now that the original allegations related to the transfer of public data to the Secretary's campaign have been confirmed by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie himself, the integrity of the Minnesota Secretary of State Office is no longer in question but at risk."
Brod and Emmer said they will submit a second data information request to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie today and will renew their request for a legislative hearing with the House Government Operations Committee.
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 3:11 PM
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Happy Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving here, it's time to give thanks for some things. Since last Thanksgiving, alot has happened.
I made alot of great new friends in the MOB, including Michael, Drew, AAA, Cindy & Derek. For that, I'm thankful. I'm thankful that my friendship with my SCBA cohorts Leo & King grew strongrer this year. Both are outstanding men of integrity.
I adopted a legislator, Steve Gottwalt, who gave me some great material to write about. Great things are heading Steve's way. Great things are heading Laura Brod's way, too. Talk about a ball of energy.
This year has been fantastic because I'm a political junkie. Now I'm involved in politics at the BPOU level. Go figure, huh? There's some awfully good & decent people in the Benton County & SD-15 BPOU's. I'm thankful I got to know them this year. It'll be fun going to war with them next year. Greater friends & allies you couldn't ask for.
I want to thank liberals like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mark Ritchie, Matt Entenza, Larry Pogemiller, Tony Sertich, Larry Haws & Tarryl Clark. They've given me so much to write about. (After all, what would a political blog be without targets of opportunity?)
Now for the most important things to be thankful for: my family. It's been a great year. My nephew is now my roommate & I couldn't be happier. What a great young man he's turned into. His parents (my brother Kevin & my sister-in-law Sharon did a fantastic job raising him with a great set of values, another thing I'm grateful for.)
I'm thankful for my best friend Jim. We didn't get together often enough this past year but that's easily remedied.
I want to thank Cal, who runs California Conservative, Kit Lange at Euphoric Reality & Kevin at Pundit Review Radio, too. If you aren't reading these blogs, you'd better start ASAP.
Finally, I want to thank Tim Harrington & Warren 'Bones' Bonesteel for continuing to serve their country long after they took off their Marine uniforms. Without them, some honorable people wouldn't have been treated justly. Through Tim & Kit, I got the pleasure of getting to know Darryl Sharratt. What an honorable man Darryl is.
I hope everyone who reads this blog has a Happy Thanksgiving.
Posted Thursday, November 22, 2007 10:36 AM
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