So… Dave Reichert, struggling to keep pace with Darcy Burner’s overwhelming support from individual contributors, turns to a group of high-powered lobbyists for a quick infusion of cash—including lobbyists representing Airbus parent EADS against Boeing in the controversial tanker deal—and what’s the headline in the Seattle Times? “Words fly over lobbyist for Boeing rival at Reichert fundraiser.”
That’s right, EADS lobbyist Mike Chappell writes Reichert a $500 check and the main story here is the accusation itself, with the Times emphasizing that “Burner spokesman Sandeep Kaushik leaked the EADS lobbyist tie to the online political newspaper Politico.”
“Leaked…?” Really?
leak -verb
9. to disclose secret, esp. official, information anonymously, as to the news media
A) Kaushik is Burner’s communication director; it’s his job to pass information on to the press, even damaging information about her opponent; and B) How exactly do you “leak” information that had already appeared in an article in Roll Call?
All Kaushik did was call Politico’s attention to the fact that an article in Roll Call contradicted editorializing that had appeared in their own publication, causing Politico to write a follow-up story when they determined that the info in Roll Call checked out. And that added tidbit about Chappell writing Reichert a check? That came from good, old fashioned “sleuthing” on the part of the Times reporter Emily Heffter. That’s some “leak.”
Reichert goes begging to lobbyists paid to oppose the interests of his district, and it’s “words flying” that makes the headline, and the Burner campaign’s role in publicizing Reichert’s Airbus connections that makes the lede. And Reichert gets a check from Airbus, but that’s okay, because he says he plans to return it, you know… after he was caught. Jesus… could the Times pedal any softer?
But then, Reichert is the Times’ favorite “conscience driven independent,” so I guess we’re unlikely to see a piece criticizing Reichert for publicly posturing in defense of Boeing against the Alabama/French Connection, and then going back to the other Washington to quietly solicit support from the very people he’s supposedly opposing… folks like EADS lobbyist Chappell, Alabama Aircraft Industries lobbyist Chris Cox, former Tom DeLay henchman (and co-conspirator) Drew Maloney, and the rest of the K Street crowd.
The Times knows damn well how damaging this story really is—hell, it’s exactly crap like this that has destroyed the Republican brand. The “K Street Project,” the “Culture of Corruption,” the cozy relationship between the Republican leadership and their corporate patrons… this is why Democrats took control of both houses in 2006, and this is why they are poised to expand their majority in 2008. And whatever his intentions when he first headed off to Congress, Dave Reichert now finds himself smack dab in the middle of everything that is wrong with the Beltway establishment, totally reliant on (and indebted to) lobbyists and PACs in his desperate efforts to fend off Burner’s challenge.
Darcy Burner on the other hand, with her people-powered politics and her thousands upon thousands of small contributions from individual donors, is indebted to nothing but her own conscience. So if 8th CD voters really want to send somebody to Congress who can truly challenge the corrupting influence of the K Street crowd in both parties, they need to elect a representative who doesn’t have to rely on these very same lobbyists to fund their campaigns. They need to elect Darcy Burner.
Yes, wingnuts, your candidate skilled in bodybuilding and meticulous coiffure…
LOVES FRENCH AIRPLANES!!
I hope it gets on the Insanity-Hannity/O’Felafel radio shows. Yeah, right…
Eat it losers!
This is a good example of why mainstream journalism is on life support. When a publisher reduces his newspaper to a comic book he can’t expect circulation to, er, grow. The last dying gasp of a newspaper that no longer understands what “news” is, is an ever-growing sports section.
So, when the Bush administration re-buys the French airplanes, are they going to call aerial refueling missions FREEDOM FLIGHTS?
Who gives a fuck if it was “leaked” or not. It’s true and the French-hating wingnut brigade will have to reconcile their unstable hatred of all things French with the fact that the haircut that represents them took their money.
Fucking hypocrites? Of course they are!
The Reichert-apologists at the Seattle Times will probably still be calling it a Burner campaign leak (and putting down Sandeep and Darcy for it) when the contribution and its return show up on Sheriff Hairspray’s FEC report.
Falling Retail Sales Signal Weakening Economy
The stock market staged a second consecutive triple-digit decline today on data showing retail sales declined in July despite government stimulus checks.
Even if auto sales are factored out of the calculation, retail sales showed only slight growth in July, which was more than accounted for by higher gasoline prices.
In other words, the $168 billion economic stimulus package enacted by Congress failed to prevent further weakening of consumer buying, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity.
Meanwhile, crude prices appear to be firming in the $110 to $115 range after falling from $149 a month ago. However, the price decline to date should bring retail gasoline prices below the $4 level as lower crude prices work their way down the distribution chain.
It also should be kept in mind that the economy is being propped up by low interest rates that are producing sharply higher inflation, and central bankers eventually will have to address inflation with higher interest rates that will push economic growth deep into negative territory and sharply increase unemployment. European bankers have already begun tightening, but this process is being held back in the U.S. by the fact this is an election year and administration policymakers are trying to stave off recession until after the election.
The U.S. eventually will have to eat a deep and prolonged recession as the inevitable result of the bursting of the credit and housing bubbles.
Freedom Fries Are Not Free!
At the rate food prices are exploding under the worst inflation since Nixon-Ford, Freedom Fries will soon be sold by the inch instead of by the serving.
Our economy is fucked seriously. For years we’ve consumed, consumed rather than finding creative ways of producing – eating our seed corn.
Now what do we have? Next to nothing. It will be really difficult digging ourselves out of this one.
Thanks White House resident chimp lovers!
Of course Reichert is taking contributions from EADS – he wants to stay in good with McCain. He knows that McCain hates Boeing.
So is the issue here BOEING vs. AIRBUS, or is the issue LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS?
Dave Reichert can probably win the BOEING vs. AIRBUS argument. Reichert returned the contribution from the Airbus lobbyist — apparently the only money he has received from that source. Meantime, I am sure that Reichert has received many thousands from Boeing executives and lobbyists. (How much has Darcy Burner received?)
It would be better to focus on LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS in general. Seems like the overwhelming majority of Burner’s contributions have come from ordinary citizens. From what I understand, perhaps half or more of Reichert’s contributions have come from PAC’s and lobbyists.
I wish the Times would placate Goldy and declare do nothing Darcy a saint. Lobbyists represent more than one client…duh. A five hundred dollar contribution in our sick system is NOT newsworthy.
You have to make a mountain out of a mole hill when the person you support sucks ass. Look at the Darcy list of accomplishments
a) raising an arsonist
b) no job
c) no community service
d) killed the family cat
e) rejected by Teachers unions
You really know how to pick em Goldy, you sick stalker.
@11: Poor reality – what dream world are you living in? Your sad list is an example of sicko partisanship. Yes, Darcy had a house fire and you chose to highlight that in you sick little list? Is that the best you can come up with?
On to more important matters – like how the republican congressman in the 8th district is no moderate, votes against the better interest of the people of the 8th (and in lock-step with bush) on energy, the war, Boeing and the environment. The big factor though, is how the lobbyists are giving money hand over fist to Reichert – and how he votes their way – that is the corruption that permeates the republican party.
Darcy chose to highlight the house fire in her ad, according to her it is one of the reasons you should vote for her…did you see the ad dumbass?
What has she done, on her own, to validate herself as an individual who can represent and actually work for the people of a district? Her resume is as thin as her “innate intelligence”.
That list is reality. What part of it is wrong?
realitycheck @ 13:
All of it is wrong.
You say: a) raising an arsonist
Nope. The fire investigators publicly identified the cause of the house fire as an electrical short in a lamp, and hailed Henry Burner as a hero. That’s pretty clear.
b) no job
Nope again. Running for Congress is pretty much full-time – but if you’d prefer, you can think of her as an “investor”, per her income.
c) no community service
Ooh, zero for three so far! Responsible Plan, toy testing, volunteering with kids, running women’s organization at Microsoft, running local community association – so you are full of bs.
d) killed the family cat
Wow, wrong again. How, exactly? Again bs.
e) rejected by Teachers unions
Wrong here, too. The American Federation of Teachers endorsed her, actually.
Bzzt! You’re a whopping zero. Better luck next time!
@14 “Bzzt! You’re a whopping zero.”
Let’s be clear, as well as being a zero, he’s also an ass.
Darcy Burner…with her thousands upon thousands of small contributions from individual donors, is indebted to nothing but her own conscience.
Oh puleeeezzzz, Goldstick – Burner is indebted up to her european eyewear to the nutroots. She follows their twisted, far-left loony line or the money stops. Too bad nearly all of ’em can’t vote in the eighth congressional district. The day you stop equating the nutroots $$ Burner is raising to popularity in the district is the day you start getting a clue. Burner is no more qualified in ’08 than she was two years ago. She’s a yawner of a candidate and this is a yawner of a race. Reichert by 7 points in November.