Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Carson Continues To Auction Off District To Out-Of-State PACs

Democratic 7th District congressional candidate Andre Carson collected another $20,000 from out-of-state political action committees according to his latest filing with the FEC, including $2,500 from a New York Longshoreman's union, $5,000 from a Maryland-based machinists union, $2,000 from a Virginia-based postal workers union, $5,000 from the Michigan-based UAW and another $5,000 from New-York based Unite Here TIP Campaign Committee. So much for his complaints about politicians being bought. It's in keeping with the fact he auctioned off his seat on the city council almost as soon as he was appointed for a job working as an influence peddler for a major government contractor.

Meanwhile, stories of multiple campaign and ethical lapses by the Carson campaign go unreported by our local news media. WISH-TV's campaign filed a copyright complaint against the DCCC for an attack video it aired on the Internet, which featured reports by WISH-TV political reporter Jim Shella on Carson's opponent, State Rep. Jon Elrod. It must have been a valid complaint because the negative attack video has disappeared from YouTube. "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by LIN Television Corporation (WISH-TV's parent company)," says YouTube. Not surprisingly, Shella, ever the pro-Carson reporter, never mentioned the violation in his reporting on the campaign. Hat tip to Polis Politics.

Complaints continue to roll in from LEOs that Sheriff's department personnel are electioneering on behalf of the Carson campaign in uniform and on the taxpayers' dime, even using a county building to photograph and film for the benefit of the Carson campaign. Advance Indiana reported earlier on a press conference Carson held with Indiana's First Responders last week at which several LEOs participated in uniform, including Chief Deputy Sheriff Kerry Forestal. Also, WXNT talked about a press conference Sheriff Anderson was holding with Carson, along with U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, a former sheriff, at Forest Manor Multi-Service Center, Inc. The problem here is that Forest Manor is supposed to be a not-for-profit and is therefore barred from engaging in partisan politics. The organization receives grants from the county, as well as other governmental agencies. Sen. Jean Breaux, a big Carson supporter, is employed there. The group's Vice President and board member is former CCC President Monroe Gray, also a Carson campaign supporter. Don't expect to read about any of these transgressions in your local news media. They're too busy helping to ensure Carson's victory to report on such matters.

16 comments:

Wilson46201 said...

I just checked on Elrod's new "big bucks" filings - whoops! There aren't any! Oh well...

Dickerson has about $4K leftover he won't account for - Jon sure could use that!

Anonymous said...

O/T Gary, but did you see where Ike Randolph was appointed by Mitch Daniels to some quasi-religious position?

Funny how that works. Although Randolph committed Ghost Employment with IFD for over a month by lying to them as to his "appointment" to Greg Ballards transisiton team, then got shitcanned by Ballard after that lie was exposed, well...apparently a lunch or two with Mitch, and voila!

(cue sound effect of lunch at the Columbia CLub, late 2007)

Ballard-"So, um..Sir...well..its like this. I got this guy Randolph , and he..well..lied to me, but still: could you take care of him, somehow? I'm trying to build a coalition with the 90% of Democrats who dont support me, as well as avoid any chance of prosecution of him by my other new best buddy, Brizzi. M-m-msybe if I keep him happy, I'll get some cred with the high rollers Carl whores around with, who I have forgiven for laughing at me for 9 months."

Mitch- "Sure..anyone else I can help you out with, Greg? I mean, hey, I read the papers-Randolph didnt do jack-squat for you. How about some of the folks who believed in you when no one else did?"

Ballard- "........ nahh..[I'm] good"


- or some scenario similar to the above

Anonymous said...

great headline. i wonder how they are going to feel when he loses the primary -- using julia speak -- when they have invested in him. maybe they will ask for their money back (see embarrassing julia comments: brose mcvey as opponent).

seriously, long time democrat voter here and i don't know anyone who plans to vote for andre. he'll win march 11 but i'm sure many people are just waiting for a choice in the primary. david o is going to have the plurality in that for sure. at the same time, i am kind of surprised by the number of and placement of some jon elrod yard signs. neighbors of mine who had peterson signs last fall have elrod signs now.

but wilson has told us andre will romp bigger than julia ever did so i'm sure that's what will happen.

Anonymous said...

Wilson makes fun of a politician who is not bought and sold by special interests. Your post says a whole lot more about you, Wilson, that it does about Jon Elrod. You are the Sultan of Sleaze.

Anonymous said...

Gary,
To the person bashing Ike. First, all he is spouting is hear say. The rumor mill on these blogs run rampant and all they do is personally attack individuals.

Please have this anonymous person E-mail me at timdugan01@comcast.net and I will discuss issues with him away from the blogosphere arena.

Be safe
flipper

Anonymous said...

A little birdie told me that a complaint was filed today against Carson with the Marion County Election Board and the FEC.
Is it true?

Anonymous said...

A "political prostitute" just like his grandmother. What did you expect? It is all about the money, Honey!

Sean Shepard said...

I'm looking for a good place to do press conferences from. Do I get equal time using the city/state facilities and staff?

Anonymous said...

What’s with this Wilson guy and Dickerson? Does Wilson have the "Hots" for Dickerson? He sure does fixate on him a lot.

Anonymous said...

Give it up Dugan. You've had more than ample opportunity to discuss matters with ex-Ballard supporters.
Grab a beer and crawl back in your hole.
Every time you open your mouth it costs your buddy votes. Cut your your losses and shut the hell up.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Wilson is a retired clerk from the Center Township Trustee's office. He would give his left and right arm for the Carson cause. He's earned quite a reputation for stalking Carson's opponents with camera in tow, rummaging through their trash and just about anything else he can do to make their lives miserable for daring to challenge a Carson.

Wilson46201 said...

I only rummage through public records and documents - just like Gary Welsh does. It's a normal part of political operations -- it's called opposition research ... Justice Clarence Thomas' wife was chief oppo researcher for the DC GOP - you call her a "dumpster diver"?

Humorously, recently Gary was praising a TV station actually going through dumpster trash to discover discarded medical records!

Gary R. Welsh said...

WTHR's Bob Segal was going through dumpsters to protect the privacy of people some pharmacies weren't doing a good job protecting, Wilson. Quite a different matter, don't you think?

Eclecticvibe said...

Based on the yard signs as I drove up College Ave. yesterday evening it looks like For Sale is going to blow out Elrod, Carson, and Shepard by a landslide!

Anonymous said...

Whenever labor union PACs get involved in a campaign, I try to cut them some slack. Most, if not all, have well-honorned endorsement paths, which involve rank-and-file participation.

But Longshoremen? We have no such workers in Indiana, not even at the Michigan City, Jeffersonville or Evansville ports.

Auto Workers, Communications Workers, Laborers, Electrical Workers--we've got all of those. But Longshoremen?

FYI, that union has a sullied reputation for, uh, "enforcement" of certain criteria in New Jersey and environs.

And the Dickerson comment was trasy and petty for even you, Wilson. I'm surprised you didnt' work Carl Drummer, Jeanne Breaux, Gene Akers and Jocelyn Tandy into the comment, for varying reasons.

Keep it up pal. You are seriously hurting your candidate. Take a hike north of 30th St., and you can figure it out.

Anonymous said...

I can't see why endorsements by labor unions is any worse than being endorsed by the NRA, AARP, or any group.

These organizations contribute and endorse candidates all over the country because once they are in office they will be voting on things that affect these groups in every state.

If every business owner or corporation can donate to a candidate in any state because that candidate would vote in favor of laws and regulations that would help them, then labor organizations, service organizations, or special interest should also be able to donate without impunity.

Federal elected officials from every state matter to all other states, otherwise no one from Indiana should be complaining about Nancy Pelosi or Don Young (Alaska's bridge to nowhere).