Sunday, April 27, 2008

Tully Makes Case For Dumping Burton

Star political columnist Matt Tully used U.S. Rep. Dan Burton's own record against him to make the case for replacing him with emergency room physician and former Marion Co. Coroner Dr. John McGoff. The multiple examples provided in his column speak for themselves. As Tully points out in his column, it is very unusual for him to endorse one candidate over another candidate in any race, but he makes an exception for this race. Here are some facts about Burton's record which Tully believes should lead voters of the 5th District to turn Burton out of office:
  • 1989: Burton sues a local grocery store for $250,000 after his wife pricks her finger on a shelf. He loses the case. 1994: Burton fires a bullet into a "head-like" object, believed to be a pumpkin or watermelon, in his backyard in a much-ridiculed attempt to prove a White House aide was slain. 1995: Burton goes after President Bill Clinton's cat, using his congressional influence to investigate how the White House dealt with Socks' fan mail. 1995: Burton fights new restrictions on lawmakers taking part in golf outings with lobbyists.
  • 1997: A lobbyist for Pakistan accuses Burton of demanding campaign contributions in return for access. 1998: While leading his bungled investigation into Clinton White House fundraising, Burton releases carefully edited transcripts of a Clinton ally's conversations. The transcripts distort the overall tone of the conversations and lead even Burton's fellow Republicans to criticize him. "I'm embarrassed for you," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tells Burton at the time. 1998: A congressional expert calls the Burton investigation, "A prime example of investigation as farce." 1998: Burton calls Clinton, who was impeached after an affair with an intern, a "scumbag." Months later, Burton is forced to acknowledge fathering a child out of wedlock.
  • 2003: Burton and two aides take an expense-paid trip to Guam; he later pushes pro-Guam initiatives. 2007: Burton skips a hearing on the treatment of injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 2007: A report finds Burton spends $702 a month in taxpayer funds for a Cadillac DeVille. Another report finds he has paid his daughter $143,900 from campaign funds in recent years.
  • January 2007: Burton skips a week of House votes to play golf with celebrities in sunny California. January 2007: Burton, who has long been a fan of trips paid for by outside organizations, casts the only vote against stricter ethics rules. The measure passes by a vote of 430-1. 2008: Reports show Burton sharply increased spending on taxpayer-funded mailings to constituents as his re-election campaign heated up.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dan Burton theme song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0NKtadKEw

MissouriDemocrat said...

I hope that the Republican electorate doesn't fall for Rush Limbaugh's encouragement to vote Democrat and gets rid of this sore embarrassment to Indiana. Maybe then Johnson County can get rid of his brother too. Both are void of anything more than ridicule for anyone whose ideas are contrary to theirs.

artfuggins said...

..but the republicans while bashing Democrats just keep electing this scumbag...election after election...I would like to think that this year would be different. The republicans certainly have a chance to elect a congressman who has some integrity and wont embarrass the city and the state........

Unknown said...

Art, the same thing should be said for the 7th district. Is there a candidate in the campaign LESS qualified than Carson?

artfuggins said...

the qualifications are that a candidate is 25 years old and a citizen of the United States...I believe that they all meet that qualification. I think you are saying that you may disagree with the issue positions of some of the candidates.

Covenant60 said...

I'm voting for Dan...I already gave him $$.

unless I cross over to vote for Hillary (vbseg).

He is a solid conservative vote in the US House, and has been since 1982.

I don't care what he says or does, or what that wimp Tully says about him.

IndyPaul said...

A wonderfully conscienious voter... what a keep your representative accountable.

Unknown said...

Anybody remember how much weight his boy Danny Burton was moving back in the day? I wanna say he got caught with 10+ kilos of pot more than once and didn't serve a single day in jail. Ah, the wonders of bald-faced,justice-subversion and nepotism. BURTON, JR. FOR PRESIDENT

artfuggins said...

How can you have a conservative voting record when you are on the golf course missing votes????

Indy4U2C said...

I have to admit it: A once great congressman has lost touch.

I support Dr. McGoff and hope Dan politely bows out.