Liberal Watchdog Group: Pelosi, Investigate Mahoney Now!

Photo--Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer calls on Mahoney to resign.


A DC watchdog group -- often accused of being left-leaning -- has sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee asking for an investigation into revelations about Rep. Tim Mahoney.

Though the Palm Beach area Democrat has asked for his own inquiry, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says its goal is to ensure that the committee "consider specific relevant provisions of House rules."

CREW says Mahoney's conduct -- paying off an ex-mistress, "implicates numerous House rules," including a clause that "requires congressional employees to perform public duties commensurate with their compensation. Thus, hiring a staff member to facilitate a sexual relationship is impermissible."

It also suggests that "by conducting a sexual relationship with an employee he supervised, and by firing that employee after the affair ended, Rep. Mahoney may have engaged in sexual harassment in violation of House Rule 23.."

It also suggests he may have violated campaign finance laws by "failing to report his in-kind contribution to the campaign to pay Ms. Allen."

Breaking: McCain Unveils New "Fighter" Speech

Politico reports that John McCain will unveil a new speech today "...designed to get voters and reporters to give him one more look..."

Excerpt: "Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 22 days to go. We're six points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, we've got them just where we want them.

"What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines."

More on the Democrats' Bogus Press Conference

Today Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart’s campaign issued the following fact sheet in response to Raul Martinez’s frivolous accusations yesterday – a pathetic act of desperation as voters consistently reject his record of corruption.

THE FACTS

• In trying to rescue Raul Martinez’s sinking campaign, the Florida Democratic Party held a bogus press conference yesterday making baseless implications about Congressman Diaz-Balart. The political hack that made the statement refused to take any questions from the members of media that were present.

• The Miami Herald has already reported that the allegations are uncorroborated (October 9th, page 2A).

• Nowhere in the audio and video presented by the Democratic Party does Puerto Rican Senator Jorge de Castro Font mention a suitcase or $50,000 as maliciously suggested by operatives.

• The Fonalledas Family mentioned by Senator Jorge de Castro Font has contributed a total of $400 to Congressman Diaz-Balart’s campaign.

• Unlike his opponent, Congressman Diaz-Balart does not have a history of corruption and unethical behavior. He has always served with integrity and respect.

• Unlike his opponent Congressman Diaz-Balart has never used public office for personal financial enrichment. A simple review of Raul Martinez’s personal financial disclosure forms indicates that he has become extremely wealthy through public office.

• Unlike his opponent Congressman Diaz-Balart has never illegally lobbied other public officials as Raul Martinez recently did in the City of Miami to benefit one of his companies (The Miami Herald, September 11, 2008).

• The circus and distractions that others have attempted to create in order to deflect attention from Raul Martinez’s history of corruption and disgraceful behavior will not influence the outcome of this election.

Debate: Biden's 14 Lies

"Joe Biden graduated from his trademark verbal gaffe to outright lie in tonight’s debate. Each time Senator Biden was on his heels, he looked directly into the camera and lied -- more than a dozen times by our count. He lied about John McCain's record, his own record, and Barak Obama's dangerous policies. Governor Palin showed the American people tonight why a McCain-Palin Administration will bring real reform, leadership, and straight talk to Washington.” --Tucker Bounds, spokesman McCain-Palin 2008

JOE BIDEN’S 14 LIES TONIGHT

1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY.

2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it.


3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.”

4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage.

5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate.

6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times.

7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people's health insurance coverage -- they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax.

9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan.

10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation -- he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie.

11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right.

12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more.

13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.”

14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won't pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan.

Miami Herald Prints It All

Miami Herald: Ouch! RPOF lights into Siplin, the "shady, deadbeat felon"

"Sometimes, a press release should be printed in its entirety. Case in point, this Republican Party of Florida presser against Orlando Sen. Gary Siplin, who incidentally still owes Miami-Dade cash for his failed business, Hats in the Belfry..."

More Here

You Know You're in Trouble When...

Daily Kos Survey Contradicts Jennings Push Poll
New Democrat Poll Shows Buchanan with Double-Digit Lead, Jennings at Shockingly Low 31%, without Jan Schneider in the Poll

Tallahassee–A fresh poll released today by the liberal Daily Kos gives Rep. Vern Buchanan a 12-point lead over challenger Christine Jennings, disputing Jennings’ own bogus poll results and showing the Democrat trailing badly among key groups like independents and seniors. The poll showed Buchanan winning 43-31 percent.

The survey was conducted Sept. 23, 24 and 25 by Research 2000 of Rockville, MD, according to the Daily Kos website. Daily Kos runs a national left-wing website dedicated to electing Democrat candidates, but the poll the site released Sunday contradicted Jennings' bogus survey that she released to the press claiming she only trailed by four points. Neither the Jennings’ poll nor the Daily Kos poll included Jan Schneider, a former Democrat who will be on the ballot in November as an unaffiliated candidate.

The Daily Kos poll said Jennings was viewed unfavorably by voters in the 13th District by a margin of 38-32 percent. Additionally, the Daily Kos survey said Buchanan was winning the age 60 and over vote by a whopping 18 points, 46 to 28 percent. Seniors are considered the most reliable voters in an election. Additionally, the poll showed Buchanan was winning the independent vote 40-30 percent.

"Obviously Jennings conducted a phony push poll designed to produce a false result," said RPOF Communications Director Erin VanSickle. “Even the liberal Daily Kos disputes Jennings numbers."

New Video Coming Soon...

In the meantime, do you have some Unconventional Wisdom to share? If so, and if you think you deserve a shout out in an upcoming video, send your idea(s) to Erin at evansickle@rpof.org. If your political punditry is first-class, you might even get to appear in a guest video.

-Conventional Wisdom Team