Thursday, January 12, 2006

REPUBLICROOK DU JOUR: J.D. HAYWORTH, CROOKED NUT JOB FROM ARIZONA

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J.D. Hayworth rode the 1994 GOP reform wave into congress and represents Arizona's 5th CD, mostly Phoenix suburbs like Scottsdale and Tempe. Many Americans are familiar with him as a dependable far right extremist who is always called upon by neo-fascist propagandists like Hannity, O'Liely, Ingraham, Liddy, Scarborough when they need a reliable shill for whatever hideous right-wing bullshit is currently being "debated." He got a moment in the national spotlight a couple months ago when he told Don Imus that he didn't want the increasingly unpopular Bush to come to his district to campaign for him. On the issues that have come before the Congress, it would be difficult to find someone more consistently, across-the-board, knee-jerk right-wing than Hayworth.

But the reason Hayworth is back in the public eye today is not because he's a right wing extremist kook, but because he's a corrupt right wing extremist kook. Everyone knows he's long been awash in ill-gotten wealth distributed to loyal party hacks by Tom DeLay; no new news there. And it is no secret that he's accepted well over $100,000 from indicted Republican rainmaker Jack Abramoff and that he screamed like a stuck pig and absolutely refused when it was suggested he return the tainted money. Nor is it a new story that he partially flip-flopped on this and gave back $2,250 (out of at least $150,000).
But now it's coming out that Hayworth has been participating in a vile Republicrook game where "donations" are legally acquired by a politician's political action committee and then paid out in "consulting fees" to members of the politician's immediate family. This is a trick that many of the most corrupt Republicans use as a matter of course and it is a trick that has made people like Tom DeLay and Dick Pombo-- to single out two of the most corrupt players-- fabulously wealthy. Tom DeLay, Dick Pombo and J.D. Hayworth.

Hayworth used his T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) PAC to launder bribes from people like Abramoff and other favor-seekers to his personal accounts (via his wife) and to spread a little wealth around the Republican House caucus to, in the words of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC's ace political reporter Jon Kamman, "enhance his own prospects of winning a high leadership position."

In October, 2002 Kamman wrote that "the costs of operating the fund-raising PAC have reached $183,000, or more than has been distributed to candidates," the ostensible purpose of Hayworth's little racket. Phoenix's NEW TIMES was also looking into this budding scandal back in the fall of 2002 and also noticed an inordinate amount of what Hayworth was raking in, was being paid out to his wife. Monday, fellow blogger Rum, Romanticism and Rebellion pointed out that TEAM PAC's one employee, Mrs. Hayworth, has personally taken over $100,000 out of the operation, just slightly more than Jack Abramoff's generous contributions. (Remember, Hayworth gave back $2,250 but never gave back a cent of the $83,500 in bribes Abramoff paid TEAM PAC, most of which went right to the little wife.)


TUESDAY UPDATE: MORE BAD NEWS FOR J.D. HAYWORTH

The SurveyUSA poll done for Phoenix tv station KPNX shows major dissatisfaction with the corrupt extreme right-wing Arizona congressloon. 62% of those polled think Hayworth is a liar. And 67% feel his bribery problems will impact his re-election chances. Fingers crossed.

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3 Comments:

At 7:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I live in JD's CD. He is a slick republicrook. There doesn't seem to be much publicity in our rightwing papers regarding his shenanigans. I only hope his misdeeds will get out and get him out...

 
At 9:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, Where do I begin? I stumbled on to this while looking for more info I can use to support J.D.

Firstly, I challenge the blog author to publish an opinion contrary to his views.

Secondly, I challenge any of you misguided Kool-aid sippers to drop your lying rhetoric and state how J. D . has been tyrannical.

Thirdly, the fact you can publish libelous claims about a political leader and get away with it, pretty much screws your claim he is a tyrant.

Finally, if you are uncomfortable with such tyranny, leave the country. I guarantee no storm troopers will be chasing you as you make a run for the nearest border.

It's amazing how twisted some of you are. If protecting our boarders from infiltrators, supporting lower taxation for the citizens,and supporting a strong national national defense is wrong in your eyes you really need get an education. I hope against all rational thought you can comprehend this.

Adoringly,
Right Makes Might

PS Yes I understand you are trying to portray JD as a crook. But your blog "Down with Tyranny," implies JD is a tyrant.

PPS Before you whine about tax breaks for the rich and corporations, unless you are all a bunch of unemployed lazy slobs, which is a distinct possibility, you probably work for a corporation and have a 401K that invests in the stock market. This according to the lib definition makes you rich.

 
At 12:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Met JD over breakfast. I was an out-of-town guest at a local Phoenix/Scotdale breakfast place and he was recognized by one of our party. She thought he was a weatherman or someone famous, so she asked for his autograph, which he gleefully gave her. He sounded newsy and politically friendly,and he seemed pleasant enough. Our group's conversation grew worldly, and I proceed to make some fairly disparaging remarks about the Bush administration and the vacillating oil prices. A conspiracy theorist at heart, I blasted Bush and his Big Oil constituents, made a few remarks about conservative Republicans, and then we moved on to other topics. Before JD and his son left, he came over and introduced himself to all of us, saying in a quite friendly manner that, although he hadn't really been evesdropping, we had all had a very interesting--"ecclectic" was the word he use--conversation, etc. It was not until he left that I and the others learned who he was. I was embarrassed that I had voiced my opinions at first--in his presence and certainly not for his benefit, but then I later gravitated to feeling good that he had heard from Johnna Q. Public, as it were. Now I am reading stuff about him and damn glad I let my feelings be known. If only, only, only people like JD really cared what the rest of us think....If only.

 

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