So Far Three Extreme Right Republicans Want Rematches In 2010

Corrupt Republican lobbyist Mitchell Wade is in prison but Virgil Goode still isn't-- and he wants his old job back

Bill Sali (R-ID) can certainly make the case in he western Idaho district he used to represent that the Democrat who beat him in November, Walt Minnick, votes like a Republican on all the key issues but hampers the GOP's ability to govern on a national basis by supporting a Democratic organization of the House (and the boogie-man... err... woman: Nancy Pelosi). ID-01 is one of the most backward and reactionary districts in the country and includes the Nazi and KKK redoubts around Lake Hayden and Coeur D'Alene. Obama only scored 36% in the district at the same time Sali lost his seat to Minnick, 175,567 (51%) to 171,324 (49%). That represented a lot of serious ticket-splitting, indicating that anyone who wasn't a card-carrying member of Aryan Nations probably had had it with Sali. But he's going to try again. He sure can't accuse Minnick of supporting Obama. Well... he can and, no doubt he will. But it isn't true. In fact, Idaho Democrats have more reasons to stay home than Republican voters have to turn on Minnick and bring back the intensely disliked Sali.

Steve Chabot (OH-01) was also defeated in November-- by moderate Democrat Steve Driehaus, 143,743 (51%) to 135,376 (49%) in the Cincinnati-based district where Obama beat McCain 55-44% (a huge turn around from Bush victories in 2000 and 2004). Unlike Minnick's reactionary Republican voting record, Driehaus has consistently stood up for the Ohio working families who elected him. Cincinnati voters who wanted change have no reason to be disappointed. Chabot will have no leg to stand on except that he wants his career back.

This morning a third defeated wingnut-- this one also a crook-- Virgil Goode, has announced he wants a rematch. VA-05 is the heart of Virginia and it leans Republican but Obama did far better (48%) than Gore (41%) or Kerry (43%) and voters ousted Goode after a dozen unsatisfactory corruption-filled years of right-wing extremism. It was one of the closest, down-to-the-wire races in the country, Tom Perriello beating him 158,712 to 157,967. Perriello has been one of the most conscientious of this year's freshmen, extremely careful to balance his own progressive inclinations with the sensitivities of his district. His voting record has been moderate and tends to reflect opinion in southern Virginia. Goode is still screaming for the rejected far right ideology that devastated the region's economy. And he is also claiming credit for earmarks in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill that will bring around $10 million to VA-05. Perriello voted for the bill-- and for most of the legislation needed to implement President Obama's rescue plan for the nation. Goode insists he opposes everything and there is no doubt that if voters in central Virginia want a pointless obstructionist representing them, Goode is their man. Others might want to consider making an early donation to Tom Perriello's re-election campaign.

Dick Gregory explains what the policies rubber stamped by Goode, Sali and Chabot have wrought. If these guys-- and others like them-- somehow get back into Congress, we could wind up with lots more like this:

Culture of Corruption Scandal Vomits Up More Members Of Congress

A DWT oldie but goodie

Seth Hettena has been more on top of the Mitch Wade corruption case than anyone else and today he revealed who the 5 members of Congress are that Wade ratted out. Last week we speculated that they were the two obvious ones, Virgil Goode (R-VA) and Katherine Harris (R-FL) plus some combination of Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Tom Delay (R-TX), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC). We were on target with Goode, Harris and Lewis, all of whom should have been rotting in prison cells by now, but the other two were Democrats, Senator Dan Inouye (HI) and Congressman Alan Mollohan (WV).

The Inouye and Lewis connections involve Wade’s former employer, defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who introduced Wade to Cunningham.

During his trial, Wilkes testified that it was a “total misrepresentation” to say he relied on the Congressman Cunningham to do everything for him; Jerry Lewis, along with Rep. John Porter of Ill., were far more important, Wilkes said. (There’s excellent background on Lewis’ lobbying operation here.) The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles reportedly opened an investigation into Lewis back in 2006.

By contrast, Inouye, the Senate’s third-most senior Democrat, hasn’t yet been linked to an investigation of “corruption similar to Mr. Cunningham.” Wilkes was seeking the veteran Senate  appropriator’s help in lining up military and government contracts for his Honolulu document conversion subsidiary, Akamai Info Tech. Inouye was also one of more than a dozen members of Congress Wilkes unsuccessfully attempted to subpoena for his trial last year.

Mollohan’s ties to Wade are more direct. He received $23,000 in campaign contributions and gifts to a family foundation from Wade’s company, MZM Inc., and another firm that did business with MZM. In October 2002, MZM gave $20,000 to Mollohan’s Summit PAC.

No wonder Inouye was so adamant about defending Alaska's crooked senator, Ted Stevens. Maybe they can be cellies. Let's hope Inouye resigns as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee this evening-- although I'll happily cover any and all bets on that one.

Blue America Welcomes Back Congressman-Elect Tom Perriello

When Mitchell Wade's lawyer used the fact that he had turned over corruption evidence against 5 members of Congress to plead for a reduced sentence, the response from all quarters was pretty much, "Who else besides Virgil Goode?"

The first time I met Tom Perriello, the politically unconnected, idealistic young progressive who had decided to take on Goode, a deeply entrenched six-term fixture in south-central Virginia, he told me he planned to defeat Goode without making an issue out of the Culture of Corruption. It didn't work in 2006 and Tom felt his values approach was a much better fit for the voters in VA-05. Instead he ran a positive campaign focused on solutions for the economy and offering a better plan for bringing jobs back to this hard-hit district. He was right. He actually out-performed Obama in the district by around 1,300 votes, primarily because he picked up unexpected-- by everyone but Tom-- support from independents and moderate Republicans sick of Goode's extremism. For anyone who wants to delve beyond the archived blog session we had with Tom back on June 28, Adam Serwer's exhaustive wrap up piece for the American Prospect makes a very worthwhile read.

Even on election night when it looked like Tom would win I said that Goode would have to be dragged out of his office, probably chained to his furniture. When the Danville Register, in the reddest part of the district, endorsed Tom, they mentioned they hadn't endorsed a Democrat for Congress since Goode was a Democrat. They'd supported him since 1996 but, they pointed out what so many people in VA-05 were feeling: "We haven’t left Virgil Goode. Virgil Goode has left us."

Anyway, in one of the closest congressional elections anywhere (158,712 to 157,967), Tom managed to win a real cliffhanger several days after most of the Blue America victors had started packing for the move to DC. Although the Virginia Board of Elections certified Tom's 745 vote victory, Goode has refused to concede and is demanding a recount, viewed by most people as pointless-- but costly.

There are 22 localities where the votes have to be recounted. Goode has two volunteer lawyers lined up for each locality. The state GOP is giving him massive support but no one is willing to say what they are spending.

Team Perriello plans to have one volunteer at each locality. They’ve already hired a legal team and believe the recount will cost them $100,000. That’s money the campaign still has to raise.

...The recount is simply a test to see if the vote tallies were recorded correctly. They’ll review computer printouts, re-run optical scan ballots, and count paper ballots by hand. No voting irregularities will be brought up at this time. It’s simply a check of the vote.

Officials with the State Board of Elections say the recount will be complete before Christmas, possibly as early as the second week of December... The results of the recount are final and cannot be appealed. According to Virginia code, the losing candidate’s only option is to challenge the results in court.

If anyone would like to join me help defray the costs to Tom's campaign of this recount, Act Blue has kept his election site open for this very purpose and you can donate through our Blue America page. Eighteen of our congressional candidates won this year (9, including Tom, by defeating incumbents); let's not watch Virgil Goode reduce that number. Please come over to Firedoglake at 2pm (EST) today and spend an hour with us getting an update from Tom.

Michell Wade Thinks He's Ratted Out Enough Republicrooks So As Not To Serve A Day In Jail

Goode lost his House seat. Is prison next?

It's kind of an unwritten law etched into stone that members of Congress don't get indicted within x number of days before an election. They make themselves some pretty helpful rules for themselves, don't they? Anyway, the election is over and "x number of days" is less than 2 years so... suddenly crooked Republican contractor/lobbyist, Mitchell Wade has something of great value: information on a number of congressmen who he bribed during the Tom Delay go-go Culture of Corruption years. Today's Washington Post says he's given the goods to the Feds of five congressmen other than the already convicted and imprisoned Duke Cunningham, currently awaiting a pardon from George Bush.

Wade, who is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15, faces a minimum of nine years in prison. Instead, based primarily on his cooperation with government investigators, he is seeking to have that sentence reduced to "a year of home detention, a fine of $250,000, five years probation and substantial community service," according to the sentencing memorandum filed on his behalf by his attorney, Howard M. Shapiro.

So everyone is running around asking who are the other 3 (besides Virgil Goode and Katherine Harris). Presumably another one is John Doolittle. That leaves two. Prime suspects are Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Tom Delay (R-TX), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC). Seth Hettena, one of the first journalists to get his teeth into the Cunningham case and Wade's role in it, thinks Wade may have spilled the beans on bigger fish than a mere member of Congress... like the Director of National Intelligence, John McConnell.

Will McCain Drag Down The House Republicans?

As we've been reporting all week, Republican members of Congress are starting to look at the reality of pissed off constituents. Red district incumbents in every part of the country-- not Utah, of course-- are suddenly understanding that the dire warnings they've been hearing on an abstract level are actually directed at them. Entrenched GOP incumbents in safe districts are suddenly hysterical and making such gargantuan demands on the NRCC that, according to Politico, the GOP has decided to just toss their few long-shot challengers-- like Dean Andal (CA-11), Erik Paulsen (MN-03), Sydney Hay (AZ-01), Richard Goddard (GA-08), Dave Schweinkert (AZ-05), Jay Love (AL-02), Darren White (NM-01), Steve Stivers (OH-15), Keith Fimian (VA-11), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Pete Olson (TX-22), Dale Sweetland (NY-25), Martin Ozinga (IL-11), Chris Hackett (PA-10), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09), Chris Myers (NJ-03), Leonard Lance (NJ-07), John Gard (WI-08), Kirk Schuring (OH-16)-- overboard.

Even Tom Rooney (FL-16), one of the only Republican challengers to a Democratic incumbent-- in this case to Tim Mahoney, a much disliked fake Dem caught up in a sex and payoff scandal-- with a real chance to win, is probably going to have to do it on his own without much help from the party.

That's because endangered and sinking incumbents like Marilyn Musgrave (CO-04), Ric Keller (FL-08), Robin Hayes (NC-08), Dave Reichert (WA-08), Dan Lungren (CA-03), David Dreier (CA-26), Mean Jean Schmidt (OH-02), Randy Kuhl (NY-29), John Shadegg (AZ-03), Ileana Ros-Lehinen (FL-18), Phil English (PA-03), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Joe Knollenberg (MI-09), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), Virgil Goode (VA-05), among others, are clamoring for funds to fight off surging Democratic challengers.

GOP Reps. John B. Shadegg of Arizona, Lee Terry of Nebraska, Henry Brown Jr. of South Carolina and Dan Lungren of California are all fighting for their political lives, a reversal of fortunes that has caught even the most astute campaign observers by surprise.

...If 2008 looks like 2006, a new wave of veteran Republicans will be out on the streets, and the colleagues they leave behind could find themselves with the smallest minority since the post-Watergate era.

...Despite some early suggestions that John McCain would help a few Republicans in marginal districts, the presidential election is playing to the Democrats’ favor in races across the country. Barack Obama’s current momentum is strong enough that even some Republicans in red states, such as Nebraska, have tied themselves to the Democrats this fall.

In Nebraska, where Obama hired a state director to help him turn out the vote in and around Omaha, Terry just sent voters a piece of mail with a testimonial from a woman who plans to split her vote between the Republican congressman and the Democratic presidential contender-- a sure sign that the GOP brand is lagging along with the economy and McCain’s own prospects for the White House.

Today is the last day of the People For the American Way Progressive Champion competition which will give three winning progressive candidates a total of $7,000-- on top of the $100,000 they have already collectively earned in the contest. If you can even spare one dollar or ten dollars, please use it to help your favorite congressional candidate leverage part of that prize. The contest ends at midnight tonight (PT). Just click that link that says "Progressive Champions" above. Insider the Beltway pundits are predicting one or two dozen GOP defeats. I think we can hand them four dozen. Let's make sure we're laughing at the pundits again in November like we did in 2006.

How has it come to this? These guys sum up Palin's role in all this pretty smartly:




UPDATE: VIRGIL GOODE

Some Republicans need no help from John McCain to be dragged down. McCain loves crowing about how he (and, ironically, Palin) have opposed Don Young's and Ted Stevens' earmark extravagenza Bridge to Nowhere. I wonder if he'll mention Virginia hypocrite Virgil Goode's earmark for a gay porn movie.

Democrats And Republicans Unite To Aid Small Businesses-- Except Lunatic Fringe Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode

Tom Perriello, supporter of small business

After Congress rejected the Bush Regime's bailout/giveaway for Wall Street, they moved on to something far less controversial, HR 7175, the Small Business Financing Improvements Act of 2008. Unless McConnell and McCain and the rest of the McCreeps in the Senate McObstruct it-- and if Bush signs it (and he wouldn't dare to not), the bill reauthorizes small business assistance programs through the Small Business Administration. Even the craziest right wing fringe maniacs joined the Democrats in supporting this... well, let me re-phrase that. All the craziest right wing fringe maniacs but six joined the Democrats in supporting small business, the real engine of whatever is left of American prospertity.

No one should be surprised-- least of all the residents of Virginia's economically hard-hit 5th CD-- that their corrupt member of Congress, Virgil Goode, was one of the half dozen irresponsible Republicans to vote no. We asked Tom Perrielllo, the Blue America-endorsed Democrat running to give the district some serious representation, if Goode had had some kind of breakdown to make him take such a destructive stand against small business.

"It's nothing short of unbelievable that in the middle of an economic meltdown, Congressman Goode would oppose assistance programs for small businesses, who are the most vulnerable to the current credit crisis. His vote is amazingly out of touch. Congressman Goode talks a good game about standing up for the middle class, but where is he when it matters? He has sided time and time again with the special interests and even today-- of all days-- he votes against Main Street. It's unbelievable and unacceptable."

If you want to see a corrupt delinquent like Goode retired from Congress so he will no longer be causing problems for Virginians-- and Americans-- Tom Perriello is one of our priority candidates this year and even $5 and $10 donations are gratefully accepted.

Comprehensive Energy Legislation-- Who Stood With Big Oil And Who Stood With American Families?

Petrified that the Democrats intended to call their bluff on their two asinine months of "Drill Here Now" nonsense, a gaggle of frightened, shaking Republicans opened the day with a motion to adjourn. It was overwhelmingly defeated, although Texas Tea Party tire-gauge clowns Phil English (R-PA- $189,136), Pete Sessions (R-TX- $559,314), Phil Gingrey (R-GA- $34,500), and John Carter (R-TX- $140,900) were among the bought-off Oil company Republican extremists who voted for it.

The enabling legislation (House Resolution 1433) for Louise Slaughter's Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act seeks to reduce U.S. dependence "on oil through renewable and clean, alternative fuel technologies while building a bridge to the future through expanded access to Federal oil and natural gas resources, revising the relationship between the oil and gas industry and the consumers who own those resources and deserve a fair return from the development of publicly owned oil and gas, ending tax subsidies for large oil and gas companies, and facilitating energy efficiencies in the building, housing, and transportation sectors, and for other purposes."

Big Oil has signaled their bought-and-paid-for Republican (and Blue Dog) congressmen that they do not want this bill to pass. When the procedural votes began only two Republicans-- Peter King (NY) and the retiring Vito Fossella (NY)-- joined the Democrats to serve the interests of constituents. The rest of the Republicans were more interested in serving the interests of the Big Oil corporations that have donated $166,126,945 to Republican Party politicians since 1990. Among the "Drill Here Now" bigshots cringing and peeing in their bloomers, afraid to vote, were John Culberson (R-TX- $304,461), Tim Walberg (R-MI- $21,950), Ted Poe (R-TX- $128,650), David Dreier (R-CA- $130,400), Michael McCaul (R-TX- $108,934), and Randy Neugebauer (R-TX- $352,022). The three procedural votes passed.

Then late last night came the votes on HR 6899, the bill itself. The Republicans started with a motion to recommit (or kill) the bill. That failed 191-226, with ten corrupted Democrats-- Jason Altmire (D-PA- $2,000), John Barrow (D-GA- $20,500), Don Cazayoux (D-LA- $6,100), Travis Childers (D-MS), Joe Donnelly (D-IN- $1,000), Bill Foster (D-IL- $750), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD- $16,850), Tim Holden (D-PA- $15,500), Gene Taylor (D-MS- $76,350) and Tim Walz (D-MN- $2,500)-- joining the GOP oil whores. The final bill passed 236 to 189 with 13 cowardly Democrats crossing the aisle to vote with the Republicans and 15 cowardly Republicans crossing the other way.

We would like to single out a few Republicans who are trying to pass themselves off as consumer-friendly moderates but who may have figured no one would know back home and took the shot and voted with Big Oil and against their own constituents:

Mary Bono Mack (R-CA- )
Charlie Dent (R-PA- )
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL- $54,900)
Phil English (R-PA- $189,136)
Jim Gerlach (R-PA- $102,280)
Sam Graves (R-MO- $63,983)
Ric Keller (R-FL- $58,325)
Peter King (R-NY- $52,950)
Randy Kuhl (R-NY- $37,600)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL- $69,340)

Needless to say, the radical right extremists all voted no, irresponsible, bought-off members of Congress like Michele Bachmann (R-MN- $51,700), John Culberson (R-TX- $304,461), Thelma Drake (R-VA- $86,960), David Dreier (R-CA- $130,400), Randy Forbes (R-VA- $21,050), Scott Garrett (R-NJ- $69,000), Virgil Goode (R-VA- $41,350), John Kline (R-MN- $119,205), Michael McCaul (R-TX- $108,934), Patrick McHenry (R-NC- $26,000), Steve Pearce (R-NM- $615,874), Mike Pence (R-IN- $153,450), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA- $66,694), Mean Jean Schmidt (R-OH- $9,100), John Shadegg (R-AZ- $120,995), Frank Wolf (R-VA- $77,682), Don Young (R-AK- $957,263)...

Pete DeFazio (D-OR) explained the finances behind the bill and why almost every Republican in the House opposed it. "The oil and gas industry contributed $166 million to the Republicans since 1990, 75% of their political contributions. In fact, when President Bush took office, gas cost $1.47 a gallon. Today, gas costs $3.79. In fact, in 2002, the oil companies made $30 billion in profits. In 2008, it's projected they will make an unbelievable record $160 billion of profits, every penny extracted from American consumers and American small businesses and borrowed from overseas, putting us in huge trouble. The oil companies took care of the Republican cronies and the Republicans legislated on their behalf."

Chris Van Hollen called the Republicans out on their hypocrisy, explaining the bill. "For weeks our Republican colleagues have claimed they want an 'All of the Above' piece of legislation… it turns out they want 'All of the Above' with a big asterisk next to it. It turns out it's 'All of the Above' except let's not take away some of taxpayer giveaways and subsides to the big oil and gas companies and use them for renewable energy and energy efficiency."



The blatant hypocrisy of so many Republican congressmen will become a major campaign issue for smart Democratic challengers like Tom Perriello in the south central Virginia heartland. Tom is running against one of the most corrupt men in Congress-- and one of the most hypocritical-- Virgil Goode. "When it comes to energy independence, Rep. Goode's record is running on empty," Tom told VA-05 voters last night. "He is demonstrating tremendous hypocrisy: talking about his support for increased drilling and alternatives then voting against them. Apparently, he'd rather protect oil company profits than increase drilling and make America energy independent. Time and time again, he has consistently stood with Big Oil while working families get crushed at the pump, and he has misled voters on his record. The facts are: he gets richer as gas prices go up and his campaign gets richer as gas prices go up. It's no wonder he's voting with the oil companies while middle class families pay the price."

Tom has told us that if he can get Goode's voting record into the consciousness of voters, he'll win the race. That's why Blue America has endorsed him and is trying to help him raise money to get his message out. As for Goode's voting record, it speaks for itself:

April 20, 2005: Rep. Goode voted against an amendment to the 2005 energy bill that sought to increase average fuel economy of automobiles from 25-miles-per-gallon to 33-miles-per-gallon. [HR 6, Vote # 121, 4/20/05]

July 28, 2005: Rep. Goode voted for the energy conference report that exempted oil and gas industries from some clean-water laws, streamlined permits for oil wells and power lines on public lands, and helped the hydropower industry appeal environmental restrictions. It also included an estimated $85 billion worth of subsidies and tax breaks for most forms of energy – including oil and gas and "clean coal." [HR 6, Vote #445, 7/28/05]

January 18, 2007: Rep. Goode voted against shifting certain revenue from royalties and tax incentives from oil and gas companies into a reserve fund for alternative and renewable energies. [HR 6, Vote #40, 1/18/07]

December 6, 2007: Rep. Goode voted against comprehensive energy legislation that would raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years. It also would eliminate or reduce $13 billion in subsidies and tax breaks for the five major oil and gas companies to be used for tax incentives for development of renewable energy sources like ethanol from grasses and wood chips and biodiesel and for energy efficiency programs and conservation. [HR 6, Vote #1140, 12/06/07]

February 27, 2008: Representative Virgil Goode opposed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351), which will end unnecessary taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil companies and use that money to make investments in clean, renewable energy and promote energy conservation [H.R. 5351, #84, 2/27/08]

May 21, 2008: Representative Virgil Goode opposed the Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008, which will provide tax relief for millions of American families and extend research and development credits to help reduce America's dependence on foreign oil [H R 6049, # 344].

Last night: Rep. Goode votes against the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act which will:

• Allow drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and increase domestic oil production in Alaska
• Extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy, and retain and create hundreds of thousands of American "green collar" jobs
• Repeal tax subsidies for the Big Five oil companies
• Require utility companies to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources -- such as wind power, biomass, wave, tidal, geothermal and solar -- by 2020
• Provide incentives to lenders and financial institutions to give lower-interest loans to consumers who build, buy or remodel their homes to improve their energy efficiency

Just up the road a piece, Sam Bennett is running against another equally culpable Bush rubber stamp cut from the same exact heinous mold. And, like Tom Perriello, Sam came out swinging today-- swinging for her neighbors in the Lehigh Valley. “With this vote, my opponent made it clear that he stands on the side of Bush and Big Oil,” Sam explained.  “He’s let so many people down in our district.  Hardworking Lehigh Valley families deserve better representation in Congress.  And when they elect me, they’re going to get it. My opponent actually wants more than just the same.  He wants to make matters worse. “If Charles W. Dent and George W. Bush have it their way, in just a couple of months, even more of us won’t be able to fill our gas tanks and get to work or keep the heat on in our own homes.  We can absolutely do better than that and it’s time for a change.  So, as your representative in Congress, I’ll do more than talk about America’s energy future.  I’ll vote YES.” This profile of Dent's energy record looks an awful lot like Goode's-- sickening. They should both be help accountable in November:

• Dent says NO to American Energy Security [HR 6899, Vote 599, 9/16/08, passed 236 to 189
• Rep. Charlie Dent has taken $75,831 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. [http://opensecrets.org]
• Dent says NO to renewable energy standards for electric companies.  [HR 3221, Vote 827, 08/04/07]
• Dent says NO to energy efficiency and conservation funding. [HR 2419, Vote 207, 5/24/05]

Who Wants To Extend And Deepen The Bush Economic Miracle?

Even if you don't blame McCain, per se, for the Wall Street meltdown this weekend, there is no getting around the fact that the Republican Party mania against the federal regulatory agenda protecting consumers and workers has been part of the McCain gestalt from the time he was first elected to Congress-- and as recently as May 29, 2007 McCain boasted to the Wall Street Journal that "you are interviewing the greatest free trader you will ever interview, and the greatest deregulator you will ever interview." But Obama was dead on when he said it's Republican Party philosophy we should blame for the economic and financial problems we're facing, not the man who admits he doesn't know squat about the economy and who surrounds himself with the worst set of predators running GOP economic policy since the late 1920s.

I certainly don't fault Senator McCain for these problems, but I do fault the economic philosophy he subscribes to. It's a philosophy we've had for the last eight years-- one that says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. It's a philosophy that says even common-sense regulations are unnecessary and unwise, and one that says we should just stick our heads in the sand and ignore economic problems until they spiral into crises.

Across the country savvy Democratic challengers to Republican rubber stamps of the Bush Economic Miracle have been explaining to voters the connection between GOP "philosophy" --and policy, and the economic woes and financial meltdown that are engulfing us all. In Nebraska, Scott Klebb is running against an anti-regulatory hack from Bush's cabinet, Mike Johanns. He was quick to explain why his campaign had put together a stomach churning video: "On a day where lax accountability and reckless oversight in Washington are in the forefront of the nation's mind, this 30 second video summarizing four years of broken government encapsulates the need for change in Washington."

Maine Congressman Tom Allen is running for a Senate seat held by one of Bush's most dependable allies on economic issues, Susan Collins, often opposing not just the Maine Democrats in the House, but even the Maine Republican, Olympia Snowe, in the Senate. According to the Portland Press Herald "Senator Olympia Snowe was right when she called these Bush tax breaks for the superwealthy 'cynical' and the 'wrong message for middle class America.'" The whole Maine delegation opposed them-- except Collins, who, as usual, stuck with Bush and the Republican dedication to wreck the federal regulatory system, the results we now see getting a stranglehold on the American economy, an economy in shambles, regardless of how many McCain shills call the American people whiners and exaggerators and no matter how many times McCain insists that the economy is sound and that we're better off under Bush's stewardship of the economy.

As the Dow dropped over 500 points, no doubt on what McCain insists are "strong fundamentals," I heard from several congressional candidates, particularly from candidates running against Republicans directly complicit in the Wall Street meltdown, like New Jersey's far right ideologue Scott Garrett, a member of the House Financial Services Committee. His Democratic opponent, Dennis Shulman, the can-do, blind rabbi lionized in yesterday's NY Times has some very pointed questions for Garrett who, it rightly asserts, helped bring about the subprime mortgage crisis by championing the specific legislative agenda of Countrywide Financial, the arch villain in this catastrophe.

"Countrywide Financial is widely recognized as having been the company at the forefront of these shady practices, practices that are bringing down generations-old investment banks and threatening to further derail the economy. Why did Scott Garrett vote consistently in favor of Countrywide Financial's desired positions, why did he put their former lobbyist on the taxpayers' payroll as his chief of staff, and will Garrett take responsibility for the disaster that occurred under his watch?" Shulman for Congress calls upon Scott Garrett to answer three questions:

• What were the terms of the mortgage you refinanced with Countrywide Financial in May 2003, during the time in which your current Chief of Staff lobbied for Countrywide and when Countrywide was giving congressmen with oversight responsibilities sweetheart deals?

• Why did you vote against anti-predatory lending bills and defend those pro-Countrywide Financial votes this spring by observing, "Just a year ago we were talking about how great it was (that) the highest percentage of Americans ever were in their homes?"

• Will you acknowledge that Dennis Shulman is right to vow to not take any money from industries his committees regulate, given how your votes in favor of Countrywide Financial have led to a national disaster?

Another extreme right ideologue on the Financial Services Committee is Republican Patrick McHenry. Yesterday we did a profile on McHenry's opponent, Democrat Daniel Johnson. Our research turned up an Op-ed McHenry penned for the Charlotte Observer on October 27, 2005. (Keep in mind that McHenry's biggest campaign "donors" are from three industries with one anti-regulatory agenda: Real Estate, Insurance and Commercial Banks.) McHenry's Op-ed was in response to a series of stories that didn't reflect well on his buddies at Countrywide and other predatory subprime mortgage lenders. In his effusive praise for the subprime mortgage industry, McHenry argues against what he and most Republicans call "burdensome regulations," but what normal Americans call society's way of protecting consumers from powerful unscrupulous operators.

Tom Perriello is in a knock down drag out fight with one of the Abramoff-connected operators in the House, Virgil Goode (R-VA). Tom's clear and powerful statement yesterday is how Democrats should speak with their voters about the economic crisis:

The failed economic policies of the Bush-Goode years rear their ugly head yet again. This is another financial crisis that Virginia's middle class families cannot afford. We have rising unemployment rates, an exploding national debt, a housing crisis, and yet, all we see from the gang in Washington is more of the same failed policies, which Congressman Goode has rubber-stamped during his time in Congress. The Good Book says we shall be known by our fruits. Well, Southside has lost over 10,000 jobs on Congressman Goode's watch. It's not surprising that when you take $1.5 million in campaign contributions from the special interests, you protect giant corporations again and again while middle class families pay the price. We need new leaders who will work a double shift for economic revival, which I've pledged will be my number one priority in Congress.

BLUE AMERICA WELCOMES TOM PERRIELLO (D-VA)

If you don't live in Virginia's fifth congressional district there are probably two stories you know about its member of Congress, Virgil Goode, Jr. One is how integrally tied up he has been in the Republican Culture of Corruption, particularly in regard to congressional bribers Mitchell Wade and Brent Wilkes. They were both found guilty, but the man they paid the most bribes to is still a member of Congress! And their MZM fiasco is not just about corruption but also about a local tragedy that cost the taxpayers of the City of Martinsville and Henry County upwards of $775,000 after Goode's deal with them went bust. And if GOP corruption has faded from your memory, you may still remember Goode's moment on the national stage when he introduced anti-Muslim bigotry and old fashioned racism with a gratuitous and deranged attack on a newly elected congressman from Minneapolis, Keith Ellison. (Oh, and Goode isn't too good at math or working and playing well with others.)

When I met Virginia activist Tom Perriello for the first time he told me he is running for Congress to replace the culture of corruption in Washington with a culture of service. I liked how it sounded. As I got to know him better over the months, and to meet his friends and colleagues, I came to understand that that isn't a slogan; it's at the core of his life. Tom struck me as one of the most earnest guys I had ever met running for office. He comes from a faith based background-- in the finest and most admirable sense of the term-- which has community service front and center. He's spent years working on solutions to human rights issues in Africa and security issues in Afghanistan.

I'm not willing to cede on inch of my faith or my values to one side of the equation claiming to know God's will on earth. I believe this is a chance-- even bigger than our politics-- to reclaim the very debate about what it means to live in what Martin Luther King called "the beloved community." That's because loving your neighbor as yourself is not just a good idea, it's an actual Commandment.

Before we go on to ask Tom about his specific plans to bring a new perspective to Congress, I'd urge you to watch this little video he made for us that explains why he decided to run for Congress.



There's a chance Virginia Democrats could pick up as many as 4 seats in the House and almost a sure thing that they are picking up an open Republican Senate seat. If Obama wins one southern state this year it is likely to be Virginia. Tom's district has a PVI of R+6 and Bush won in 2004 with 56% of the vote. On the other hand, Mark Warner and Jim Webb are probably the most respected and best liked politicians in the area and local Democrats have been winning elections in VA-05 lately. In the last congressional race, Al Weed held Goode down to under 60%. Since then, the Republican agenda, which he has consistently rubber stamped, has turned toxic in the minds of most people. Tom is running neck and neck with Goode in the fundraising race; each has just over $600,000 on hand-- Goode from lobbyists, PACs and big industries whose interests he looks out for, and Tom from individuals looking for a new kind of political leader. We just added Tom to the Blue America candidate's list and I hope you'll be moved to make a donation to his campaign today after hearing what he has to say in the over at Firedoglake (comments section), where he'll be live blogging today from 2pm-4pm, EST.


UPDATE: TOM LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW

You can hear Tom speaking about the issues driving the campaign in Virginia at Blog Talk Radio right here at their archive.

TOM PERRIELLO (D-VA) AND CONVICTION POLITICS

There are several progressive Democrats running for the Senate and House who Blue America are looking into right now to see if any of them are the "right fit" for our endorsement. Several are in Virginia and one that we've been particularly excited about is the man running against corrupt reactionary Republican incumbent Virgil Goode, Jr. (who, oddly, has still not been indicted in the Wilkes bribery and corruption scandal, since he was certainly at the heart of it). But, as you know, we are looking for more than just a live, breathing Democrat to run against a corrupt and reactionary Republican when we hand out our endorsements. A couple of days ago I had another long and inspiring phone conversation with Tom Perriello. When we were finished talking I asked him if he'd do a post for DWT that laid out what he means when he talks, compellingly, about "conviction politics." I also asked him to clarify his position on choice since there seems to be some confusion about it in the netroots, though none whatsoever when he and I have been discussing it on the phone. Here's what he came up with:

When we stand on our principles, Democrats turn red districts blue. More importantly, we win with a real mandate to make people's lives better. I call this conviction politics, and I see it at the core of the victories by Tim Kaine and Jim Webb in my home state of Virginia. They shed the outdated and artificial political labels of right and left, which inevitably push our public debate toward a "triangulated" center. The press always struggled to label the Dems who won key races in 2005-2007, sometimes wrongly defaulting to the term moderates (which they most certainly were not). They were (and most still are) the kind of leaders that make voters say, "I may not agree with her/him on everything, but I sure know where s/he stands." And they made me believe I could run the kind of campaign that is worth running-- and win.

As I travel around my district in central and Southside Virginia, I find people are hungry for a new generation of politics that focuses on promoting the common good. Issues like torture and wiretapping, corporate accountability and living wages, and universal health care should not be policies of right or left, but questions of right or wrong. These are questions of whether we fundamentally believe we are in this together and should have our neighbor's back.

I am running against Virgil Goode, whose inflammatory remarks about Muslims and immigrants occasionally make the Daily Show highlights. And I am going to win by offering a real progressive alternative and calling out in no uncertain terms why Goode and Bush make America less safe, make our jobs less secure, and simply don't get the world we live in. This is not just about getting universal health care. It is about restoring a culture that is built on the principle that I am better off when my neighbor has health insurance.

We would not be having this debate or witnessing this tidal change if it were not for the netroots. My previous work involved taking people-powered politics to a global level by helping to launch Avaaz.org, an online advocacy community with 2 million members from around the world that operates in 13 languages. I have also seen the power of online members to support my work inside Darfur with rebel groups that no foundation would dare to fund. I was part of FaithfulAmerica.org that helped to bring together moderate and progressive people of faith around issues of economic fairness, health care, and environmental stewardship. This community has transformed the rules of our politics and expanded our sense of what is possible.

Confusion ...[about] my position on abortion may stem either from my public association with Catholicism as co-founder of the progressive Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good or from being badly misquoted in a New York Times article following the 2004 election. I firmly believe that abortion should not be criminalized, nor can we allow any action that seeks to coerce women by reducing access to care or making the process less safe.

I also believe that progressives need to move from defense to offense on this issue. Like NARAL and most Americans, I believe we can and must do something to reduce the 1.2 million abortions performed in this country each year. That is why I have been part of the coalition that worked with Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Tim Ryan on designing legislation known as the Reducing the Need for Abortions and Supporting Parents Act (H.R. 1074). The legislation targets the root causes most often cited for making the painful choice to abort a pregnancy. It includes prevention provisions (e.g. access to contraception and family planning, funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy) and support provisions (e.g. increase of pre- and post-natal and pediatric health care, child care assistance, domestic violence prevention programs, Job Corps Child Centers).

In a different context, this abortion reduction package might be seen as a laundry list of "liberal Democratic priorities," but framing the issue in this manner helped get much of this bill enacted into law as part of the recent Appropriations omnibus. It has also given Democrats a powerful tool to blunt attacks by Republicans, call them on their "culture of life" hypocrisy, and re-engage some faith voters. I have worked on and marched for women's rights in a number of countries, and I have always been inspired to see the ways in which gender issues are a gateway through which to understand the deepest injustices in our society. Shifting the debate from the far right's terms to ones of empowering women through better economic and health policies is just one part of reclaiming the debate about justice in our society.

There's hope for VA-05: a serious alternative to one of Congress's most dismal dullards, Virgil Goode

I'm not in a position to say that Virgil Goode (VA-05)--that's pronounced to rhyme with "booed"--is the dumbest cluck in Congress. There's too much talent in play in that competition. So let's just say that there's nobody publicly dumber. Anytime our Virgil is within range of a microphone, his mouth seems to open, and the most astonishing, and astonishingly hateful, stuff just spews out, more likely than not bigoted, xenophobic, and hate-mongering. Not to mention really, really dumb.

Remember the furor he caused over Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison choosing to be sworn in as a congressman with a Koran?

I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

Yesterday Lowell of Raising Kaine reported: "We Have a Nominee Against Virgil Goode!" One of two Albemarle County Dems who had been vying for the nomination, David Shreve, dropped out of the race, leaving the field to Tom Perriello. Lowell writes:

As I have written previously, Tom Perriello is an extremely intriguing candidate who is generating a great deal of enthusiasm. Tom's progressive, faith-based approach, combined with his impressive fundraising, could very well give Virgil Goode a run for his money like he's never seen.

Since Lowell's piece appeared, I'm seeing a veritable deluge of encomia to Tom Perriello from the right people, people whose judgment I respect who know Tom and consider him, not just a high-order-of-magnitude upgrade over Virgil Goode (let's fact it, a Pet Rock would qualify for that), but an outstanding candidate in his own right.

Here's the bio of Tom that's posted on Wikipedia:

Born and raised in Albemarle County, Perriello is a product of Murray, Meriwether Lewis, Henley and Western Albemarle High School and graduated from St. Anne’s Belfield. He received both his B.A. (1996) and J.D. (2001) from Yale University. From 2002-03, Perriello was special advisor to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, where he helped to prosecute warlords.[2] He has been a consultant to the International Centre for Transitional Justice in Kosovo (2003), Darfur (2005), and Afghanistan (2007) where he worked on justice-based security strategies. Perriello has also been a fellow at The Century Foundation and consultant to the National Council of Churches of Christ. He helped to launch FaithfulAmerica.org and is a co-founder of DarfurGenocide.org and Avaaz.org, an international on-line community of 1.5 million members, operating in 12 languages, dedicated to building a global response to "problems without borders," such as climate change.

Tom is currently a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia Law School, where he has won an encomium from my pal Mike Stark (whose "accountability moment" at Bill O'Reilly's house I was pleased to participate in this summer). An excited Mike (that's him on the right in the photo) describes Tom as "a candidate to feel good about," and believe me, Mike is a tough crowd.

With Howie due back from his travels momentarily, once he's had a chance to catch his breath and settle back into his beloved blogging chair, I'm sure he's going to want to take his customary closer look at VA-05.

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TWO OF CUNNINGHAM'S BRIBERS, WILKES AND WADE, EXPERIENCE SOME DISCOMFITURE

Wade & Goode-- If there's a briber isn't there also a bribee?

Yesterday, in two somewhat-- albeit distantly-- related matters, Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, two sleazy, crooked Republican contractors, went through a tough day. Wilkes, who is being tried in San Diego for bribing Cunningham, saw his case go to the jury. "Prosecutor Jason Forge said Wilkes' claims of innocence were preposterous and disputed that there were legitimate explanations for gifts and money given to Cunningham."

Even though the prosecutor was fairly inept when Wilkes took the stand, there is such a preponderance of evidence against him that it is still likely he will be found guilty. Interestingly, at one point he claimed-- something I have said for 2 years-- that he was getting more out of Jerry Lewis (R-CA), a far bigger crook than Cunningham, and ten times as corrupt-- than he was out of the Dukester.

Closing arguments began at 2:45 p.m. Prosecutor Sanjay Bhandari gave a very succinct, calm and, I thought, effective closing argument. He said the case boiled down to a question of whether Wilkes gave Cunningham things of value for influence and then tried to hide it. Wilkes friendship with Cunningham, Bhandari said, was a cultivated one, motivated by an attempt to get something back from the congressman. Every time Wilkes wanted something from Cunningham, a bribe changed hands. Wilkes’ defense was a cover story concocted long ago. For him to be telling the truth, a long list of people have to be lying.

A very animated Mark Geragos told jurors that the only lies they have heard were ones the government had been telling them, based on the testimony of admitted felons like Mitch Wade.

Ah, yes... Mitch Wade. He had a bad day too. Yesterday, as the result of a complaint filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Federal Election Commission announced the second largest fine in FEC history -- $1,000,000-- has been imposed against Wade and his company MZM for illegally funnelling campaign contributions/bribes to crooked Republicans Virgil Goode (VA) and Katherine Harris (FL).

IMMIGRATION-- THE GREED & SELFISHNESS WING OF THE GOP vs THE HATRED & BIGOTRY WING-- BUSH & GOODE

Graham and Chambliss were booed at GOP conventions. They still love Goode though

Having just come back from at least 3 days in Washington I can report that there are definitely people Inside the Beltway who are convinced that Virgil Goode, Jr (R-VA) isn't as much of a racist, xenophobic and Know Nothing bigot as he portrays himself. Some say he's just trying to take the spotlight off the egregious corruption that is likely to land him in prison eventually. Others say, that, yes, he's one of the half dozen most corrupt members of Congress but that he actually is every bit as racist, xenophobic and bigoted as he comes off-- and is the very definition of a classic Know Nothing.

I'll come back to Rep. Goode in a moment. First let me address the leader of his party, someone who gets a lot more sophisticated advice-- both about how to steal money and how to play to the basest nature of the base. George "I believe in cheap labor" Bush "lashed out at critics within his own party Tuesday, accusing Republican opponents of distorting the immigration deal he negotiated with leading congressional Democrats and playing on the politics of fear to undermine public support. In stern tones normally reserved for the liberal opposition, Bush said conservatives fighting the immigration proposal 'haven't read the bill' and oppose it in some cases because 'it might make somebody else look good.' Their 'empty political rhetoric,' he said, threatens to thwart what he called the last, best chance to fix an immigration system that all sides agree is broken."

Bush spoke in Georgia, a state renowned for racism and xenophobia, a hotbed of the resurgence of a Know Nothing movement that has taken over CNN and the GOP. Last week Georgia's extreme right wing senator, Saxby Chamberpot, was booed at the state GOP convention when he tried defending Bush's immigration bill. According to the NY Times, "Bush's trip to Georgia opened a campaign intended to undercut the criticism that has consumed conservative talk shows and Web sites and to educate the public about a complicated bill."

It would be awesome to see Bush on with Lou Dobbs some time; like that will ever happen. Meanwhile right-wingers are pissed that the Greed and Selfishness wing of the GOP is calling out the Hatred and Bigotry wing.

"I don't think name-calling does any good at this point," said David A. Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union. "What they've done from the very beginning is say, 'This is the way we want it done, and anyone who disagrees with us is outside the mainstream.' . . . It's been badly handled. They'll be lucky, given the attitudes in the country, to come up with anything."

Brian Darling, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said he and his colleagues not only have read the bill but also have posted it on the think tank's Web site. "Most conservatives have very strong feelings that this bill contains amnesty . . . and no yelling and screaming by the administration is going to change our minds," he said.

As for the charge of scare tactics, Darling said: "Honestly, I really think people should be frightened. This bill would be the most dramatic change to immigration law in 40 years, and no one seems to understand what's in the bill. . . . The American people should be frightened by the closed-door process that was used and by the ramifications."

Now, back to Virgil Goode, Jr. Let's forget, for a moment all the bribes and corruption and his connections to all the worst elements of the GOP Culture of Corruption. Let's, for a moment, even forget the spectacle he made of his anti-Moslem bigotry when he challenged Congressman Keith Ellison's right to be sworn into Congress on a Koran instead of a Christian Bible. Goode has stopped, momentarily, bashing American Moslems so he could concentrate on those little flags in Mexican restaurants.

One of the local papers in his district, the Charlottesville Daily Progress did a piece yesterday about Goode's opposition to the Bush immigration bill. "'I'm opposed to it. It provides amnesty,'" Goode said on the same day that Bush declared the opposite... [And] he's riled by restaurants in his region that display a Mexican flag."

And in little towns in his district and across the line in North Carolina, "They've got a Mexican flag in these restaurants... They've got one on Main Street in Rocky Mount! They've got one on Tanyard Road in Rocky Mount!

"That riles me," he acknowledged. "If you want to be part of America, fly the American flag!"

God only knows what happens if he ever wanders into New York or L.A. and sees Americans proudly displaying Irish, Italian, Brazilian, Israeli, Armenian, and South Korean flags (not to mention the Mexican ones that so offend his delicate sensitivities)-- often alongside American flags-- to celebrate a heritage they are proud of. It's always been the American way, except for the descendants of convicts, like Goode, who were dumped on American shores and have nothing to be proud of. Meanwhile, Taco Bells in southern Virginia-- beware