Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > March > 07 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNot necessarily good news for Republican congressional candidates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The New York Times has this today:
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are missing and presumed stolen from the chief fund-raising arm of House Republicans, according to party officials who described the findings of emergency internal audits.
The financial records of the group, the National Republican Congressional Committee, may also have been falsified for several years, Republican officials said. The campaign committees of several Republican lawmakers may also have been victims of a scam that is now under criminal investigation by the F.B.I.
The NRCC raises money for U.S. House races, and it’s already short on cash. No doubt this will make fund-raising even tougher.
If you’re Rick Goddard in Perry or John Stone in Augusta — the two are running against U.S. Reps. Jim Marshall and John Barrow, respectively — you hate to see this.
Stone just wrote us: “I’m looking at the bright side of this. At least I don’t have to keep checking the P.O. box for that NRCC check.”
Comments
By Dusty
March 7, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
I wish you hadn’t said that this report came from the New York Times. Ever since they presented their “oh ho I smell a rat but can’t prove it but most surely McCain got cozy with a lobbyist” trash, I smell a rat every time I hear a New York Times report.
If the FBI is investigating the NRCC, then tell us about it when you get some facts. That way we won’t have to read the “retract” statement that the Times’ editors use after their ‘journalists’ spread news without facts (usually against Republicans).
By Terrance
March 7, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this
The best “hope” the Georgia GOP had to beat Rep. Barrow went out the window when Karen Bogans decided not to run. She would have taken 50% of those new Obama/Hillary voters who would have wanted a new-type conservative to change the other party also.
A viable Black conservative woman who have helped McCain and Saxby hold Georgia.
When Barrow beats Stone 60 to 40—let the finger pointing begin. Remember John Stone was one of the advisors who told Jim Whitehead (good guy) that the election was in the bag.
By GodHatesTrash
March 7, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this
Of course the NRCC is broke - only so much money you can get out of America’s trailer trash.
By Statesboro Voter
March 7, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Not true, Terrance. John Stone actually told Jim Whitehead that low voter turn-out would cost him the election, which it did - less than 14% turned out in spite of Jim’s extensive efforts to get them to the polls.
As to Karen Brogans, John is doing everything possible to bring her on the team to beat Barrow, and to prepare her to run in future elections when Georgia picks up two seats.
P.S. - Stone will win this one with 54%!
By Terrance
March 7, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this
Statesboro Voter, I fully respect your point of view and I personally think Stone should have run in the Whitehead, Broun race since that district is very conservative.
However, I think party officials should grasp the political reality of their situation rather than proclaiming “all is well” as the ship goes down.
For example, I heard John Stone say on an Augusta talk radio show that he was not for labels and that freshman Dem. Congressman Heath Shuler is an example of a conservative pro-life Democrat. See, Stone is a smart guy and knows that the GOP candidates in moderate district should be a bit less fear this and fear that. If you are in Statesboro, you know that Stone is the perfect candidate to win the GOP primary and that he is in line with most GOP party members in our state.
However, this is an example of winning the battle and losing the war because Barrow’s moderate position will draw centrists, moderates and the wave of Clinton/Obama voters.
John Stone, Ray McKinney and Karen Bogans are all more conservative than Senator McCain but McCain emerge from the primary season because he is most electable and the big mission for the GOP is to keep a Dem out of the White House.
I am no expert but I think the party that grabs the center without giving up core values will govern America. In this political season, my friends and I joke that Stone is Hillary (has more experience; but the other guys will have a field day on his record and writings); Bogans is GOP Obama (less political experience which might be a good thing, crossover appeal but is Georgia ready for that); Ray McKinney is Huckabee (average guy
By howard
March 7, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
John stone is an idiot. and he will lose miserably. He deserves it for what he did to Jim Whitehead.
By Stephen
March 7, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
Doesn’t John Stone live in VA?
By RJ
March 7, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
Besides money woes, another bit of bad news for members of Georgia’s Republican delegation is the indicators suggest that there is a better than good potential Georgia will move back into the blue states category.
With lots of money, effective branding strategies (liberal v. conservative) and fear mongering, Republicans were able to define their Democratic opposition in the 2004 and 2006 elections and Georgia’s Republican congressional candidates benefitted. Uninformed and displeased voters bought into it big time. The outcome of the race between the 2004 Bush and Kerry gave rise to the dichotomy of red and blue states.
The difference between 2004 and the present is that the average voter now feels the pain of Republican dominance for the last seven plus years. Wallet woes, a questionable war, bad behavior, and poor performance for the average Georgia citizen have pushed a goodly number of those who voted Republican in 2004 into the independent ranks. The disappointed in that rank, which includes voters from both parties, simply will not vote Republican this time around … the remaining portion is up for grabs. Ergo, the question of whether Georgia will remain in the red state ranking this year will only be answered in November.
Another distinguishing factor about this election year, compared to 2004 and 2006, is the electorate’s demonstrated disdain for the politics of division and negativism. Democrats will be well advised to run candidates against all Republican Congressmen because they simply will not be able to deliver under a Democrat controlled Congress.