A Massachusetts judge has unsealed the divorce case of Tom v Maureen Stemberg. Transcripts will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, a good deal is already known. As this article reveals, Mitt lied under oath to benefit a friend and business associate.
When Willard Mittens Romney meddles in people’s marriages, as he did when a bishop of the Mormon Church, he’d go to the home of the family and order them to do as he declared they must. That is abuse of power. And that is bad enough. But it is a different thing all together when Mittens goes to court and lies under oath to screw his friend’s wife in divorce court by claiming the company (Staples) was worth less than it was. Then Mitt and Tom Stemberg went to Goldman Sachs and got much more for it.
This case matters because it goes to Mitt Romney’s honesty, credibility and character. It also matters because Tom Stemberg gave a speech at the RNC convention and advises Mitt Romney on health care, the cruel irony of which is found below. Bain Capital had invested in Staples. Mitt sat on Staples Board of Directors. It also matters that Mr. Stemberg, Staples CEO, is a spokesperson on the campaign trail for Mitt Romney. But there is more. While at the same time advising Willard Mittens Romney on health care issues, Stemberg canceled his wife’s health insurance policy, despite the fact that she had cancer and MS.
Notice the double standard. The Romneys played for sympathy for Ann Romney. But it’s ironic that Ann Romney claimed she needs a tax-deductible horse because of her MS, while another sufferer of the very same disease and cancer should be screwed out of what was hers because of Mitt’s lies. And when Mitt’s very own health adviser, Tom Stemberg, canceled his sick wife’s health insurance to punish her in the divorce proceedings, there is something really ugly going on. Yes, there is evil in the world. And that evil is purposely harming others.
NO EXCEPTIONS. GEORGE ALLEN DOUBLES DOWN ON PERSONHOOD SUPPORT
Richmond, VA– Virginia women might have thought George Allen was tapped out on endorsing bills and stances that would roll back their rights to full health care but he’s proven them wrong again.
When asked explicitly what legislation he’d support on abortion in a questionnaire provided by Liberty University’s Champion newspaper – he proactively doubled down on personhood legislation that could outlaw all rights to abortion and forms of birth control, without giving any exception for rape, incest, or life of the mother.
George Allen’s opposition to full economic and health care rights for women and their families is well documented – he voted against family leave laws and opposes equal pay laws, voted to overturn Roe v Wade, and supports alloying employers to deny contraception coverage for employees – but this latest position is yet further proof that Allen’s divisive social agenda would take women back decades.
“George Allen’s opposition to allowing women to make their own health care decisions is well-known to Virginians, but his failure to make an exception for rape, incest or a woman’s life while laying out his radical personhood agenda is even more dangerous,” said Kaine for Virginia Communications Director Brandi Hoffine.
“For women in Virginia who witnessed George Allen’s silence as legislators passed an invasive ultrasound law, his opposition to family leave and equal pay, and his consistent support for lawmakers inserting themselves into health care decisions of women, this is yet another reminder they can’t afford George Allen’s backwards social agenda in Washington again.”
Let’s talk about the “politics of personal destruction,” as Bill Clinton called it. As many know, I was a target of it; as one famed Virginia reporter once said, I was an “easy target” for those who played that game. Her words, not mine: and in that regard, it got me to thinking about Patrick Moran.
In politics, it is easy to kick a guy when he is down. Surely that applies to Patrick Moran right now, as he had to resign from his dad’s campaign with the Virginia political world laughing at him for being beyond dumb.
Do I actually think he would have ever actually participated in any way in the voter fraud scheme being faked by the “reporter?” No. Did he break any laws? No.
But was he monumentally brain dead during the video? Yes, you can’t deny that. It was painful to watch, knowing the fanatics had successfully targeted him, posing as “undercover reporters” or whatever that group of fanatics claims to be.
That is why Patrick Moran had to resign. It was his own fault. No excuses.
BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, it is why I decided to write this post, since the new 24/7 hidden-camera ready world we now inhabit empowers the fanatics behind this targeting of Patrick Moran to target and ruin all of us for far lesser stuff.
Patrick has no one to blame but himself for not realizing the state of politics today.
I got lucky in that regard. When people targeted me for daring to be the chief cook and bottle washer for campaigns that had the audacity to challenge the “whites only need apply” sign hanging from certain doors at Virginia’s State Capitol, indeed around the country, they didn’t have smart phones, the new 24/7 invasive digital gadgets, and the like to bring me down. They tried. But for the technology, they likely would have succeeded since IT DOESN’T REQUIRE DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL. Like Patrick Moran, it is easy today to take the most innocent stuff and turn it into a YouTube video, blogging, whatever “gotcha moment” that is ruinous.
But I had the good fortune to be dumb in the 1980s; really low tech by today’s standards. Thank God Mr. Jobs was still into Macs, not IPhone cameras, back then.
So they had to try to entrap me – and let’s understand, in a legal sense, Patrick was entrapped here. Why? Because there is no indication Patrick had any thought of doing anything caught on tape, prior to being targeted by the fanatics who claim to be undercover “reporters.”
Back in the 1980’s, things were simpler: folks didn’t want a black man either on the Democratic ticket, much less in statewide office. As they say, it was black or white, no more complicated than that much of the time. Contrary to public belief and mythology, Mark Warner and others were not involved at the level the press and others claim they were. Everyone in the Wilder campaign’s understands the truth.
It is not politically correct to say it now. But no one tried to entrap Mark or anyone else, believe me. Those who wanted to stop Wilder at the fanatic level aimed at me: and rightfully so, unless of course they were aiming at Wilder himself.
As with the people who targeted Patrick Moran, some had “cover” as they say in the spy business; BS cover but cover enough to claim their “video” was shot in the public interest.
When they targeted me, it was far more sophisticated on so many levels. Fortunately, Wilder had given me good advice in his own way, although it took me a while to really understand it. But he said it was going to happen, one way or another. “They are going to try and split us apart, create any kind of distance between us, get into your head, try all kinds of stuff, get anything of leverage they can get on you, don’t let them do it and things will work out” is what Wilder said, although naturally it has been a generation since he and I talked about this stuff so the quotation is really not intended to be the actual words, just the basic gist of the thing.
Back then, they didn’t first try to ruin you: they tried to “turn you” as they say on the HBO series “Homeland.” They started with offering me a good sum of money and other things to help them. Technically, this was my impression, there is no way to absolutely prove it in a court of law.
Perhaps I was wrong about it, and other things too. But I don’t think so.
When that didn’t work, then they went the other route.
However, I proved to be a tough target for one overriding reason: In the context of the world of politics, I am private guy. Unlike the Patrick Moran video, you would not really ever catch me hanging out someplace near the campaign, a bar, eatery, etc., talking stuff about the campaign, etc. with a complete stranger. People never quite understood my MO in that regard, or so I am told.
It was perhaps not the best way to handle stuff. But it worked for me in terms of keeping me “safe” from harms way, so to speak. I intentionally kept certain things out of politics in some dimensions. Heck, I didn’t even talk to Mark or Mike or Frank about stuff!
Professor Sabato always complains that I went after him too hard. I didn’t think so then nor now, but perhaps I don’t get it even today. But he and others never have looked at it and other things they complain about from my point of view and what I had to deal with.
“The politics of personal destruction,” Bill Clinton called it. Just read “When Hell Froze Over,” a book about the historic Wilder campaign that broke the color line in Southern politics at the statewide level. And remember, that is just what the author got on the record!
The point being: Behind the scenes, things were far rougher with rougher players, really. That’s the thing though: You never really know for certain when you are being targeted.
The Moran situation is a warning to all: The fanatics are out there targeting. So if you don’t want to be on their next video, you really have to have your head in the game 24/7. Because they are prepared to use any means – including fooling your closest friends and whatever – to get you. And if you think otherwise, then you ain’t gonna last long if you get your chance at the top.
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia, conducted on behalf of Health Care for America Now, finds Barack Obama expanding his lead in the aftermath of his debate victory Monday night. He now has 51% to 46% for Mitt Romney, up from a 49/47 advantage last weekend.
Now, let’s all get back to working our butts off the next 12 days so that Barack Obama carries Virginia once again, and is reelected for four more years. G’Obama!
P.S. Poll results like this one make me VERY happy that the Allen folks have returned to their “strategy” (using the word very loosely) of tying Tim Kaine to Barack Obama. Hey, it works for me! 🙂
Here’s a statement from the Obama campaign on this new ad:
“Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, it is something that God intended to happen.” These are the words of the Senate candidate Mitt Romney continues to support. Unlike some other leaders in the Republican party, like John McCain, Mitt Romney hasn’t questioned his endorsement of Richard Mourdock or ever once stood up to the most extreme elements of his own party. Instead, he tapes ads for them (ads which have aired more than 100 times).
A new video from Obama for America makes clear that Mourdock’s attitude is part and parcel of the extremism Mitt Romney has repeatedly embraced. Whether it is Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin, or his running mate Paul Ryan, Romney’s solution to extremism against women is to promote the extremists.
Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, October 25. Also, check out the video, in which Gov. Bob McDonnell (R, last I checked – same party as George Allen) argues strongly that the sequestration deal was absolutely necessary to avoid “default of the greatest nation on earth,” which is why so many Republicans – but not crazy George Allen – supported it!
*Jeff’s Notes: Political fraud (“Serious allegations are flying from both parties this election season, as if more proof were needed that politics isn’t pretty.”)
*Candidates retain ties to companies (Despite what Bartlett said, it’s not that Allen’s “dumb” when it comes to energy, it’s that he’s 100% bought and paid for by Big Oil and other fossil fuel interests. That’s far worse than being “dumb.”)
*Sen. Jim Webb mum on Obama’s ‘bayonets’ remark (Pretty funny, because Webb resigned as Secretary of the Navy in part because he thought the Reagan Administration was not building enough warships. Or bayonets and horses to put on those warships? LOL)
*Allen lays defense cuts at Kaine’s feet in new ad (WTF? Kaine wasn’t even in Congress, Allen’s own party was largely responsible for sequestration, AND it’s highly unlikely those “defense cuts” will even happen. Other than that, it’s a totally accurate charge by Allen against Kaine! LOL)
*Editorial: In the 6th District, no good choice (“The race pits a veteran congressman on the wrong side of major policy issues against a newcomer with little understanding of the job he seeks.” HUH?!? What a bizarre editorial; makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.)
What a way to end the “O Cantor, Where Art Thou?” barnstorm tour of the 7th District! The good folks in Glen Allen sure know how to make a congressional candidate, a bluegrass band and a host of volunteers feel right at home.
Local bluegrass outfit The Hotseats opened for Dr. Ralph Stanley, and they did their elder proud. They performed a series of Virginia-inspired bluegrass tunes that perfectly prepared the audience for the soulful and weary notes that have become the hallmark of Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
By the time Wayne Powell took the stage, the room was more than warmed up; it was on fire! And once Wayne began his righteous tirade against the corporate interests that Eric Cantor so gleefully endorses, the crowd was on their feet and cheering.
Ralph Stanley closed the show by throwing on a banjo and performing a nimble, high-speed banjo riff, the kind of playing that shouldn’t be possible for an 85 year old.
The show at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center was the ideal way to conclude our district wide tour. Across six different towns, we spread the message of social justice and economic fairness. We argued for women’s reproductive rights and we argued against corporate plutocracy.
Historically, the whole point of a barnstorm was to take your campaign to the people. To be held accountable by the citizen’s who’s vote your seeking and to connect with the folks you hope to represent.
Our goal was to bring an old-fashioned, down-home barnstorm to the 7th District.
In a recent diary I asked what kind of person spends his time trying to ruin the lives of old Americans as Paul Ryan and his sponsors in the plutocracy do. Here, I ask, what kind of man kicks people when they are down and has the audacity to claim he is helping them?
Paul Ryan is some “Christian.” He showed that once again today. He advocated for the end of poverty programs and leaving the survival of the poor to charity. But he sure plays one on TV and on the campaign trail. That wouldn’t of itself be a problem. There is, after all, no litmus test for religion and the presidency or vice presidency. Trouble is, his own church has a big problem with him. Paul Ryan has a real humanity problem, which is to say he doesn’t give a fig about humanity. His church bishops may like his anti-reproductive rights platform, but they hate his punishing of the poor by proposing and voting for the obliteration of the nation’s safety net.
From the Huffington article linked above:
As a congressman, Ryan has authored several proposals to slash spending on programs for poor people by turning them into block grants. According to an analysis by the centrist Urban Institute, Ryan’s proposal to repeal health care reform and block grant Medicaid, which provides health insurance to people below near-poverty income levels, would reduce federal spending by $1.7 trillion and Medicaid enrollment by 50 percent, resulting in a loss of insurance for 35.7 million Americans.
Ryan also proposed dramatic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, in place of looming cuts to defense spending. (During the third presidential debate on Monday, Romney said he did not support cutting food stamps.)
Paul Ryan clearly cares more about potential life and keeping women barefoot and pregnant than than he cares about people after they are born. And today proved it once and for all. This “Kid Serious,” who got Social Security Survivors benefits as a teenager after his father died, and who has spoken publicly about killing that program via privatization (thus leaving it susceptible to market fluctuations, crashes and predators), now wants to take food out of the mouths of the poor and working poor and take the roof over their heads away as well. You have to be pretty despicable to propose that feeding the hungry be an option. What next? Making it illegal to feed the homeless?
If he is going to pretend to be a man of faith, Paul Ryan needs to read the New Testament of his own faith, Matthew 25 in particular. Another problem is that he and his running mate hold the president to such standards,while the GOP Duo savage poor and the middle class. What’s fair is fair. Earlier on BV ElaineinRoanoke said that Matthew 25 is the reason she is a Democrat. Indeed (me too).
As we all know, James O’Keefe is the worst of the worst in politics, a right-wing political hit man who, among other things, was arrested “in January 2010 during an attempt to make recordings at the office of United States Senator Mary Landrieu.” Ultimately, O’Keefe “was sentenced to three years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine” for that little escapade. Then there’s the whole ACORN episode, reminiscent of McCarthyism in its viciousness, sleaziness and dishonesty. Given all this, my initial reaction to O’Keefe’s latest video, this one involving Jim Moran for Congress Field Director Patrick Moran (Jim’s son), was that it most likely lived down to the extremely low standards of the guy putting it together, the usual bunch of statements taken out of context, selective editing, entrapment, the whole 9 yards.
In the end, that could turn out to be the case, at least in part. But if you watch the video, which I have, it sure doesn’t look good for Patrick Moran (nor can I think of any plausible explanation for his behavior here, even if he was “set up” by scumbag O’Keefe). In short, what we see and hear in the video is absolutely unacceptable – morally, of course, and maybe also legally – behavior by anyone, let alone by a Democratic campaign official, let alone by the son of a sitting Congressman, let alone by…well, you get the picture.
First and foremost, Patrick Moran needed to be removed from the campaign. I would have preferred that he be fired, but instead he resigned:
Statement from Patrick Moran: “Effective immediately, I have resigned from the Moran for Congress campaign.”
Then, the Moran campaign needed to provide a full explanation of what happened here. Instead, several hours after this story first broke, the Moran campaign has been almost completely silent, refusing requests by multiple journalists for substantive comment. So far, other than the Patrick Moran resignation, the only thing they’ve put out, at least to my knowledge, is the following, a few minutes ago:
Patrick is well liked and was a well-respected member of the campaign team. This incident, however, was clearly an error in judgment. The campaign has accepted Patrick’s resignation, effective immediately.
Well then, that clears it all up. Not! I mean, can you say any less than that in a statement about a major news story? It would be difficult, that’s for sure. I mean, c’mon, “an error in judgment,” a “well liked and…well-respected member of the campaign team?” Seriously?!? Ugh.
A few minutes after the latter Moran campaign statement, the Arlington County Democratic Committee, whose office Patrick Moran is seen walking into towards the end of the video, issued the following statement:
Arlington Democrats condemn any form of voter fraud. Any allegations that such conduct has been condoned – especially in Arlington – is something we take very seriously. We are concerned by the apparent remarks of Pat Moran in the hidden-camera video arranged by Mr. O’Keefe. While we do yet not know Pat Moran’s response to the video and Mr. O’Keefe’s allegations, we understand that Pat Moran has resigned from the Moran campaign, and we have asked him not to return to our offices. The Arlington Democrats are committed to making sure that all voters have a full and fair ability to cast their votes in accordance with applicable laws, and that commitment will not change.
That’s definitely a lot better than the Moran campaign’s almost complete lack of communication on this story. Good for ACDC Chair Mike Lieberman for moving quickly on this. Still, there are a gazillion questions that need to be answered here (e.g., was this a completely isolated incident? how long has behavior like this been going on by Patrick Moran?), and I certainly hope the Moran campaign is far more forthcoming in the next few days than they’ve been so far today.
Of course, it could very well be that they’re keeping their mouths shut for legal purposes, as it certainly appears, in watching this video, that Patrick Moran may have committed a crime and/or crimes here. The problem is that the legal and political imperatives facing the Moran campaign are potentially in direct conflict with each other. Saying as little as possible may be smart legally, but politically it would seem to me that the exact opposite approach – openness, a strong statement from Rep. Moran condemning this in no uncertain terms, possibly even requesting an outside investigation, etc. – makes a lot more sense. So far, though, that’s not what we’ve gotten. At all.
Anyway, it will be fascinating to see how this plays out in coming days. Sadly, though, at this point, it’s hard for me to envision a happy ending to this sordid little story.
P.S. I didn’t enjoy writing this one bit. However, I strongly believe that Democrats, and certainly Progressives like myself, must stand strongly for the highest ethics and standards in government, even/especially when it’s one of our “own” not living up to those ethics and standards.
UPDATE 7:05 pm: The Patrick Murray for Congress campaign has issued a statement. The problem, of course, is that Murray’s a right-wing nutjob with zero credibility, and with zero chance of winning the 8th CD. So whatever…
For Immediate Release
October 24, 2012
Email: Press@murrayforcongress.com
Phone: 703-548-4977
Murray response to video of Moran campaign apparently conspiring to commit voter fraud in Virginia
Alexandria, VA – In light of breaking news and the release of a video showing Pat Moran, son and campaign staffer of Congressman Jim Moran, apparently instructing a person on how to commit voter fraud in Virginia, Moran’s opponent in the 8th Congressional District, Colonel Patrick Murray issued the following comment:
After seeing this video on several news sites, I am very concerned about the campaign activities of my opponent. While it is not clear whether or not there was any wrongdoing, I hope that local, state and federal election officials will look into this matter immediately.
The integrity of our nation is at stake, and it appears that my opponent’s campaign seems prepared to undermine free and fair elections right here in Virginia.
Sadly, anyone who is familiar with Jim Moran will not be surprised by this. The truth is that Moran has a long track record of hyper partisan behavior, racially charged comments and an infamous anger management problem. So this is more of the same embarrassing behavior that we’ve come to expect from Jim Moran and his campaign.
Patrick Murray is the Republican Candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 8th District. Murray is a retired Army Colonel who served overseas in Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia during his 24-year Army career. He has worked in the U.S. State Department and at the United Nations. In 2007, Patrick deployed to Baghdad, Iraq during the “surge.”
For more information, visit www.PatrickMurrayForCongress.com.
Honor and Courage,
Patrick
UPDATE Thursday morning: Patrick Moran has issued the following statement:
In reference to the “O’Keefe” video, at no point have I, or will I ever endorse any sort of illegal or unethical behavior. At no point did I take this person seriously. He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him.
In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior: joking or not.
In regards to my position on the campaign, I have stepped down because I do not want to be a distraction during this year’s critical election.
There must be something in the water out in Goochland! These folks packed the White Hawk Music Cafe, cheered through Dr. Ralph Stanley’s first set, then demanded another round of music. They even convinced the legendary bluegrass star to pull his grandson Nathan on stage for a rousing duet. The attendees just couldn’t get enough.
But before the guys even took the stage, Wayne was busy taking his message to the people. While the band prepped, Wayne did an impromptu Q&A session with the capacity crowd. He answered questions, discussed issues, and connected with voters in a way Eric Cantor never has.
Following the extended concert and another quick word from Wayne, Dr. Stanley signed autographs, took pictures, and even signed one guest’s banjo.
This penultimate show in Goochland was a wonderful example of the effects of a people-powered movement. In the words of Wayne, “This is a bluegrass-roots campaign.”
We’re back on the bus now, only a few miles seperating us from our final show in Glen Allen. We can’t wait!
By Paul Goldman
In a recent diary I asked what kind of person spends his time trying to ruin the lives of old Americans as Paul Ryan and his sponsors in the plutocracy do. Here, I ask, what kind of man kicks people when they are down and has the audacity to claim he is helping them? 
