Midterm Roundup
Joe Lieberman needs himself a new accountant, Mike DeWine wins! (the newspaper endorsement contest), and the Midterm Roundup defies the laws of space and time by watching every single Sunday morning show simultaneously. Just 1 day away from being 2 weeks away!
Sunday Show Roundup
While there were no candidate debates Sunday morning, the midterm elections were clearly the talk of the telly…
Face the Nation (CBS)
Bob Schieffer’s normally straight-laced CBS News program quickly devolved into a den of iniquity Sunday morning as Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) took a page out of Alan Schlesinger’s playbook and wagered their amoral lives away on which party would control Congress come November 7. Okay, actually they only bet each other a dinner, at which point Bob Dole, sitting at home in his Barcalounger, shook his fist and bellowed at his television set, “Schumer! Making time with my lady! … [garbled] … Schumeeerrrrr!!!”
Amy Walter, senior editor of the Cook Political Report, also sat down with Schieffer to discuss the likelihood of the Democrats taking control of the House. Walter reckons 18, 20, maybe even 25 seat gains for the Democrats.
And to finish up the show, Schieffer offered a biting little commentary on the Foley scandal, concluding, “It’s always dangerous to say we know enough, but haven't most of us with an IQ higher than our age figured out two things here: that Foley is a creep who should be kept away from kids and that Congressional leaders knew that – how could they not have known – yet chose to ignore it? I have a request. My barf bag is at the ready, but spare me any more detail. I know all I need to know on this one.” Yes, you read that correctly, Bob Schieffer said “barf bag.” Though for the record, the Roundup wouldn’t mind seeing an investigation actually come to fruition here.
Meet the Press (NBC)
You’ve probably by now read or heard about the biggest news made on Sunday morning, that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has admitted that he is at least thinking about a 2008 presidential run. Cool, but alas, not Midterm Roundup material. More pertinent to this space was the political roundtable that followed Tim Russert’s half-hour interview with Obama, in which David Broder, Charlie Cook, John Harwood, and Robert Novak sat around to gab about the elections.
The most eyebrow-raising moment came when conservative pundit and columnist Robert Novak uttered, “I would make the argument that this is one of the least important elections that I have seen.”
But perhaps the funniest part of the roundtable was when Tim Russert mentioned a Barron’s report that predicts the Republicans will hold both chambers of congress on November 7, with the GOP losing 8 House seats and a maximum of 14, and holding onto the Senate with victories in both Montana and Minnesota. From what unsavory crevasse did they extract such notions? They based their projections entirely on an analysis of finance figures, completely ignoring all polls. Yes, someone – in fact presumably more than one person – actually spent time conducting and preparing this report. Media Matters takes a closer look at the Barron’s report and how the 2006 methodology compares with past years.
Even the at-times-ridiculous-himself Robert Novak (see above) said, “That's a ridiculous method of, of forecasting the election strictly on the money. Money is important, but it's not everything.”
Plus at the very end of the roundtable, discussing Obama’s presidential prospects, Russert and Cook had this fun little exchange:
MR. RUSSERT: But when you look at American voting behavior, Charlie Cook, we seem to like governors: Bush, Clinton, Carter, Reagan. The last sitting United States senator was John Kennedy, who was also criticized for not having executive experience.
MR. COOK: And Warren G. Harding before that.
MR. RUSSERT: And, and, and Garfield before that.
MR. COOK: Heh, you beat me.
At which point the other roundtable members rushed in to defend Cook, pointing out that Garfield was a House member. Nice try, Russert! Maybe next time. Gotta love political trivia oneupsmanship.
Next week MTP resumes its Senate Debate series with the MD-SEN race – Cardin (D) vs. Steele (R).
This Week (ABC)
This week This Week broadcasted George Stephanopoulos’ big interview with President Bush from the middle of last week, in which Bush accepted the Iraq-Vietnam comparisons. Here’s the full transcript. Here’s the passage where Bush may or ok, admittedly, may not be implying that the terrorists in Iraq are trying to influence the midterm elections:
BUSH: …There's certainly a stepped up level of violence, and we're heading into an election.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So they're trying to influence the elections?
BUSH: Could be. I don't know. I haven't – I don't have any intelligence that says that. Tom Friedman's a smart guy.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But what's your gut tell you?
BUSH: George, my gut tells me that they have all along been trying to inflict enough damage that we'd leave. And the leaders of al Qaeda have made that very clear.
(Think Progress snipped the intelligence comment from its clip of the exchange. But they note that as recently as June 2006 Bush rejected the Vietnam analogy and in 2004 said it “sends the wrong message to our troops, and sends the wrong message to the enemy.”)
Other notable moments in the interview:
STEPHANOPOULOS: James Baker says that he’s looking for something between “cut and run” and “stay the course.”
BUSH: Well, hey, listen, we’ve never been “stay the course,” George. We have been — we will complete the mission, we will do our job, and help achieve the goal, but we’re constantly adjusting to tactics. Constantly.
Think Progress cites no fewer than 6 times since December 2003 when Bush has used the exact words “stay the course” in an affirmative way.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You said in your press conference last week, you joked about the books being written about your administration. Have you read any of them?
BUSH: No.
…
STEPHANOPOULOS: You don’t think there’s anything you could learn from these books in real-time?
BUSH: No.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your father gave a speech in Pennsylvania, I think it was last week, where he said he hates to think what life it going to like for you if the Democrats take over the country.
BUSH: He shouldn't be speculating like this, because – he should have called me ahead of time and I'd tell him they're not going to.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Haven't you thought about it, though?
BUSH: Not really, George. If I have to, I'll think about it later on. But I'm a person that believes we'll continue to control the House and the Senate.
Also on the program Sunday, John Kerry came on to talk about Iraq and bash Bush over his interview and his general foreign policy. Steph did bring up the fact that Kerry is taking heat over not donating enough money to the midterm election cause. Kerry defended himself, saying basically, look I’ve raised and given a lot of money and I’ll continue to give money. Steph didn’t push him on it.
Plus, a roundtable went down featuring ABC News's George Will, Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson. Okay, the Midterm Roundup lied in this morning’s intro – it didn’t actually catch this part.
Fox News Sunday (Fox News)
To discuss Iraq and North Korea, Chris Wallace had on the 4 most powerful members of the Senate, defense-wise: Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN) and ranking Democrat Joe Biden of Rhode Island, and from the Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) and ranking Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan. Actually not much midterm election talk in this one.
Late Edition (CNN)
Wolf Blitzer had on Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), and Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), and Jack Reed (D-RI). Okay, the Midterm Roundup lied pretty bad in this morning’s intro – it didn’t watch any of this one. It’s their own fault for calling their show “Late Edition.” This thing conflicts directly with the Roundup’s Sunday football mental preparation/meditation time. Anyway, here’s the full transcript.
In other midterm news…
CT-SEN: Money Talks, Potential Bullsh*t Gets Talked About
Reader drowsy points out that the Hartford Courant article about Ned Lamont’s latest $2 million campaign infusion also has quite a bit to say about Lieberman’s finances, namely a series of huge cash expenditures right before the August 8 primary listed in the Lieberman campaign’s latest finance report. The Lamont campaign has questioned $387,000 in cash disbursements made by the Lieberman campaign shortly before the primary – labeled as “petty cash” for “volunteers” and “an alarmingly large and suspicious slush fund” by the finance report and the Lamont camp, respectively.
Lieberman spokeswoman Tammy Sun says the money was used for payments to young field workers hired in the closing weeks of the primary. But a Lamont press release remarks that this explanation raises more questions than it answers, such as: “If as Tammy Sun claims, this cash was used for volunteers, food and transportation, why does their FEC report separately itemize expenses for volunteers, food and transportation throughout their FEC report? [examples attached at bottom of release]" … "Why were ‘volunteers’ paid cash?" … and, "Did the Lieberman Campaign fill out tax forms for the paid ‘volunteers?’”
Interestingly, as Matt Stoller points out at Huffington Post, Tammy Sun is now denying that any mistakes were made: “The fact is, our attorney has assured us that the petty cash expenditures and the rest of our FEC report is in full compliance with the law's disclosure requirements just as every campaign Joe Lieberman has run for the last 18 years has been.”
Stoller takes an actual look at said law’s disclosure requirements: “A political committee may maintain a petty cash fund out of which it may make expenditures not in excess of $100 to any person per purchase or transaction. If a petty cash fund is maintained, it shall be the duty of the treasurer of the political committee to keep and maintain a written journal of all disbursements. This written journal shall include the name and address of every person to whom any disbursement is made, as well as the date, amount, and purpose of such disbursement.”
Okay, now back to that Courant article: “Sun was unable to say Saturday why the workers, some of whom appeared to have stayed for days or weeks in dormitories at the expense of the Lieberman campaign, were not listed by name and salary.”
Is the Roundup missing something here?
AP reports that Lamont aides say they’re exploring the possibility of filing complaints with the FEC or the Internal Revenue Service.
In other Lamont-Lieberman news…
Arianna Huffington asks a well pertinent question: so major GOP donors have come out in droves to help Joe Lieberman; why aren’t Democrats doing the same for Ned Lamont?
For those desperate to get every single angle of the CT-SEN race possible, the Hartford Courant offers some commentary on one aspect of the race that has so far largely eluded media coverage: Religion - Or Lack Of It - Could Swing Senate Race.
Plus – the third and final debate between Lamont, Lieberman, and A-Schles goes down tonight at 8 pm. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos will moderate. Let’s see what Schlesinger has in store for us this time. He certainly has made quite the transformation; from deadbeat gambler joke to suddenly formidable debate aggressor, representing Ned Lamont’s best shot at upsetting Lieberman on November 7. If the CT-SEN race were Legends of the Fall, this would be the scene where Alan Schlesinger totally loses it and runs away and then sends a letter home to his lover, “Dear Susannah, I have become a hunter. Tell Stab there are creatures here that cannot even be found in books. And I have killed them all. Susannah, all we had is dead… as I am dead. Marry another.” Okay, that may have been taken too far.
OH-SEN: What the Hell is Going On Here?
Excuse the matryoshka doll of links here, but last week the Midterm Roundup wrote: “CQ’s Battleground Dispatches notes: ‘DeWine wins endorsement of the Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal, Dayton Daily News and Wheeling Intelligencer, with the Lorain Morning Journal endorsing Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown.’ Huh. Is it just the Roundup or is that a surprising number of newspaper endorsements for Mike DeWine? The Roundup could’ve sworn no one liked him.”
Well, the Roundup’s befuddlement continued Sunday, as DeWine won the endorsements of both the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Meanwhile DeWine is so unpopular among actual Ohio voters that he’s battling Senator Rick Santorum (R) of Pennsylvania for the grammatically awkward award for Widest Margin by which For a Republican Senator to Lose on Election Day. Look, the Roundup is working to change the name of the award to the simpler “Biggest Defeat for a Republican Senator,” but there’s a lot of bureaucratic hassle involved in these things. Don’t get the Roundup started, don’t even get it started.
So, it seems that general atmosphere of political rot and decay in Ohio is hurting DeWine far more than his actual positions are. Having had its heart forever won over by this touching, poignant, unforgettably beautiful ad, the Roundup offers DeWine its surely absolute sincerest of sympathies for his impending November 7 butt-wupping.
MD-SEN: Mike Tyson… Don King… Sean Hannity
Michael Steele’s list of crackerjack endorsements continues with the shrill, blustering Bill O’Reilly protégé, FOX News pundit and conservative talk radio host Sean Hannity. Hannity will host a fundraiser for Steele Tuesday in Washington D.C.
In a press release obtained by the Midterm Roundup (okay, it landed in the Midterm Roundup’s gmail inbox after signing up on Steele’s website), Steele announces, “It's an honor to have Sean Hannity support my campaign. Sean understands the need to change business-as-usual in Washington and I'm honored to have his support.”
How does Sean Hannity propose to change business-as-usual in Washington? By urging Democrats not to vote. Yes! Rise up! Say NO to the status quo! Say NO to business-as-usual! Say YES to Democracy! Don’t vote!
Anyway, the event has a $1,000 a head cover charge. That may sound like a lot, but the Roundup might remind you of just how dashing and handsome a fellow that Sean Hannity is. It can only imagine the kind of titillation he induces live in person. Damnit, Alan Colmes! Why can’t you be handsome like Sean Hannity? The Midterm Roundup has had it with these ugly liberals!
VA-SEN: George Allen and the Internet: A Tortured Relationship
Of course we all know how much damage George Allen suffered at the hands of the Internet and its wildfire dissemination of the macaca incident. Now, the Allen campaign is once again coming under fire for an internet-related matter. The Washington Times reports that the League of Women Voters of Virginia is criticizing Allen for violating an agreement he and Jim Webb made about not using video footage of an August 9 debate for campaign purposes. The League of Women Voters sponsored the debate and set up the agreement in an effort to foster candid and unfettered discourse.
But a recent Allen ad attacking Webb on the issue of raising taxes uses a clip of Webb during the debate saying, “We kid ourselves if we don't say that we need more revenues.” The LWVVA has protested the ad, but the Allen campaign has refused to take it off their site. Allen campaign manager Dick Wadhams has the airtight defense: “Frankly, in this day and age of the Internet, it's virtually impossible to enforce such an agreement.”
Here’s the ad in question. And here’s the Webb campaign’s press release about it.
Speaking of women voters, WaPo reports, Women's Vote Could Tip Close Va. Contest: “Webb, the former Navy secretary, and Allen, the first-term Republican senator, are trying to soften their tough-guy personas as they appeal to the 1.9 million women who represent more than half of Virginia voters. The candidates are virtually tied among likely female voters, a recent Washington Post poll shows.”
IYI (If You’re Interested)
FL-22: Running on Experience, a Longtime Incumbent Finds Himself on the Defensive (NY Times, with a profile of endangered Representative E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R))
NJ-SEN: Out to Show He’s Not Just an Old New Jersey Name (NY Times, with a profile of Senate challenger Thomas Kean, Jr. (R). You know, ever since watching him on TV for the first time back in June, the Midterm Roundup has felt an eerie, sort of inexplicable sense of distrustfulness toward Tom Kean, Jr. This picture might have finally helped the Roundup pin it down – it’s the glassy look of death in Kean’s eyes, like Andy Kaufman on Quaaludes.
Of course the Roundup doesn’t trust Bob Menendez either, but the reason for that is patently obvious: Kean’s constant reminders that Menendez is under federal investigation have gradually seeped into and consumed the Roundup’s consciousness. This morning’s WaPo profile of Kean pretty much understands: “If there were a drinking game whose rules required a swig each time Tom Kean Jr. asserted that his Senate race opponent is ‘under federal criminal investigation,’ you would be drooling drunk 10 minutes after meeting the guy.”
And for yet more on Kean, CQPolitics gives us a taste of its presumably much better (since it’s subscription-based) sister publication, CQ Weekly, with a profile of Kean: From CQ Weekly: N.J. Senate Challenger Comes on Strong.
TN-SEN: Newsweek gives the Tennessee Senate race the feature treatment with in-depth profiles of both Harold Ford, Jr. (The Path to Power) and Bob Corker (A GOP Balancing Act).
FOLEYGATE: Winning the Midterm Roundup’s award for Most Egregious Understatement in a Headline Setting, it’s WaPo with How Foley Skirted Rules To Pursue Relationships.
Plus: Oh man. As DK pointed out – this is freaking awesome. As the Roundup went to press, the top bid for the Mark Foley action figure was a bank-busting $255. The Roundup NEEDS THIS! In fact it has hurriedly established the Midterm Roundup Mark Foley Action Figure Fund and is now accepting donations. URGENTLY accepting donations - auction ends today at 7:27 pm. This is the moment to say that there are things in life worth fighting and dying for and one of them is ensuring that the Midterm Roundup becomes the owner of the Mark Foley action figure. Screw Ned Lamont, give your money to the Midterm Roundup! We can do this, people!
(P.S. Thanks for the shoutout, DK. Being compared to steamed milk was arguably the proudest moment of the Roundup’s young life.)
And as one final item...
NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT HEADING THIS FALLS UNDER: And the Roundup is sure there is some kind of brilliant joke lurking somewhere within this article, but it ran out of time this morning. Anyway, the NY Times reports on a new online game patterned after fantasy sports, except with members of congress. Confused? Check it out – Fantasy Sports? Child’s Play. Here, Politics Is the Game.
Brilliant Monday morning wrapup Ben. Very funny, and with lots of good links. You must not have had a lot of "steamed milk" with your coffee today. Looking forward to the next roundup.
Diana
October 23, 2006 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not like paper endorsements matter too much. But it must be some background work convincing all those papers to take such an unpopular view there in Ohio.
See more at my blog - Faithfully Liberal
October 23, 2006 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am truly frightened at the prospect of a Mark Foley action figure would be posed as doing... Please, if you win it, PLEASE don't show it to us.
October 23, 2006 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mrs Panstreppon reporting in. My very own GOP website is still up and I have signed up Reef Petite and Larry Holmes as members of my GOP Team. Photos of Mark Foley w/House pages, a naked Governor Schwarzenegger and the team of Jack Abramoff and Tom Delay are still on my very own GOP/Manage/Photos page.
I've only had one response to my open invitation to my very own GOP Tuesday Turnout House Party to be held between 9:30 am and 12 pm on Election Day in Levittown.
I'm not sure that the invitee is a Republican since he belongs to a group named Democracy For America. DFA appears to be affiliated with the Democratic Underground. The invitee who lives over on Gilgo Beach is, of course, very welcome at my very own GOP Tuesday Turnout House Party!
I should add that I do have one Republican coming to my very own GOP Tuesday Turnout House Party. The beau turned Republican this year so he could vote in GOP primaries. An underground Democratic operative, so to speak. Since the beau and I live together, he more or less has to come to the party. It's at his house!
My next mission is to figure out how you get the GOP list of people to call on Election Day. The reason for hosting my very own GOP Tuesday Turnout House Party is to have the invitees come to my house with their cell phones and then we all call people to urge them to go out and vote.
I am quite curious as to whether the GOP is going to give me a list of voters to call. I certainly am not going to urge people in Levittown to vote for Peter King. I have been a Democrat for 36 years, for pete's sake!
October 23, 2006 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I should add that the Rick Santorum campaign is urging me via email to sign up for the Santorum final 72-Hour Roundup but I don't live in PA.
If any PA TPM Cafe members want to help Rick Santorum get out the vote, here is the link to the Santorum 72-hour signup sheet.
I imagine the Santorum campaign will provide a list of voters to call and then you can take it from there!
October 23, 2006 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am trying to figure out where Mark Foley lives. I checked the Washington DC Recorder of Deeds website and there appears to be two properties owned by Mark A. Foley.
One is at 1240 Monroe St NE and the other is 137 D Street E. The D Street property was purchased in 1995 but I can't tell when the Monroe St property was purchased.
Here is a list of Mark Foley's real estate transactions from the DC Recorder of Deeds database. I might have to actually break down and buy the images of the documents if I can't decipher these transactions. Ugh!
"3298 005" is 1240 Monroe St NE and "0734 005" is 137 D Street E.
FOLEY MARK GTR HENDRIX MARK 2002034143 3/25/2002 LAND TRUST 3928 005
FOLEY MARK GTR PRLAP INC 2003154949 11/7/2003 LAND APPT SUBSTITUTE TRST 3928 0005
FOLEY MARK GTE PRLAP INC 2003154950 11/7/2003 LAND DEED RELEASE 3928 0005
FOLEY MARK A GTE GRIGSBY JAMES D ESTATE 9500036866 6/21/1995 LAND DEED 0734 016
FOLEY MARK A GTR 9500036867 6/21/1995 LAND TRUST 0734 0016
FOLEY MARK A GTR WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE INC 2002004347 1/10/2002 LAND ASSIGNMENT MORTGAGE 0734 0016
FOLEY MARK A GTE MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC 2002024998 3/1/2002 LAND CERTIFICATE OF SATIS 0734 0016
FOLEY MARK A GTR BRANN CAROL P 2002078381 7/5/2002 LAND TRUST 0734 0016
October 23, 2006 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, you can see it for yourself right here! He's got his pants around his ankles and he's holding a liquor bottle in one hand and a blackberry in the other. It's amazing. As of 5 pm the leading bid is $268.81. The Roundup can't afford this by itself! Send money now!
October 23, 2006 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's all about political positioning by these cowardly newspapers. The newspapers all want to seem moderate and balanced and avoid upsetting the apple cart by endorsing a progressive Democrat over an allegedly moderate Republican. DeWine has somehow managed to walk the tightrope where they think he's personally a moderate and reasonable guy, despite belonging to the least moderate or reasonable Congressional majority in years and years.
Look at how the endorsements all avoid assessing DeWine with any responsibility for the disastrous Iraq War, budget deficits, or any other of the numerous GOP failures. But he's one of many Bush admin enablers, and Iraq gets fought more effectively without the Senate rolling over for Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld.
They seem to think he's just sitting in Congress working on pork for Ohio and taking moderate votes. A lot of the endorsements point to the pork, which seems counterintuitive since that's not actually a conservative position to take.
For some reason, Ohio papers seem to be especially sensitive and try ridiculously hard to hedge against losing even more conservative readers, who are constantly throwing fits about this or that newspaper's bias in incoherent rants. Some of them are also using it as a make up call to their business advertisers after they endorsed Kerry and are now trying to look like they are somehow above the fray.
DeWine isn't that unpopular in Ohio, and in other years without all of the GOP problems, he'd probably win in a walk. But he's a very marginal Senator and not a very good campaigner. He's very short and sort of weird looking, so he kind of looks diminished in a group or crowd.
October 23, 2006 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think only the transactions for 137 D Street SE (not E) apply to former congressman, Mark A. Foley.
What is it with the Republican delegation from Florida? They all have to live near each other? Is that a rule?
Porter Goss, Mario Diaz-Balart, Clay Shaw and Mark Foley all live on D St SE. Then again, so does Chris Chocola and Dana Rohrbacher.
Someone told me there are no "gay enclaves" in Washington DC. Maybe not but it seems pretty strange that these guys all live near each other.
Frankly, I would never have imagined that the head of the CIA was so accessible. Who knew?
October 23, 2006 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rep.Christopher J. Chocola (R-IN) must have come to Washington DC with the intention of sticking around awhile.
As a newly-elected congressman, Chocola bought property on D Street SE for $640,000 from Daniel F. and Glenda J. Miller in December 2002.
No rental units for Chris Chocola! No going back to Indiana either if he has anything to say about it.
October 23, 2006 7:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
In Rep. Christopher J. Chocola's official online photo album, there are two undated photos of a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Indiana University-South Bend pedestrian bridge.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District Commander LTC Donald Lauzonis has a shovel in hand in one of the photos.
Excuse me for asking but what the hell does the Army Corps of Engineers have to do with a pedestrian bridge for the University of Indiana-South Bend?
If the Army Corps of Engineers is involved in the construction of the Indiana University-South Bend pedestrian bridge, I'd say this pedestrian bridge project has to be a taxpayer swindle.
I'd like to know what role, if any, Rep. Christopher J. Chocola played in funding the Indiana University-South Bend pedestrian bridge project and if the project was funded with taxpayer dollars.
I don't think the Army Corps of Engineers has any business being in the college footbridge business in South Bend or anywhere else.
I think I will check and see if BayShore Construction LLC president, Patty Capes, contributed to Rep. Chocola's campaign. Ms. Capes is also in the photo with a shovel in hand and a smile on her face.
October 23, 2006 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to Open Secrets, Patricia A. Capes, president of Bayshore Contractors LLC of Grand Rapids, Michigan contributed $300 to the NRCC in 2006.
Bayshore Contractors, LLC was only formed on 5/7/2003, according to Lexis-Nexis. Hmm...just in time to build a pedestrian bridge for the University of Indiana-South Bend, perhaps with federal funding and assistance from Rep. Christopher J. Chocola.
Here is the Bayshore Contractors, LLC corporate registration from Lexis-Nexis:
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER & INDUSTRY SERVICES, BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL SERVICES, CORPORATION DIVISION
Company Name: BAYSHORE CONTRACTORS, LLC
Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Status: ACTIVE
Registered Agent: PATRICIA CAPES
Registered Office:
1505 SOUTH LAKESHORE LUDINGTON, MI 49431History:
File Date: 3/2/2005 Comments: PREV RA: DANIEL DYKGRAAF Transaction: CHANGE OF AGENT AND/OR OFFICE File Date: 3/2/2005 Comments: PREV RO: 347 SETTLERS RD HOLLAND MI 49423 Transaction: CHANGE OF AGENT AND/OR OFFICE File Date: 5/13/2003 Comments: BAY SHORES CONTRACTORS, LLC Transaction: NAME CHANGESOctober 23, 2006 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
The previous registered agent for Bayshore Contractors, LLC, Daniel Dykgraaf, has contributed to Republican causes in the past, according to Open Secrets. His most recent contribution was $2k to a failed Michigan Republican senate candidate, Keith Butler in 10/05.
Daniel Dykgraaf listed himself as the owner of Space Source Inc. In previous years, Dykgraaf appears to have listed himself alternately as being associated with Property Management Systems, retired and blank.
He contributed to Peter Hoekstra's campaigns, the Michigan Republican Committee and George W. Bush's campaign in the 1998 and 2000 election cycles.
According to Lexis-Nexis, Daniel Dykgraaf has been involved in at least a dozen different companies:
Bayshore Contractors LLC (2003)
Douglas Partners, Inc. (1993)
Dykgraaf Excavating LLC (2000)
Jenison Partners LLC (1997)
Logan Estates (1995)
Quality Partners, LLC (1998)
RKDD, LLC (2003)
Rochester Partners, LLC (1995)
Springbrook, Inc. (1992)
Washington Retail Partners, LLC (1998)
Space Source, Inc. was first registered in 1989 as Woodland Property Management Systems, Inc. and then changed to Property Management Systems of Holland, Inc. in 1991.
The company became Space Source, Inc. in 1996 (I think). Daniel J. Dykgraaf is the registered agent.
So how is Daniel Dykgraaf related to Patricia A. Capes?
And what does any of this have to do with Rep. Chris Chocola? LOL - I don't know but I'm having fun and I might get somewhere with a little luck.
October 23, 2006 10:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can find no other trace of Patricia Capes other than her being president of Bayshore Contractors, LLC.
But I did find tons of property transactions with the 347 Settlers Rd, Holland MI address including a few in Elkhart, Indiana.
Gary Genzink who is associated with Space Source, Inc. is a big contributor to Republican candidates. His favorite one is Peter Hoekstra. He also contributed to the Michigan Republican Committee and, in 1999,contributed to Gary Bauer's campaign.
So where does Patricia Capes fit into this scenario? From the photos on Chocola's website, she looks to be an attractive woman. Maybe she is the girlfriend of someone at Space Source, Inc.
October 23, 2006 10:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hilarious! From one of Rep. Chocola's official press releases:
Chocola Recognized as Hero to Taxpayers
Leading Taxpayer Organization Awards Chocola with Top Honor
Washington, Feb 11, 2004 - Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), one of the nation’s leading taxpayer advocacy groups, today presented the Hero of the Taxpayer Award to Congressman Chris Chocola (R-IN) in recognition of his unwavering support for the hardworking taxpayers of this country...
Chris Chocola has to be a crook if he was "honored" by Grover Norquist!
October 23, 2006 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! I researched Chris Chocola and he is not a one-dimensional cartoon figure. I'd say he spells trouble with a capital "T".
There are a number of his relatives floating around.
From a 1996 Palm Beach FL property sale record:
PROPERTY TRANSFER RECORD FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL
Buyer: KASHANIAN, BIJAN; KASHANIAN, JOANNE (Husband and Wife)
Buyer Mailing Address: 364 S COUNTRY CLUB DR, ATLANTIS, FL 33462
Seller: J BYRON CHOCOLA; CARYL M CHOCOLA; KELLEY CHOCOLA LOGAN; J CHRISTOPHER
CHOCOLA
Property Address: 364 S COUNTRY CLUB DR, ATLANTIS, FL 33418
********************** SALES INFORMATION **********************
Recorded Date: 3/1/1996
Sale Price: $ 525,000 (Full Amount)
Total Transfer Tax: $ 3,675.00
Book/Page: 9144/1372
Deed Type: WARRANTY DEED
Assessor's Parcel Number: 02434431050150250
Legal Description:
Brief Description: LOT 25 & NLY 10 FT OF LOT 24 CITY OF ATLANTIS PLAT NO 5
October 24, 2006 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Chocola first ran for Congress in 2002. That same year, he left CTB International, Corp. where he had been chairman of the board and chief executive officer before that. CTBtraded publicly on NASDAQ from 1997 until 2002 when it was bought by Warren Buffet's company, Berkshire-Hathaway.
CTB conisders itself as a "leading global designer, manufacturer and marketer of systems and solutions for the poultry, hog, egg production, and grain industries".
Before Chocola left CTB, the company had established operations in Holland, Belgium and Poland.
Here are two bios from the 2001 proxy statement filed by CTB with the SEC:
October 24, 2006 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
The voters in Rep. Chris Chocola's district better be working day and night to ensure that the Republicans maintain a majority in the House.
If the Dems take the House and Chocola is re-elected, his constituents can kiss those endless millions of taxpayer dollars for the upgrade of Highway 31 good-bye.
If the Dems control the House, Chocola is going to have to live up to his "reputation" as being anti-pork and anti-government waste and he will have to put his money where is mouth is for his district.
Message to South Bend and Elkhart: Re-elect Chris Chocola, one of the Republicans most despised by Democrats!
October 24, 2006 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink