Don't shoot me -- please just read the reports

[Earl from Ohio]

I know that Jeff Seemann (candidate for OH-16 last year and maybe again next year) has a lot of support in the blogosphere.

However, look at these:

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2005/20051020af.html

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=179679&Category=9&fromSearch=yes

I will let others comment.

[rucky]

1. Cripes, I gave him money.

I also gave Andy Stephenson money when he flirted with running for SOS and never saw anything come of that. But I guess it's a no-no to complain about that.

Just sayin', I'm 0-2 in DU candidate contributions.

[liberalnurse]

8. I don't give this poster any credit.

He posts on many Ohio Blogs, under many different names for the soul purpose of trashing Jeff Seemann this week. He thinks targeting opposing candidates with tabloid fodder is appreciated...... He appears to want to make a name for himself.

I'll tell you this much, in the political circle, he is laughed at....all shun him. No one wants anything to do with him. He runs his gibbs without any substance. No one will go near him.

[Lady President]

2. A few details?

Could you give a few snips of the article? The site wants everything, but a DNA sample to view it.

I'm sure Jeff Seemann is a good guy, but when he had troubles here, I decided to give money elsewhere.

[cajones_II]

11. I observed that Last year

I was still a lurker, and it looks like Jeff Seemann still has detractors on DU, which one reason among many I don't post here that often.

Jeff Seemann just did something really great, and last year was a neophyte inspired by Howard Dean to run for public office.

That he trusted someone who screwed up his reporting is indicative he needs some professioal campaign help, but is hardly a reason to abandon all hope about his candidacy and sincerity.

So many here are ready to believe the worst first and then run screaming into the streets.

Maybe this poster would like to answer why he has posted the same info everywhere online and hasn't ever asked for a response from Jeff Seemann.

because that wouldn't do any good , to get an explanation , would it.

[liberalnurse]

12. He sure did!

He is an amazing candidate. A Wellstone Democrat!

It's easy to see through the posters mission........It won't work here.

[Kolesar]

3. That's a fifteen-month-old story from the Repository

Jeff went from irritated activist to congressional candidate in a matter of months. There was turnover in his office staff late in the campaign. Maybe a few reciepts got misplaced. You should have heard that guy barking from the podium, though. It was worth the drive to Canton.

[Earl from Ohio]

4. That's true (it's an old newspaper report)

(Please note- the following is very gloomy and may not be suitable for Holiday viewing! Trust me,it bums me out to write it.)(I feel like the little boy in the Hans Christian Anderson tale about "The Emperor's New Clothes.")


I hadn't seen the news story, now people are emailing me others. And put it together with the FEC report and a picture emerges.

I'm sorry,BUT if anyone signs up to run for Congress, ya gotta file those FEC reports. If you have to amend them, -- there's procedures for that. I also find the concept of a House candidate supporting himself and significant other from campaign donations to be kind of, I dunno-- what? Sad? Pathetic? (Buying a car?) Especially if they are making some prohibited expenditures in the process (even inadvertantly.)

And then to follow up by not filing the reports AT ALL?

Here's my standard-- if a GOPer had done the same thing, I'd rip 'em a new one. I'd go ballistic. And if it was a a GOPer with a "bark" as you say (good line, BTW!) we'd call them "wingnut" and so forth (insert your favorite anti-reactionary invective here.)

I absolutely don't want to pick a fight with you Avenger (or anybody else for that matter- Happy Thanksgiving!), but I've heard the rationales for why these things happened and I don't buy it.(This goes beyond losing a few receipts) I've been involved with small struggling House campaigns and this is not acceptable- particularly if the candidate involved wants to run again. Is our bench really that bad?

It's really, REALLY hard, but we have to imagine some reactionary doing the same thing and then ask ourselves "How would we react?"

Wouldn't we go bananas?

[Kolesar]

5. The Dems would probably have to link Regula to Abramoff to knock him out

So this is likely to be a side show race. Before Jeff, Stark County had a candidate who did nothing. He didn't even do any fund raising. Interestingly though was that the district went for Kerry in 2004. It is usually a bellwether district that matches who Ohio votes for.

I think the Geo was for staff use, but in any case, this all will not help.

[Earl from Ohio]

6. Sadly

You're right on all points.

There are only going to be two really competitive races for Congress from Ohio in 2006 and one will be to replace Ted Strickland.

I,too, have seen the "just a name on the ballot" type candidacies and USUALLY that's only barely better than complete non-opposition.

It starts from the ground up- build infrastructure, look outside the "usual suspects" for candidates. But we also need people of substance (which doesn't have to be from politics) People who are willing to commit for the long haul to build their credibility and background.

And then "run legal."

[Name removed]

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[Earl from Ohio]

19. NopeI din't know anything about this until a few days ago

I don't know who or what you are talking about.

I just have one basic question:

Do we hold our side to the same standards that we do their side?

[Name removed]

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[Earl from Ohio]

9. you are so wrong

I have busted my ass for progressive candidates and this party since 1972.

Those FEC reports are a matter of fact. He accepted large numbers of campaign contributions and then failed to file any of the FEC required reports. His own people admit it. His own staffers are the source of my information.

You need to remember John Peter Zenger and Alexander Hamilton. One of the oldest precedents in Anglo-American law is that

"Truth is an absolute defense against libel."

Are we such partisan hacks that when have different standards for our side and theirs?

To read a post that you don't like and then to resort to this sort of ad homimen attack and to make threats like "I'm gonna tell others" is why the blogosphere REALLY sucks sometimes.

You do not to respond to the substance of my questions and instead resort to character assassination. Was I wrong? Did he file these reports?

[Name removed]

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[WCGreen]

13. Forget the fact that these ar minor infractions...

They can and should be cleared up ASAP...

The problem is that this will be used against him in a future campaign.. Guaranteed ...

Running for office entails a lot more than just grabbing for a platform... There are rules and regulations that must be followed... Those rules are the very same rules that Tom Delay is charged with skirting....

I am just saying.....

[liberalnurse]

14. The issue is not even close to Tom Delay.

Jeff's issue was a bookkeeping error. Yes, an error. It happens.

I guess you haven't been following the facts on Tom Delay have you?

You are not as cute as you think you are by using the *bush/rove word association game.....911-Saddam...... Tom Delay...lalalala

[WCGreen]

15. Look, I have run for office... Including Congress....

I know the laws... I agree with you that the exact rules that were broken by Delay are fr more egregious... But what I saw for Jeff was a fine levied for failure to file a return... that is not a bookkeeping error...

What I am saying is that people out there, out in the non political junkie world, don't know from the law... All they will see is the infractions, the fines and the fact that Jeff, in their minds, is just like all the rest...

One of the first rules of politics is to make sure all your legal requirements are met... The enemies are looking over your shoulder..

And yes I have been following the rules on Delay and I know that it is a laundering case that is in violation of State Laws and not federal Statue as Jeff's are... I also know that Jeff's violations are clear cut and that the charges brought against Delay are going to be hard to convict upon... Proving that specific money was laundered is difficult under the best of circumstance and almost impossible under the worst...

BTW, LALA LA LA LA to you... I have probably forgotten more about campaign finance rules and regulations than most anyone on this board knows... I have been at this game for over a dozen years, as a treasurer, and never had an infraction filed against me or any of my candidates.....

[liberalnurse]

16. Do you have a vendetta against Jeff?

A lost receipt, a missed filing is a common bookkeeping error. It happens at all levels of business as well as campaigns and in community government. Votes are even lost through BOE's.....city, state, and county commissions find clerical errors all the time. These errors are human....there is a difference between mistakes and intent. Tom Delay's multiple crimes were a deliberate intent to defraud the law and get away with it.

You dare to attempt to compare Jeff to Tom Delay is a calculated insult to any Democrat sincerely attempting to make a difference.

Errors are correctable as it is in this case. Eating our young on a democratic message board is not acceptable. It only empowers the republicans.

[Name removed]

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[Earl from Ohio]

20. RIGHT

"One of the first rules of politics is to make sure all your legal requirements are met... The enemies are looking over your shoulder.."

That's my whole point!

The GOPers commit these crimes because it is INHERENT to their ideology. They BELIEVE in what they're doing.Their crimes are systemic, insidious and pervasive.

But if we provide them with the ammunition, they can (again) get away with a variation on the Swift Boat Liars ploy. They can confuse the public into thinking that election misconduct is some sort of zero sum game where we are just as bad as they are.

It's a lie, but we just cannot help them by giving them fuel to work with.

What's the old saying "If your enemy is shooting himself in the foot, stay out of the way"?

The crushing loss of the RON amendments really scares me. The GOPers are thriving on the increasing alienation of too many people from politics.

[JNelson6563]

22. I know a minority leader in the MI House

who also ran for the US House. She termed out in the State Senate, ran for the US House and lost by narrow margin. She then got into the State House and is the Dem Leader. She missed a part to check off on her reports for the US House run. The R's filed against her on every single one though it was a very inconsequential mistake. They tied her up with that shit for a few years, literally. She believes that it was to serve as a deterrent from running again. Sadly, it worked, she says becasue of that she'll never run again.

Oh, and I'd take it easy on the braggin that you have forgotten more on the topic than most anyone here knows. Not everyone here is an armchair warrior my friend, there is an oh-so-small minority who are actually waist deep in Real World politics.

Julie

[WCGreen]

23. Most people do not know anything about election law...

Whether it is here or another poltical board....

I know there are severa others here that are versed as well as I am, but out of 80k, I think it is a safe assumption to make that I know far more than the average person posting here...

[JNelson6563]

28. You mean you believe that???

You buy into the "80k" thing? :rofl: So much for that whole great-man-of-the-world image. <snarf>

[Earl from Ohio]

21. RIGHT

exactly

[Name removed]

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[liberalnurse]

25. Well said Captain....

Your insight and clear vision is commendable. Indeed, such douchebaggery is usually the province of the religious right. You summarized my sentiments to a Tee. :applause:

[WCGreen]

26. Heaven forbid anyone should question what a democrat did...

And believe what you care to...

But I have a pretty good record of getting people elected... All democrats...

Been at the game since 1976 and grow weary of people who take offense at the drop of the hat when none was intended...

If you acutally read what I wrote, it was all about perception... The perception of people skirting the election laws regardless of explaination... The bottom line is Jeff was cited three times for failure to file campaihn reports or of providing incomplete information to the FEC... It's published... It is a weapon that will be used against him in the future...

And I mention Delay because the climate of coruption embodied by Delay can suddenly become universal without any concern by the voters about party identification...

[Name removed]

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[Capn Sunshine]

29. Let me rephrase that without personal attacks

If you ask me, consultants who aspire to the big leagues should refrain from posting all over the internet with various and sundry screen names, yet the same IP address(es).

If I were a consultant working for a foundering campaign, I think I'd find a better use of my time than venal and petty acrimony directed at fellow democrats.

I'd probably refrain from using a style reminicent of the religious right, because that would ultimately make me no better than any of those douchebags.

If a consultant did that shit in MY state, he'd end up working in Saskatchewan for the rodeo clown makeup board pr flacks.

[Zensea]

30. What do you have against Saskatchewan?

:)