orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-locgrayson-seat-mike-thomas-101101309oct13,0,2819143.column
OrlandoSentinel.com
Who's taking on Grayson? Anyone? Hello?
Mike Thomas
COMMENTARY
October 13, 2009
"This is an unstable man who has come unhinged."
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Sere on U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.
The path to a long political career in Central Florida is win that first election, stay out of trouble and win the rest by default.
And now comes U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, who dynamited that model, calling Republicans knuckle-dragging obstructionists who want the sick to "die quickly."
If this fits the definition of unstable and unhinged, it certainly seems to have served a very lucid purpose.
The Republicans are cowering in knock-kneed terror.
Potential challengers are dropping out with comical regularity.
The last credible challenger standing is former state Sen. Dan Webster, who is so conflicted he can't say yes and he can't say no.
So he ponders away while the Republicans cross their fingers for a savior.
"I don't have to be in elective office," Webster says. "I am happy coasting right now. It's great."
You don't enter a race against someone like Alan Grayson with this mindset. You go into this race needing to be in Congress more than you need to breathe.
Despite all this, Orange County GOP Chairman Lew Oliver says this about Grayson, "I guarantee he's going to lose."
Oliver is an unstable man who has come unhinged.
"We'll have at least three or four candidates running," he says. "A couple will be credible or substantial people. A couple others will fall into the noncrackpot category."
If you're not a crackpot and always wanted to see Washington, call Lew immediately.
The Republicans look like a bunch of Chihuahuas yapping at the Rottweiler behind the fence. But this Rottweiler not only is snarling and frothing at the mouth, it also went to Harvard.
It is a crazy and smart Rottweiler.
So there is lots of yapping, but nobody is about to open the gate and take him on.
Consider state Rep. Steve Precourt.
Last week he boldly announced that Grayson was an "egomaniacal, socialist, loose cannon."
Then he announced someone else would have to do something about it because he wasn't running.
Yap. Yap. Yap.
Orange Mayor Rich Crotty once was considered the Republicans' best hope. In June, Grayson released a seven-page letter explaining in detail how he would gut Crotty over Crotty's leadership of the expressway authority.
In early July, Crotty said he had made a decision and would announce it shortly.
Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months — until finally, the mayor gave us his verdict.
He could beat Grayson "handily." But he wasn't going to run.
Pretty slick. He declared victory and bowed out of the race.
The Republicans also tried and failed to recruit Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul of Ocala.
At one point, CNL Financial Group President Tim Seneff seemed like a perfect choice. He had no political record to attack, and he had deep pockets to offset what is expected to be a lackluster fundraising cycle.
Seneff didn't dawdle like the politicians. A couple days after his name surfaced, he opted out.
This leaves Dan Webster.
He was supposed to make an announcement last week. Then he was supposed to make one Monday. I called him, and he still hadn't decided.
He is doing his best Rich Crotty impersonation.
Webster sounds very much like someone pondering whether to jump off the roof.
The Republicans are yelling: Jump! Jump!
And his family is yelling: Don't! Don't!
His family loves him, and the Republicans are using him.
"That's the way it is in politics," Webster says. "People need you when they need you."
In 10 minutes, I didn't hear a single positive thing from him about entering the race.
I think he is happy here in Central Florida, near his six kids, near his five grandkids, running his air-conditioning business, going to his church.
The alternative is that he could open the gate and go in the backyard with the crazy, frothing Harvard Rottweiler and get the worst mauling of his political life. If he wins, the prize will be going to a faraway city he doesn't like, starting life in his 60s as a freshman congressman in the minority party.
If Webster opts out, Oliver says, there will be plenty of people ready to take his place.
"His [Grayson's] solid support is below 30 percent," says Oliver.
"He loses to a generic Republican in several polls I have seen."
All he has to do is get one of those generic Republicans to run.
Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or mthomas@orlandosentinel.com.
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
Thursday, October 29, 2009
USDOJ Press Release: Former County Commissioner Indicted
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For Immediate Release
October 29, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Ohio
Contact: (937) 225-2910
Former Butler County Commissioner, Dublin Attorney Each Charged with Conspiracy and Tax Crimes
CINCINNATI—A federal grand jury here has indicted former Butler County Commissioner Michael A. Fox and Dublin, Ohio attorney Robert C. Schuler, alleging that they conspired to improperly benefit from Butler County contracts involving a company doing business with the county, and that the men failed to report income from the deals on their federal income tax returns. Fox is also charged with mail fraud involving honest services for failing to disclose conflicts of interest in Ohio ethics disclosure statements he mailed annually from 2004 through 2007. Schuler is charged with perjury for allegedly false testimony he gave to a federal grand jury on October 1, 2008.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division (FBI) and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS) announced the indictment today.
The eight-count indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of filing a false income tax return. The indictment charges Fox with four counts of mail fraud involving honest services. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any property which is derived from proceeds traceable to the offenses alleged in the indictment, including but not limited to a sum of money equal to $460,000.
The indictment alleges that Fox, 60, of Hamilton, solicited and accepted money from individuals and businesses which were Butler County contractors from 2001 – 2005 when he was a member of the Butler County Board of Commissioners.
Many of the charges stem from a contract between Butler County and NORMAP Telecommunication LLC, in 2001 to install a county-wide fiber optics communications system. Schuler bought NORMAP after the company received the contract. Schuler received approximately $1,824,281 from Butler County. The grand jury charges that Schuler and Fox arranged for $360,000 to be transferred to a bank to pay off a line of credit in Fox’s name in March 2002 and an additional $100,000 was later transferred to a consulting company Fox owned in September 2002.
The indictment alleges that Fox also received payment from other individuals and businesses doing business with the county.
The indictment alleges that Fox committed mail fraud when he mailed his Ohio Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statements omitting the payments he received and failing to disclose conflicts of interest in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The indictment charges that Fox filed a false income tax return for 2002 when he failed to disclose and pay income taxes on the payment. The indictment charges Schuler with filing a false income tax return for 2002 by failing to report business income he received. Schuler, 46, of Dublin, is charged with making false statements in October 2008 to a grand jury investigating the circumstances surrounding the $360,000 transfer to Fox.
Each count of mail fraud involving honest services and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. Filing a false income tax return is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, plus taxes, penalties and interest. Perjury is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Each man is scheduled to have an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants should be presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Ohio
Contact: (937) 225-2910
Former Butler County Commissioner, Dublin Attorney Each Charged with Conspiracy and Tax Crimes
CINCINNATI—A federal grand jury here has indicted former Butler County Commissioner Michael A. Fox and Dublin, Ohio attorney Robert C. Schuler, alleging that they conspired to improperly benefit from Butler County contracts involving a company doing business with the county, and that the men failed to report income from the deals on their federal income tax returns. Fox is also charged with mail fraud involving honest services for failing to disclose conflicts of interest in Ohio ethics disclosure statements he mailed annually from 2004 through 2007. Schuler is charged with perjury for allegedly false testimony he gave to a federal grand jury on October 1, 2008.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division (FBI) and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS) announced the indictment today.
The eight-count indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of filing a false income tax return. The indictment charges Fox with four counts of mail fraud involving honest services. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any property which is derived from proceeds traceable to the offenses alleged in the indictment, including but not limited to a sum of money equal to $460,000.
The indictment alleges that Fox, 60, of Hamilton, solicited and accepted money from individuals and businesses which were Butler County contractors from 2001 – 2005 when he was a member of the Butler County Board of Commissioners.
Many of the charges stem from a contract between Butler County and NORMAP Telecommunication LLC, in 2001 to install a county-wide fiber optics communications system. Schuler bought NORMAP after the company received the contract. Schuler received approximately $1,824,281 from Butler County. The grand jury charges that Schuler and Fox arranged for $360,000 to be transferred to a bank to pay off a line of credit in Fox’s name in March 2002 and an additional $100,000 was later transferred to a consulting company Fox owned in September 2002.
The indictment alleges that Fox also received payment from other individuals and businesses doing business with the county.
The indictment alleges that Fox committed mail fraud when he mailed his Ohio Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statements omitting the payments he received and failing to disclose conflicts of interest in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The indictment charges that Fox filed a false income tax return for 2002 when he failed to disclose and pay income taxes on the payment. The indictment charges Schuler with filing a false income tax return for 2002 by failing to report business income he received. Schuler, 46, of Dublin, is charged with making false statements in October 2008 to a grand jury investigating the circumstances surrounding the $360,000 transfer to Fox.
Each count of mail fraud involving honest services and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. Filing a false income tax return is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, plus taxes, penalties and interest. Perjury is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Each man is scheduled to have an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants should be presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.
USDOJ Press Release: Bill Allen and Richard Smith, Former Officers of VECO Corporation, Sentenced for Roles in Alaska Public Corruption Scheme
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For Immediate Release
October 28, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
District of Alaska
Contact: (907) 271-5071
Bill Allen and Richard Smith, Former Officers of VECO Corporation, Sentenced for Roles in Alaska Public Corruption Scheme
WASHINGTON—Bill J. Allen and Richard L. Smith were each sentenced in separate hearings today for their participation in a corruption scheme in which they provided approximately $395,000 in corrupt payments to public officials from the state of Alaska, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. Allen and Smith were sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska by U.S. District Court Judge John W. Sedwick.
Allen, 72, the former chief executive officer of VECO Corporation, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, a $750,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Smith, 64, the former vice president of community and government affairs for VECO Corporation, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Both defendants pleaded guilty on May 7, 2007, to three-count informations charging each with bribery; conspiracy to commit bribery, extortion under color of official right, and honest services mail and wire fraud; and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. According to court documents, Allen and Smith conspired with at least five members of the Alaska legislature to provide illegal financial benefits to several Alaska elected officials in exchange for those officials’ support on legislation pending before the Alaska state legislature. Allen and Smith also pleaded guilty to one substantive count of bribery, and admitted that they provided approximately $395,000 in benefits to public officials from the state of Alaska in connection with the scheme.
The Allen sentencing was handled by Deputy Chief James M. Trusty of the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit, Trial Attorney Kevin R. Gingras of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section and Trial Attorney Peter M. Koski of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The Smith sentencing was handled by Trial Attorney M. Kendall Day and Deputy Chief Raymond Hulser of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation
For Immediate Release
October 28, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
District of Alaska
Contact: (907) 271-5071
Bill Allen and Richard Smith, Former Officers of VECO Corporation, Sentenced for Roles in Alaska Public Corruption Scheme
WASHINGTON—Bill J. Allen and Richard L. Smith were each sentenced in separate hearings today for their participation in a corruption scheme in which they provided approximately $395,000 in corrupt payments to public officials from the state of Alaska, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. Allen and Smith were sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska by U.S. District Court Judge John W. Sedwick.
Allen, 72, the former chief executive officer of VECO Corporation, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, a $750,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Smith, 64, the former vice president of community and government affairs for VECO Corporation, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Both defendants pleaded guilty on May 7, 2007, to three-count informations charging each with bribery; conspiracy to commit bribery, extortion under color of official right, and honest services mail and wire fraud; and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. According to court documents, Allen and Smith conspired with at least five members of the Alaska legislature to provide illegal financial benefits to several Alaska elected officials in exchange for those officials’ support on legislation pending before the Alaska state legislature. Allen and Smith also pleaded guilty to one substantive count of bribery, and admitted that they provided approximately $395,000 in benefits to public officials from the state of Alaska in connection with the scheme.
The Allen sentencing was handled by Deputy Chief James M. Trusty of the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit, Trial Attorney Kevin R. Gingras of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section and Trial Attorney Peter M. Koski of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The Smith sentencing was handled by Trial Attorney M. Kendall Day and Deputy Chief Raymond Hulser of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Huffington Post: Senator Reid Gets No Republican Support for Resolution Honoring Hispanic Media
For the past week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office has been looking for a Republican co-sponsor for an utterly non-controversial resolution honoring the legacy and role of Hispanic media.
None came, his office confirms. On Tuesday, Reid introduced and passed a resolution designating October 25 through October 31, 2009, the "National Hispanic Media Week" in honor of the Latino Media of America. The Nevada Democrat was joined by Sens. Robert Menendez (New Jersey), Mark Udall (Colorado) and Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) -- all of whom are Democrats.
The resolution was your typical no-thrills, superficial fare that often takes up Senate business. Just last month, for instance, North Carolina's Republican and Democratic senators (Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, respectively) introduced a resolution congratulating "the High Point Furniture Market on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary as a leader in home furnishing" (a thrilling legislative breakthrough).
In the case of the current resolution, however, there are obvious political sensibilities at stake. The Hispanic community, which has felt demonized by harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric from congressional Republicans and conservative media personalities, has gravitated further and further from the GOP tent. By declining Reid's efforts to sign on to a rather milquetoast resolution, the party may only exacerbate the alienation.
When a similar resolution honoring Hispanic media was introduced and passed in 2005, former Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) attached their names to the list of co-sponsors. And that was two election cycles before it became abundantly clear that the Republican Party was losing serious ground among Hispanic voters.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/reid-gets-no-gop-support_n_337364.html
None came, his office confirms. On Tuesday, Reid introduced and passed a resolution designating October 25 through October 31, 2009, the "National Hispanic Media Week" in honor of the Latino Media of America. The Nevada Democrat was joined by Sens. Robert Menendez (New Jersey), Mark Udall (Colorado) and Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) -- all of whom are Democrats.
The resolution was your typical no-thrills, superficial fare that often takes up Senate business. Just last month, for instance, North Carolina's Republican and Democratic senators (Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, respectively) introduced a resolution congratulating "the High Point Furniture Market on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary as a leader in home furnishing" (a thrilling legislative breakthrough).
In the case of the current resolution, however, there are obvious political sensibilities at stake. The Hispanic community, which has felt demonized by harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric from congressional Republicans and conservative media personalities, has gravitated further and further from the GOP tent. By declining Reid's efforts to sign on to a rather milquetoast resolution, the party may only exacerbate the alienation.
When a similar resolution honoring Hispanic media was introduced and passed in 2005, former Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) attached their names to the list of co-sponsors. And that was two election cycles before it became abundantly clear that the Republican Party was losing serious ground among Hispanic voters.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/reid-gets-no-gop-support_n_337364.html
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cliches by the Carload, Some Fifteen (15) Grammatical Errors in One Little 'Ole Paragraph, RANDY BRUNSON Announces to Run for County Commission
From the local hate website, www.plazabum.com:
I personly (sic) believe That (sic) elected officals (sic) sould (sic) not endorse candidates. Although (sic) I will have to say I have been endorsed by elected officals (sic). If it happens this time it will no (sic) be reported by me. But someone that (sic) makes statements like (sic). I like all the candidaes (sic), or I (sic) going to say (sic) out of it, or it might be bad for my business
eventhough (sic) if I could I would support xyc, or many other statements. If you don't want to help and support your candidates then don't. But just vote. I hink (sic) that as a candidate we would like to know how you feel
I officially filed Friday Oct. 23 ed at 4:15 PM for dist.2 county commission.
Who I am
Some of my accomplishments
Issues
Solutions
Will be on My Web Site the first of Nov.
Press release this comming (sic) Wed.
Election in Aug. 2010
This is one of my invitions (sic), if you want to have fun and want to make a difference
please join our team.
Randy
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