Redstate

Posted at 9:36am on Jun. 17, 2008 If Gregoire Were a Republican, This Would Be Front Page, Above the Fold in the New York Times

By Erick

Twenty-three of our United States have entered into agreements with Indian tribes to allow casino gambling. Of those twenty-three, twenty-two collect millions of dollars as part of revenue sharing agreements.

What about the twenty-third state? Well, that would be Washington State and we're coming to learn that it is more and more likely Washington collects no money from Indian gambling operations because Governor Christine Gregoire decided she'd rather get campaign contributions.

Washington State Republicans and some Democrats are demanding an investigation into Governor Gregoire's handling of revenue sharing agreements with Washington State Indian tribes.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports

Gov. Chris Gregoire is benefiting from more than $650,000 in campaign contributions from Indian tribes that hit the jackpot in 2005 when she killed a gambling compact potentially worth more than $140 million a year to the state.

Unlike 22 other states that collect millions from revenue sharing agreements for tribal gambling, Washington gets no money from tribal casinos under the compact that Gregoire renegotiated with the Spokane Tribe.

The newspaper quotes Senator Ken Jacobsen, a Seattle Democrat, making a good point for a Democrat: "Why would you give someone a monopoly without taking a cut?"

And that is exactly it. In 2005, Washington intended to enter into agreements with the tribes that would have expanded tribal gambling operations and given Washington a cut of the money. But, before the legislature approved it, Governor Gregoire insisted the deal be renegotiated. Her staff was directly involved in the negotiations and they negotiated the state out of millions of dollars.

Gregoire, in what seems to clearly be a quid pro quo arrangement, received $650,000.00 in campaign contributions. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, "The bulk of the tribal campaign contributions came from tribes that opposed the 2005 agreement Gregoire killed."

Posted in 2008 | Christine Gregoire | Corrupt Democrat Watch | Democratic Governors | Indian Casinos | Washington — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:43pm on Mar. 24, 2008 Governor Paterson, Al Sharpton and Drugs

By GordonTaylor

It has been another whirl wind day surrounding Gov. Paterson and his escapade. It has become an escapade, it's no longer gossip and innuendo. And so the story continues like this.

After receiving some very bad advice from his long time and now former friend, former NYC Deputy Mayor Bill Lynch, and exposing his seemly underbelly, it seems our esteemed new Governor turned to another long time friend for advice this past weekend, Saturday to be exact, the right Reverend Al Sharpton. We do not yet know what advice he was seeking, and can't imagine what the Reverend would be able to tell him, except about spending campaign cash without gettig caught.

Yes, it does continue below, unfortunately.

Posted in David Paterson | Democratic Governors | New York | State Politics — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:00am on Mar. 24, 2008 Could Bad Advice Land David Paterson In Jail?

By GordonTaylor

David Paterson made some bad decisions in life regarding sleeping around and using campaign monies for personal use. Now, it appears he has made another bad decision, one that could land him in jail if this is pursued any further.

Paterson turned to his old friend, former Deputy Mayor and long time Democratic operative Bill Lynch for advice on his past philandering ways with staff members and strangers alike.

Lynch, as you might remember, cost New York City's first Black Mayor David Dinkins his office in a re-election bid by giving him bad advice. Dinkins was known for being indecisive and just a bad Mayor and much of his advice came from his Deputy Mayor, Lynch. Now he has done the same thing for Paterson, giving him bad advice by telling him to come clean with his past transgressions.

Paterson gave an outstanding inaugural speech on the day he was sworn in, and then following day he disclosed his infidelities that he and his wife admitted to. Now, no one canremember a word he spoke on Monday, as the frenzy continues around is admissions given on Tuesday.

A second source close to Paterson bitterly exclaimed, "Lynch helped the city's first black mayor lose office, and now he's helping the state's first black governor do the same."

Read on . . .

Posted in David Paterson | Democratic Governors | New York | State Politics — Comments (24) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:48pm on Mar. 23, 2008 Gov. Paterson's Decision Making Becoming Questionable

By GordonTaylor

To The Tune of $119,500 Dollars

Gov. David Paterson has shown us one thing since he has taken office, he can't make an intelligent decision. So far, one week into his new reign, he has shown a complete lack of informed decision making regarding his personal life. It makes one wonder how he'll do on important governmental issues.

The first bad decision that comes to mind is asking his long time friend Bill Lynch, former Deputy Mayor of New York City what to do about his extra-marital affairs. Bill told Paterson to come clean, and what ensued was a media frenzy that has led to his campaign funds being examined and lots of questionable uses of those funds. Now Paterson won't even speak to his long time friend, who by the way ruined David Dinkins chances of getting re-elected by giving said Mayor bad advice.

Read On

Posted in Democratic Governors | State Politics — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:19pm on Mar. 22, 2008 More Campaign Funds Abuse by "The Love Gov"?

By GordonTaylor

As David Paterson pays back his campaign for illegal hotel expenditures, new reports of additional campaign funds abuse are surfacing and have begun to raise more eyebrows. It seems his use of a campaign credit card for personal bill paying was fairly widespread.

A new list of items reveals the following expenditures of campaign funds that Paterson may have "inadvertently" used his campaign credit card for when his personal card didn't work.

All of these expenditures were originally reported as "constituent services."

• A Nov. 2, 2002, stay at the Quality Hotel (now Days Inn) on the upper West Side. Aides couldn't find documentation and Paterson says he can't recall the circumstances. He admitted he may have used campaign money to pay for a rendezvous with a woman at the hotel that cost "around $100." The bill - reimbursed this week - was for $103.
• A Jan. 30, 2003, stay at the Quality Hotel. Paterson says he visited New York from Albany with an aide whose name he can't recall. He believes the aide stayed at the hotel. That night he recalls having drinks with former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and his wife at Il Boschetto; the $80.10 restaurant bill shows up on the campaign's American Express bill next to the $149 hotel bill. This week, he reimbursed the campaign for the hotel.
• Several personal charges totaling $2,088.45, all in 2004, including $1,075.90 in clothing at Men's Wearhouse, a $354.85 bar tab at an upper Manhattan restaurant called The Den, $43.30 for "men's apparel" at an unnamed store near Albany, a $128.98 bar tab at Albany's Crowne Plaza hotel and $485.42 for furniture from an Albany store.

In another related matter, Paterson is now back peddling on his earlier story of a $500.00 payment made to former girl friend Lila Kriton. On Wednesday Paterson said the $500.00 was a repayment for attending a political dinner. On Friday, Paterson significantly changed his story and claims it was a fee paid for redoing a campaign data base. (Keeps him out of pass through donation hot water.) The link to the check below clearly shows it was made out for Campaign Wages.

Posted in Democratic Governors | State Politics — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:32pm on Mar. 22, 2008 NY Democratic Party Becoming Laughing Stock?

By GordonTaylor

Reprinted with permission from David Paterson Must Go

New York's powerful Democratic party is in danger of becoming the laughing stock of the nation if they allow David Paterson to continue as the place holding Governor of New York.

From very early in New York's history, the Democrats have dominated politics in New York State, and particularly New York City, because as New York City goes, so does the rest of the state. The machine known as Tammany Hall controlled all of New York politics until the mid 1960's as shown in the following account from The Eleanor Roosevelt Historical Site.

Posted in Democratic Governors | State Politics — Comments (21) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:18am on Mar. 21, 2008 David Paterson - Another Day, Another Woman and Another Phony Campaign Pay-out

By GordonTaylor

David Paterson may be good for me after all, I think I could create a career writing about his shenanigans.

Day 3 after his "Come Clean" speech and "The Love Gov" has yet another woman and another questionable campaign expenditure to explain, or not explain as the case seems to be.

Luisa Vizcarrondo, 49, was listed as "staff" on Paterson's campaign for re-election when he was in the state Senate, and a payment of $1,000 was made to her on June 25, 2002, according the records.

Posted in Democratic Governors | State Politics — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:51pm on Mar. 10, 2008 It's Been a Bad Couple Weeks for the Reality-Based Community

By Jeff Emanuel

Nothing like that "Culture of Corruption" Bit Coming Back to Bite You, Is There?

Posted in Democratic Governors | Democrats | Illinois | Kansas | Massachusetts | Michigan | New York — Comments (29) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:10pm on Mar. 10, 2008 Dear Eliot, THANKS! Love and Kisses, Deval

By docj

Promoted by Dan McLaughlin. This is like hunting cows, folks.

I can only assume that Massachusetts Governor Deval "Together We Can!" Patrick (D) is sending a candy-gram to his Empire State colleague right about now. Or perhaps a StripperGram would be more appropriate, eh?

Here's a random sampling of stories making news in the Bluest State of the Union over the last few days...

Arraignment postponed for Patrick aide charged with sexual assault - sort of speaks for itself, but I have some more on the story here.

More...

Posted in Democratic Governors | Democrats | Deval Patrick — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:12pm on Mar. 10, 2008 Eliot Spitzer Involved In Prostitution Ring

By Lord_Vegas

Promoted by Dan McLaughlin. It doesn't get better than this. Boy, the Democratic Governors are really having a great stretch lately.

__________________________________

Elliot Spitzer has announced to his most senior aides that he has been involved in a Prostitution Ring, and will be making a public statement about it at 2:15 pm.

Apparently the New York Times has just broken the story.

Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides early this afternoon, had hours earlier abruptly canceled his scheduled public events for the day. He is set to make an announcement about 2:15 this afternoon at his Manhattan office.

Mr. Spitzer, a first-term Democrat who pledged to bring ethics reform and end the often seamy ways of Albany, is married with three children.

Just last week, federal prosecutors arrested four people in connection with an expensive prostitution operation. Administration officials would not say that this was the ring with which the governor had become involved.

De-FREAKING-licious!

Posted in Breaking News | Democratic Governors | Eliot Spitzer — Comments (116) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:30pm on Feb. 26, 2008 Shocker! Illinois Governor May Be A Crook!

The more things change the more they remain the same

By streiff

The Chicago Tribune reports that a federal judge has lifted the veil of anonymity from a federal indictment and revealed that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is "Public Official A" who is alleged to have accepted a $50,000 campaign contribution in return for placing a donor's brother on the Illinois Banking Board, to have been beneficiary of a scheme to extort a $1.5 million campaign donation from a Chicago business man, and to have offered to steer state bond issues to an investment banker in return for cash. Of course, Governor Blagojevich, like the participants on Cops is innocent until proven guilty but right now he looks like he is one step away from indictment and a long vacation at Club Fed.

Corruption in Illinois politics is not only unremarkable, it is endemic. It was the deep seated corruption of former Governor George Ryan, now known as Inmate 16627-424, that broke the Republican party in that state.Everyone's favorite Chicagoan, Mike Royko, once remarked in his book Boss that if you wanted a quorum of the Chicago City Council to be present you had to hold the meeting at the Cook County Jail. I lived there during the Operation Greylord investigation when a Chicago cop substituting for an alcoholic night court judge made history by sentencing a disrespectful bum to death for treason.

So why is this interesting and gratifying but ultimately local story on the front page? Even as the primary contest between Hillary! and Obama takes on a vague tinge of Armageddon?

Because the indictment returned was on one Antoin "Tony" Rezko. If that name rings no bells I suggest you read this story because before this election is over we will know as much about Mr. Rezko as we know about Paula Jones and John Kerry's three Purple Hearts. Because in the media adoration of Barack Obama they have continued to studiously avert their gaze from his politics, his record, and his financial dealings. If you doubt me, check the number of times the word "Obama" appears in the Trib article despite the number of times the Obama and Rezko have been written (532,000 hits on Google) about and ask yourself if any other politician would receive this kind of treatment.

Posted in 2008 | Blagojevich | Democratic Governors | Illinois | MSM | Obama — Comments (35)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:15pm on Feb. 13, 2008 Washington Republicans need to come out from under their rocks and get involved

By Jeff Emanuel

Republican Dino Rossi lost the Washington state governor's race to Democrat Christine Gregoire in 2004 by 129 votes -- a difference found on the third counting, after Rossi led through the initial vote count and through the first recount. Following that shady, by-hand third recount, Rossi declined to act like a Democrat and didn't appeal the result the state Supreme Court, instead allowing the state to move forward, and setting his sights on a rematch in 2008.

Well, 2008 is here, and Gregoire leads Rossi in fundraising by a 2-to-1 margin. If Washington Republicans are fine with another Gregoire term, then by all means, they should remain content to sit on their hands and not help Rossi in his bid to unseat her.

But if folks in what is (in my opinion) the greatest state in this country actually care about moving their state in the right direction, they need to get off their backsides and help Dino Rossi make up those votes and get elected governor of the Evergreen state.

He can win it, but not on his own.

Update: Columnist Joel Connelly has a decent analysis of the race in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Posted in 2008 | Democratic Governors | Do-Nothing Republicans | Gregoire | Rossi | Washington — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:19pm on Jan. 31, 2008 The Sun Shines, Water is Wet,

By NightTwister

Bumped & promoted by Dan McLaughlin. Because we need regular reminders that this is what Democrats do.

and Democrat governors (and their Republican lackeys) support tax increases.

As reported by Kevin Duggan at The Coloradoan today, a state panel has recommended raising taxes and fees by $1.5 billion for transportation improvements in Colorado. This panel was convened by democrat governor Bill Ritter.

Suggested tax increases:

- Raising the gas tax from 13 cents to 35 cents.
- Increase motor vehicle registration fees by an average of $100
- Increasing state sales and severance taxes.
- $6/day visitor fee for motels and car rentals.

Posted in Democratic Governors | State Politics — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:01pm on Jan. 27, 2008 Elections Have Consequences

He's Not So Tough When The Bad Guys Don't Carry Blackberries

By Dan McLaughlin

Eliot Spitzer, like Rudy Giuliani, first made his name as a tough, hard-nosed prosecutor. Both men earned the dislike of big business for their aggressive approach to white-collar crime.

But the reason why Spitzer will never be Rudy is that he never did have the stomach to take on anybody but legitimate businesses - and certainly not violent criminals. Now, New York State is getting a bitter taste of the Spitzer approach to violent convicts.

In New York, you see, the Parole Board is run by a gubernatorial appointee, presently a Spitzer appointee named George Alexander. And what has been the result of the new management? Look at the numbers:

235 violent felons, including 215 convicted murderers, have been released by the state parole board in the first year of Gov. Spitzer's administration, records show. That's 58% more than the 148 violent felons paroled in 2006, the last year of Gov. Pataki's tenure.

Some were locked away for crimes so heinous that previous state Parole Boards refused to set them free up to five times before their luck changed under the Spitzer administration, a Daily News analysis has found.

Read On...

Posted in Democratic Governors | Eliot Spitzer | New York | State Politics — Comments (19)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:03pm on Nov. 23, 2007 Billion-Dollar Marty

Yet Another Tax-Hiking Democratic Governor

By Dan McLaughlin

When I looked at the long list of tax hiking Democratic Governors back in the spring, I gave an incomplete grade to Maryland's new Democratic Governor, Martin O'Malley, not out of any illusions about whether he was anything but a standard-issue tax-and-spend liberal but simply because he hadn't done anything yet.

Well, no need to wait longer for the verdict. E.J. Dionne, predictably, hails O'Malley's billion-and-a-half dollar tax hike, passed earlier this week:

Facing a $1.7 billion budget deficit, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley -- who offered the above observations in an interview -- led the legislature this week to approve $1.4 billion in taxes and $550 million in spending cuts. It's been a long time since we've seen that kind of balance from the federal government.

At the same time, the legislature extended health coverage to 100,000 residents and approved new money for transportation, education and cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. . . .

The final budget package contains its share of questionable concessions to this group or that. The middle class bears more of the burden of the tax increases than O'Malley had hoped. The income tax hike for those earning over $500,000 a year -- the rate goes from 4.75 percent to 5.5 percent -- is a modest step in the right direction.

Read On...

Posted in Democratic Governors | Martin O'Malley | State Politics | tax hike — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »