Dirty politics take time and money to clean up
February 18th, 2009 by Republican By DefaultThe Public Disclosure Commission, responsible for investigating violations of the state’s campaign laws, has dismissed a claim that Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup) had violated ‘in-kind’ disclosure laws. The problem is that it wasted tax dollars to investigate this unsubstantiated claim and probably confused some voters needlessly. As usual, it appears to be nothing more than dirty politics.
It always amazes me that it’s Democrats who usually make these false claims which never stick, while at the same time they dismiss substantiated allegations. Want some examples?
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were investigated inside out during the 8 years they were in office, and nothing stuck. Claims against them were that they lied to get us into the Iraq war to benefit their cronies in business, that they were behind the 9/11 attacks on US soil, that Bush lied about his Texas ANG experience, that Bush lied in the State of the Union address and the list goes on. None were ever substantiated.
On the other hand, I’m still waiting for something to happen to John Murtha for accepting a bride on camera in the ABSCAM stings in the 70’s. Bill Clinton, who was then the highest law enforcement officer in the nation, lied under oath and was allowed to remain in office. The list goes on and on.
This allegation against Dammeier were just more of the same. Even liberal reporter Joe Turner claimed he didn’t put much stock in the allegations:
This is one reason I don’t pay much attention to allegations of campaign abuses. They are so easy to make. And so seldom proved. Mostly, they are designed to splash some mud on a candidate and raise some doubts.
Turner’s blog post also included a quote from Dammeier:
Frivolous campaign complaint against Dammeier dismissed by Public Disclosure Commission
25th District lawmaker says it is unfortunate that taxpayer dollars had to be used in the process
The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) notified Rep. Bruce Dammeier on February 4 that a complaint filed against his campaign had been dismissed. The complaint alleged that Print NW provided services to Dammeier’s campaign in the form of printed political advertisements for less than the fair market value, which exceeded the per-election contribution limit of $800 for the 2008 primary and general elections. After a careful review of the facts, the PDC concluded that Dammeier had done absolutely nothing wrong.
The following is a statement from Rep. Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup, on the PDC’s findings:
“I appreciate the Public Disclosure Commission’s thorough work. I just feel bad that at time when our state is facing a massive budget shortfall, taxpayer dollars had to be used to arrive at the logical conclusion that I had done nothing wrong. While I think most voters saw right through this frivolous complaint, it still feels good to set the record straight. I hope my example serves as deterrent to negative campaigning in the future.”
Too bad there are no consequences for people who make such false allegations and try to turn government agencies (even the Justice Department) into political tools. In my opinion, this activity borders on fascism.