Meet Glenn Grothman And The *New* GOP
After an embarrassing cycle for the GOP in 2012 -- from a clown show of a presidential primary season that…
Rick Scott: Master Of Wrongdoing, Cop Prop Edition (VIDEO)
Hey, Rick Scott is embroiled in scandal--it must be a day that ends in 'Y'. What now, you ask? At a campaign event this week, Rick Scott used on-duty officers as political props, having them stand behind him as he spoke about tackling crime. The officers have made it clear that they were under the impression that they were needed to provide security, and were unaware that this was a campaign event. Now, a former Broward County police officer has filed an official election complaint, as it's illegal to "‘directly or indirectly coerce’ any [public] employee to engage in political activity, and employees are prohibited from doing so while working.”
Please Rick Scott, Tell Us More About "Transparency" (VIDEO)
Rick Scott's hypocrisy gets more comical by the day. Yesterday, he released a new ad targeting Charlie Crist's wife, calling on her to release her taxes because he, quote, "believes transparency matters." In fact, transparency matters so much to Rick Scott that when a whistleblower, who had worked at the Department of Economic Opportunity for 30 years, tried to expose systemic fraud that improperly inflicted economic hardship on 19,000 Floridians, this is how Scott's administration responded: They fired her. She filed a lawsuit and won her case as the jury ruled that the Governor's administration had fired her in retaliation for trying to uncover the DEO's wrongdoing.
VIDEO: "Great Job" — The loooong list of scandals/resignations under Rick Scott
Adam Hollingsworth, Steve McNamara, Tony Bennett, David Wilkins, Hunting Deutsch, Jennifer Carroll... the list of scandals and/or resignations from Rick Scott's administration is disturbingly long. Perhaps the only things more alarming than Scott's obviously flawed judgment when filling his administration are his repeated assertions that the aforementioned staffers were doing a "great job" while being consumed by controversy.
MEMO: The Record Tommy Thompson Wants You To Forget
To: Interested Parties From: Matt Thornton, Senior Communications Adviser, American Bridge 21st Century Date: 8/14/2012 RE: The record Tommy Thompson wants you to forget Perhaps in a bout of nostalgia, Wisconsin Republicans have nominated former governor Tommy Thompson as their party’s Senate nominee. But much like seeing Brett Favre in Vikings purple, Wisconsin voters are in for the rude surprise that Thompson is no longer on their side. Thompson left the Badger State behind when he was tapped to serve in George W. Bush’s cabinet. Less clear is when he abandoned Wisconsin values to become the worst embodiment of Washington’s revolving-door. After leaving the Bush administration, Thompson cashed in on his public service experience, amassing over $13 million with help from his ties to the numerous companies for which he served on their boards or did “consulting.” His client list included more than a dozen pharmaceutical or health care companies which he had previously been entrusted to regulate. Moderate voters will also be disappointed to learn of Thompson’s far-right shift on health care during the primary to appeal to the Tea Party. Once a supporter of health care reform to ease the burden on struggling families, Thompson embraced radical Tea Party rhetoric to criticize the reform he earlier backed. Calling for health care reform to “be sent to the ash heap of history” is a far cry from the praise he showered on the bill he once called an “important step” – and one that made him a rich man. Tommy Thompson may be a familiar name for Wisconsin voters, but they’ll soon realize he’s not the same candidate they thought they knew.
Vern Buchanan Ethics Memo
Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan skipped out on his July 30 court deposition to answer serious questions about business ethics. Buchanan, who has been dogged by questions about his business dealings — and under investigation by both the House Ethics Committee and the Justice Department — evaded answering questions under oath by failing to appear at the scheduled time. Read the American Bridge research document below to see the facts he didn't want to face. Buchanan Ethics Memo
ABC News: Mitt Romney's Surrogate Headache: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em
On February 27, 2012, ABC News reported:
[Jim] Talent, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign and former senator from Missouri, recently spoke on a conference call to call Rick Santorum out as an over-spender. But as the Democratic super PAC, American Bridge, was only too pleased to point out, the conservative Club for Growth once called Talent out for exactly the same kind of spending behavior. "In his previous time in the Senate, prior to losing to [Sen. Claire] McCaskill in 2006, Talent voted to raid the Social Security Trust Fund, for the infamous 'Bridge to Nowhere' earmark, and for other pork-laden budget busters," the Club wrote in a 2010 news release, unearthed by American Bridge.
RELEASE: American Bridge 21st Century Hires Matt Thornton & Ike Blake
WASHINGTON -- American Bridge 21st Century President Rodell Mollineau today announced the hires of Matt Thornton and Ike Blake to serve as senior communications adviser and director of media production, respectively. “I’m thrilled to add two all stars like Matt and Ike to the American Bridge team,” Mollineau said. “With Matt’s communications skills and Ike’s technical and creative abilities, American Bridge will be even better equipped to shape the political debate and hold Republicans accountable.” Thornton, who started this week, most recently served as communications director for Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). He previously served as the communications director for former Congressman Zack Space (D-OH), and he has worked on campaigns in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and West Virginia. A Kansas native, he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
POLITICO: Allen West tirade: Wasserman Schultz 'vile…despicable…not a Lady'
On July 19, 2011, POLITICO reported:
Florida GOP Congressman Allen West this afternoon dispatched a scathing personal email to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calling her "vile, unprofessional ,and despicable," "a coward," "characterless," and "not a Lady," and demanding that she "shut the heck up."
Dennis Rehberg On Mine Safety
Rehberg Criticized Mine Inspectors For Increased Enforcement, Accused Them Of Trying To Destroy Montana’s Mining Industry. In the wake of an April 2010 disaster that killed 29 miners in West Virginia, the Associated Press reported that Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg was criticizing increased enforcement efforts. “Rep. Denny Rehberg says federal officials appear bent on destroying Montana’s mining industry with their aggressive enforcement of mine safety violations in recent months. The Montana Republican said Tuesday that mine inspectors appear driven by environmental extremism rather than safety concerns. He said citations against the Troy silver mine near Libby included one for a ladder with improperly spaced rungs and another for a burned out light bulb.” [Associated Press, 11/11/2010]