Staff Infection, The Daily Briefing

LAURA RICHARDSON SHAKIN’ HER MONEYMAKER

Dave WielengaWed. June 25
 

Laura Richard’s reaction to questions about her bad financial judgement? More of the same! A story by Associated Press reporter Erica Werner that appears in today’s Press-Telegram  reports that Long Beach’s freshman congresswoman will be the money-grubbin’ guest of honor at a fundraiser thrown for her by House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland). The buy-in is $5,000 per.

Yes, it does look tacky, what with the controversy that’s been swirling around Richardson–who just hopped, skipped and jumped from the Long Beach City Council to the California State Assembly to Congress in one year–for defaulting eight times on three houses, failing to pay local small businesses until publicized in the newspapers, and questions about the terms of loans from sources ranging from Washington Mutual to strip-club owner Jerry Westlund (kudos to the P-T on that last one).

But aggressive, oblivious self-centeredness is the way Laura Richardson has always rolled—check out last week’s cover story about her in The District . Richardson did not respond to interview requests for that story that were left at her Washington, D.C. office. Maybe she was too busy making plans for her big party.

Of course, the Democrat Party leadership is soiling itself here, too, invalidating its holier-than-Bush rhetoric by rewarding the bad behavior of a new congresswoman—teaching her that nothing is more important than to keep shakin’ her moneymaker.

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  • Sanchez
    This story is a bunch of crap. Get over it already. Fair minded reporters would be looking into some of the indiscretions (financial and otherwise) of other local elected. There would be plenty of interesting stuff to write about I am sure.

    This publication has stooped to the same level as the PT over the past few months. I call it "me-too" journalism. I was hoping the District Weekly would offer something different, like objective reporting.

    DW is proving itself to be the same ole' stale crackers, status quo with an edge. Maybe because your staff is comprised of wannabe PT reporters, and a couple of PT rejects. Have you guys joined the LB Chamber union yet? Stop being a tool for the right wing and stick to the facts.
  • howardx
    i, on the other hand, cant get enough of this story! perhaps sanchez would care to explain why "fair minded reporters" should ignore an ongoing, very local and topical story on richardson in favor of perhaps finding some dirt on another LB politician? what is sanchez's affiliation with richardson? i'll bet there is one.
  • Middlebrow
    It's bad enough that loyal dems have to "swallow hard" and vote for Richardson - but then to find out that her ambition has clouded her judgment and... well, she doesn't pay her bills. How should and how can we "get over this already?"

    Sanchez is wrong about District staff and wrong about Richardson.
  • LBRez
    Howard we are in agreement. Small step for blogosphere commentary, big step for peace in our time. Let's try another one: I like to drink beer, single malt scotch and good bourbon--do you? We can do this, I know it, we can find more to agree on! I am filled with hope.

    xoxo
    Rez
  • howardx
    i like beer, bourbon single malts and local politicians getting what they deserve. sounds like we can probably work together on this;)
  • Dave Wielenga
    Hey Sanchez, I love that you commented but I don't get the logic in much of what you said. Most confusing was the last part, about being a tool for the right wing. I hope you are not one of those people who see right and wrong through partisan eyes. Not paying your bills is not right no matter who doesn't pay them. And this is precisely the kind of story that would have rightly had liberals howling if it were about a conservative. Fact is, despite terrible business judgement that caused lots of other people to suffer, Richardson has chosen to characterize her actions as typical of the kind of problems other Americans are going through. Most other Americans don't have three houses and they can't get away without paying the small businesses that serve them. Instead of being forthright, Richardson is simply getting on the Washington fund-raising carousel. Instead of teaching this freshman congresswoman how to serve honorably in her position, her more experienced colleagues are rationalizing her behavior. How is all of this not a story? How is it a partisan one?
  • LB Voter
    Newsweek is set to publish a highly embarrassing report on Sen. John McCain, revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default, The Huffington Post has learned.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/28/mccain...
  • John
    Hey randy,
    I only enjoy beer, but lets get together and have a few, and talk about the latest default.
  • Kelson
    Hey, was there just somebody at the Bixby Knolls Trader Joe's with a petition on Richardson? I was in too big a hurry to find out what the deal was but maybe one of you already knows. Is there a recall petition out there?
  • LB Voter
    WIshful thinking or uniformed babble talk Kelson. No member of congress has ever been recalled in the history of the United States and no such provisions exist.
  • Kelson
    Well somebody was out there armed with pens and clipboards and yammering at folks about Richardson. I guess it wasn't you.
  • LBRez
    Maybe it was someone trying to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot as an independent?
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