Bob Casey Jr -- He'll Take Money from Anyone

Today's NYTimes has a front-page story on the political donations made by a disbarred lawyer again under legal scrutiny and how some of his recipients have returned the money -- but not Bob Casey. He silently stuffed the dirty money into his pockets, as he did with the Abramoff firm donations.

We've already seen that Bob Casey Jr is a heavy favorite of Lobbyist donations, happily taking more money from Lobbyists and Lawyers than 96% -- NINETY-SIX -- of actual, sitting members of Congress. He is not only the only Democratic candidate for US Senate in Pennsylvania who declined to take that pledge against such donations, he is proud to take money from the likes of the members of Jack Abramoff's firm (yes -- THAT Jack Abramoff).

We've also seen that Bobby Junior is also a favorite of HUNDREDS of the very same PACs who are also supporters of Santorum. Now why would these PACs give money to Casey and Santorum -- do you think it is because Casey has made it is clear he is an independent guy and that their money won't affect him, or is it because Casey is clearly adverse to their interests, or is is because they know he can be bought or because they know he will support them just like Ricky? We report, you decide.

Today's NYTimes article tells the sad, sad tale of John R. Burgess, and his latest venture, International Profit Associatesm("IPA"), a management consulting company in Illinois. Mike McIntire's article neatly summarizes poor Mr. Burgess's problems:

A disbarred New York lawyer with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois.

Federal authorities are pressing a sexual harassment suit against the company on behalf of 113 former female employees.

The Illinois attorney general is investigating accusations of deceptive marketing tactics, officials say, and the company has been the subject of 470 complaints to the Better Business Bureau across the nation in the past three years.

Some guy, eh? The Times reports how he and his associates used their donations to buy them face-time and photo-ops with the powerful. They then used these relationship to impress their clients and score bigger consulting jobs -- sound familiar?

His problems aren't NEW news -- Andrew Cuomo (son of Mario, then candidate for NY Governor) turned back $20,000 from IPA folks in 2002 and Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic governor of Illinois, returned $125,000 in 2002.

So, of course, Bob Casey is a stand-up guy, with this history he wouldn't take this tainted money now, would he, especially not in 2005, right?

Well, the Times didn't mention it but your intrepid Slob did a little sleuthing and guess what? Bob Casey was happy to include IPA donations among the many millions of other tainted funds he has happily collected while "campaigning" at high-ticket fund-raisers for the wealth influence-brokers in Illinois, DC, Texas, California and any other place as far from real PA Democrats as he could get.

Our friends at OpenSecrets.org have collected the data from Casey's campaign reports that show that Burgess et al from IPA contributed to Casey in November, 2005 -- three years after others returned the money -- and Casey kept it.

So, tell me again, Ed Rendell and Chuck Schumer, how the guy you picked is going to call out Rick Santorum on ethics & money in politics?

Time to get behind the only PAC-free, special-interest-free candidate in the race, who also -- BONUS! -- happens to truely stand up for traditional Democratic values --

Support CHUCK PENNACCHIO!!!

You can't change politics, without changing politics.