NC Rep.(R) Meadows on hot seat for ethics violation and allowing sexual harassment by staff chief.

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Thursday September 08, 2016 · 3:46 PM PDT

2016/09/08 · 15:46

Mark Meadows will be investigated by the House ethics committee for paying his chief of staff, Kenny West, full salary for ten months after West was barred from both the district office and the DC office for sexually harassing the female staff.

The situation had gotten so bad that female new hires were warned about what not to wear when West was expected in the office. At one point West made one staffer cry. After he had been barred from the district office, he tried to enter, but was blocked by a female staffer who threatened to call the police.

Meadows broke the House rules by paying West after West had been relieved of duties. At first, Meadows spokesperson tried to say that it was vacation pay, then flip-flopped to severance pay. Neither are allowed under House rules with tax dollars.

Several questions arise. Why was West hired in the first place? He was a primary opponent of Meadows in 2012 that gained only a sliver of the vote. West has no legislative or hill experience. It has now come to light that Meadows was warned of West’s behavior before he was hired.

Why was this allowed to go on for so long? West has been Meadows’ COS since Meadows took office in 2013 and was not dismissed until October of 2015.

Why has West received so much compensation? Meadows paid off West’s campaign debt in 2012, gave him the COS position, didn’t require West to take up a Washington residence, and paid him $155,000 dollars after he was relieved of duties.

What does West have on Meadows?

Rick Bryson for Congress press conference and Q&A.

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Poll

14 votes Show Results

Whom do you like better?

14 votes Vote Now!

Whom do you like better?

Rick Bryson

14 votes

Mark Meadows

0 votes

Filibuster Reform? We Need A New Majority Leader

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Wednesday November 28, 2012 · 1:03 PM PST

2012/11/28 · 13:03

After six (not four) years of Republican obstructionism, Sen. Reid awakens to the notion that rules reform might be a good idea. Unfortunately, the package that he is shopping around reflects the lethargy that we have come to expect.

So what's wrong with a talking filibuster? Let's do the math. There are 24 hours in a day. If you have 40+ obstructionists, then each has to speak for only 35 minutes a day to sustain a filibuster indefinitely. That's hardly a barrier. What would be unsustainable to Republicans would be to require them to keep 40 members on the floor for the duration of the filibuster. Or we could abolish the filibuster altogether seeing as how the polarization of the parties has made debate rather obsolete.

More below the fold.

droat

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Monday June 21, 2010 · 8:21 AM PDT

2010/06/21 · 08:21

Marshall: 136,052
Cunningham: 104,981

Many are predicting a much lower turnout based on most runoff turnouts. The Cunningham campaign has publicly estimated the turnout near 200K. The Asheville Citizen - Times has suggested 75K. But they aren't comparing apples to apples. They are looking at recent runoff elections that involved downticket races such as the State Education Superintendent.

When the runoff is for a Senate race at the top of the ticket(no presidential primary) the turnout is much closer to the turnout of the primary.

The top-vote-getter in a Senate primary usually retains 90%+ of the primary vote. The runner-up is the wild card. In these runoffs, the runner up may get less than 50% of their original vote or more than 150%.

Poll

32 votes Show Results

What will the total turnout for the NC Dem Runoff be?

32 votes Vote Now!

What will the total turnout for the NC Dem Runoff be?

300,000

1 vote

250,000

7 votes

200,000

2 votes

150,000

8 votes

100,000

6 votes

50,000

8 votes

NC Sen: Edwards?

droat

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Sunday January 06, 2008 · 8:32 PM PST

2008/01/06 · 20:32

It could happen. NH is on 1/8, SC is on 1/29. Super Tuesday is on 2/5. The final day to file for the Dem primary in NC isn't until 2/29 according to congress.org. Edwards could come back home and roll over Dole.

If he throws his support to future President Obama, he might have enough clout to become the Senate Majority Whip. Hopefully, Sen. Dodd will be Majority Leader.

While I prefer Edwards to Obama, I could see this as a 'dream team'. Pres. Obama unites and heals while Senate Whip Edwards makes his rounds on the news shows confronting and persuading.

Poll

130 votes Show Results

We nned

130 votes Vote Now!

We nned

a president who is insparational and lets others go out in front on the hard issues

28 votes

a president who confronts the right-wing directly

87 votes

Hillary

15 votes

WINO Watch - Warner vs. Reid

droat

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Friday August 24, 2007 · 10:07 AM PDT

2007/08/24 · 10:07

Leading WINO (waverer in name only) Sen. Warner continues his hollow rhetoric, but a Reid aide calls him out on it. From CNN:

Warner: "I say to the president, respectfully, pick whatever number you wish," Warner said. "You do not want to lose the momentum, but certainly in 160,000-plus, say, 5,000 could begin to redeploy and be home to their families and loved ones no later than Christmas of this year."

But a Reid aide replies:

"Will he [Warner] vote with us on anything? That is still the open and most important question," the aide said. "A recommendation to the president is different than voting for binding legislative language compelling the president to act."

Warner goes on to further paint himself in a corner:

"The time has come to put some meaningful teeth into those comments -- to back them up with some clear, decisive action," the senator said.

Now we have to wait and see if Sen. Reid will continue to ratchet up the pressure on Warner.

Poll

47 votes Show Results

Sen. Reid will:

47 votes Vote Now!

Sen. Reid will:

steadily grow a pair as 'magic September' approches

16 votes

wuss out

31 votes

Dems in Congress might be smarter than they look

droat

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Friday June 22, 2007 · 8:36 AM PDT

2007/06/22 · 08:36

A strategy of attack and retreat worked out pretty well for Attila the Hun. That might just be what Pelosi and Ried are doing.

Poll

141 votes Show Results

Pelosi and Ried:

141 votes Vote Now!

Pelosi and Ried:

know what they are doing

58 votes

don't know

23 votes

just wimps

60 votes

Instant Runoff Voting Within The Democratic Party

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Sunday June 17, 2007 · 8:01 AM PDT

2007/06/17 · 08:01

With all the talk about Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) in general elections, I would like to propose IRV within the Dem party. I mean that every nomination for elected office and every party office should be subject to IRV. It will solve much of the fragmentation problems within our party and best of all, there is a realistic way to get it.

Poll

32 votes Show Results

How would party level IRV affect Democratic turnout in November elections?

32 votes Vote Now!

How would party level IRV affect Democratic turnout in November elections?

Increase 10% or more

11 votes

Increse 5% to 10%

11 votes

No significant change

7 votes

Decrease 5% to 10%

0 votes

Decrease 10% or more

3 votes

RSS

NC Rep.(R) Meadows on hot seat for ethics violation and allowing sexual harassment by staff chief.

Filibuster Reform? We Need A New Majority Leader

NC-Sen Runoff Predictions

NC Sen: Edwards?

WINO Watch - Warner vs. Reid

Dems in Congress might be smarter than they look

Instant Runoff Voting Within The Democratic Party