Today TPM Muckraker and The Hill picked up on the story about Laura Richardson, which I diaried here and at Calitics this last weekend.
This could be a big story, and a very big problem in the district come November.
Calitics has reported on this district before. Richardson came in by special election, after the death of the long-term incumbent. The conventional wisdom said she would likely have the seat for 20 years if she wanted it.
Perhaps that's still true; I don't know the dynamics of the district, but it's in a normally safe Democratic district. But, I can just imagine the kind of campaign a well-funded opponent or independent group can run now.
"Laura Richardson: 3 home foreclosures; financed her campaign with money she took from lenders (or financed her extravagant real estate purchases with campaign money - I guess we'll have to wait and see which it is). If she can't handle her own money, how can we trust her to handle ours?"
That took all of 10 seconds to compose. Just wait until the precise language is hammered out in front of focus groups. This could be a very bloody election, and even if she wins, it's likely to start getting some national attention.
I don't yet know how I feel about this. I would certainly feel sorry for her if it were just a series of unlucky breaks, but with 3 houses, I am having a hard time believing it. Also, she is was protege of Cruz Bustamante, the former Lieutenant Governor, whose political career (I hope) is finally over. I have to agree with Act Blue: we need better Democrats, not just more of them. This kind of thing is not helpful, and gives me no confidence that Richardson is a better Democrat.
Perhaps this will blow over by the general election, or maybe we'll see other politicians suffer the same sort of money problem. For now, things would not seem to be so bucolic in the 37th Congressional District.
UPDATE: One thing I would like to add. This is the sort of thing that candidates in other races may use, just because it sounds bad. She could be the typical poster-child for scapegoating Democrats in other more competitive races.