So it is March, and that means the Meta Pie fight season is now open.
But I have bigger fish to fry.
I have ZERO interest in punching hippies, nor do I care for berating Dems who are more moderate than myself (with some exceptions). I mean no offense to the parties involved, but if that is your thing, good luck to you. I have bigger rotten fish to fry.
Now, having gotten that off of my chest, where do I begin?
I guess you'll have to go below the fold to find out . . . .
First of all, Thank You to all of you who chose to support the new, groovy, Kossack founded PeanutButterPAC. We are on our way to achieving our first goal, which is to launch a money bomb for Jennifer Brunner, but we still have more work to do. That is why we need you to sign up as a member, tell your friends, and grab a mop. There is a LOT of work to do.
Now, on to the show . . . .
So, who WAS paying for that cheap C Street apartment that Bart Stupak (Chrsitian Mafia-MI) enjoyed for over the last decade?
MADDOW: In making a name for himself, though, Mr. Stupak has opened himself up to some questions about who he is and where he‘s coming from. Last night on this show, we talked about Bart Stupak‘s long-time Washington, D.C. residence. It‘s an 8,000 square foot, 12-bedroom mansion called C Street. C Street is reportedly run by a secretive religious group called The Fellowship or The Family.
And the members of Congress who live at C Street reportedly pay the paltry sum of $600 a month for rent—which is a sweetheart deal and is pretty clearly way below market value for that area. And that raises the question: who subsidizes the rent that Bart Stupak and those other congressmen pay—or paid?
Today, Mr. Stupak‘s office responded to our questions by informing us that Mr. Stupak moved out of C Street at the end of December. They provided us with a letter that he sent his constituents upon doing so. But they have, so far, declined to answer our questions about how much Mr. Stupak paid in rent, who he paid that rent to, and who subsidized his rent if anyone.
snip
Quoting from "The Dispatch": Richard Carver, the president of the Fellowship Foundation, said "his charitable organization does not own the C Street Center and has no control over its policy. He said he does not know who owns or runs the center. Quote, ‘It is simply not a part of anything we do.‘"
So, according to The Fellowship, they have nothing to do with C Street nothing. They don‘t even know who runs C Street.
Well, today, we were able to obtain what appears to be the official deed to the C Street house. It‘s a deed that is dated September 23rd, 2009. It‘s a deed that appears to change the ownership of the property from a group called Youth With A Mission to an organization called C Street Center Incorporated. Signing on behalf of C Street Center Incorporated is that group‘s secretary, Marty B. Sherman.
Who‘s Marty B. Sherman? Well, here‘s the 2008 tax filing of the Fellowship Foundation, again, or The Family. Right there listed on page seven, hey, wouldn‘t you know, Marty Sherman, associate.
So, The Family claims they have nothing to do with C Street and yet one of their associates is the person who‘s listed on the deed to C Street. The mystery deepens.
Now, you know, The Family is known to be a very secretive group. And one of the things we noted as being a little weird in our coverage of this last night was that Bart Stupak keeps going out of his way to say that he‘s never signed an oath of secrecy around C Street. And, indeed, in a letter to his constituents that his office he gave to us today, he reiterates, quote, "I have never been asked to sign a contract or oath of secrecy concerning C Street or its residents." Why does he keep bringing this up?
It turns that not that long ago, when talking about C Street to the press, Bart Stupak told "The Los Angeles Times" that he kind of did abide by a code of secrecy when it came to C Street and The Family. His quote to "The L.A. Times" when they asked him about C Street was this, quote, "We sort of don‘t talk to the press about the house."
The reason this is important is because Bart Stupak continues to deny having anything at all to do with a secretive religious group, The Family. But check this out. In 2002, when Bart Stupak was living at C Street—he‘s lived there for years—when he was living there in 2002, an associate of The Family described for the press the arrangement that The Family had with the members of Congress who have lived at that house.
And this is how The Family described it. Are you ready? Quote, "A lot of men don‘t have an extra $1,500 to rent an apartment. So, The Fellowship house does that for those who are part of The Fellowship." "The L.A. Times" noting that rent is $600 per month h for each resident.
So the questions remain tonight. Was Bart Stupak paying The Family rent to live at C Street? Was The Family subsidizing Mr. Stupak‘s rent which seems to have been well below market rate? Why would The Family be subsidizing Stupak‘s rent if he wasn‘t, as he says, a member of the group, when The Family admits that they subsidize rent for their members? And why exactly is The Family claiming to have no ties to the house when tax and property records indicate that it clearly does?
Bottom line here, as Bart Stupak tries to shut down health reform for an anti-abortion stunt that won‘t succeed but will make him famous, who‘s been paying Bart Stupak‘s rent in Washington all these years? Has he reported it? And why won‘t he answer questions about it?
CrooksandLiars.com
Bold text added by the diarist
Full transcript available at tv.msnbc.com/Rachel Maddow Show
So, my question to you as Democrats and left leaning independents is, who do you have a bigger beef with, Dennis Kucinich or Bart Stupak? Better yet, who is more likely to be your ally and who is more likely to be your enemy, Dennis Kucinich or Bart Stupak?
Personally, until Dennis Kucinich is exposed as a Sauron supporting Hobbit who believes in a Morgoth/Elendil demigod I am not too worried about Dennis Kucinich or Micahel Moore or Jane Hamsher. I understand that they would view you and I as allies. I understand that they will risk killing this bill because they want something better. I do not agree with that, but I understand their motivation.
Bart Stupak, on the other hand, like his C Street allies such as Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator James Inhofe and Representative Joe Pitts consider you their enemies. They do not want reforms for the insurance cartels to pass at all, and if it must, they wish to distort it in such a way that it fits their skewed, twisted world view, a world where Jesus is a Caligula like Tyrant who believe in free markets, world domination and death to all gays. These are NOT your allies, and when you are not fightging them head on you are merely wasting your time fighting among your own allies.
Whether you agree with the tactics employed by those who fight for the same goals you wish to achieve yourself (i.e. The Best Legislation possible) is ireelevant. What is relevant is who you are fighting and why. In my opinion, to be honest, I have no time to waste in fighting those who consider myself their ally. Everytime we do that a Bush war criminal gets their wings.
So who was paying for Bart Stupak's rent? Who gave him the idea to try to kill Health Care Reform by turning it into a pie fight over women's reproductive rights? Who does not want any reform to happen at all unless it benefits the twisted JesusCaligula as a Free Market loving derivatives trader cult? Is it Dennis Kucinich? Micheal Moore? Jane Hamsher? Or is it the bipartisan Corporatist-religio cult that envisions a world where Mary Magdelene is not your peer but your vassal?
The first thing that the enemies of Corporatists must learn is to know thyself.
The next thing that the enemies of Corporatists must learn is to know thine enemy.
And after that, the enemies of Corporatists must learn how to organize. Organize, organize, organize.
Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) (202) 225-7742
Jerry Costello (D-IL) (202) 225-5661
James Oberstar (D-MN) (202) 225-6211
Steve Driehaus (D-OH) (202) 225-2216
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) (202) 225-4146
Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) (202) 225-6511
Kathleen Dahlkemper (D-PA) (202) 225-5406
Joe Donnelly (D-IN) (202) 225-3915
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) (202) 225-4636
Dan Lipinski (D-IL) (202) 225-5701
Charlie Wilson (D-OH) (202) 225-5705
Call them and ask them if they are part of Stupak's dirty dozen, since, once again, this isn't from Stupak. Stupak hasn't yet named his cohorts, so we're trying to figure it out on our own. And call Stupak and tell him to give us the names. Read him these names if you want and ask him to confirm or deny.
Hat Tip to deaniac83 and itskevin for this list
I have no time for Pie Fights. I know who the probelm is, and it is NOT the enemies of Corporate Conservatives, it is their friends and allies. That is who I will fight.
UPDATE: Stupak gets a primary challenger!
Connie Saltonstall of Charlevoix said today she plans to run against Stupak for the Democratic nomination of Michigan’s First Congressional District. Stupak, a former state trooper who calls Menominee home, has held the seat since 1993.
snip
Saltonstall, whose supporters are trying to collect the 1,000 signatures needed to put her name on the August primary ballot, said Stupak has let the district down.
"Bart Stupak has threatened to block health care reform unless the amendment that bears his name is included in the final bill," she said. "I believe that he has a right to his personal, religious views, but to deprive his constituents of needed health care reform because of those views is reprehensible."
freep.com
hat tip to Dkos user angry liberaltarian for the linky goodness.
Cheers to Connie Saltonstall for taking Stupak on. I will try to learn more about Saltonstall and update accordingly, and I will see if
PeanutButterPAC can do anything to help knock off Bart C Street Stupak.
UPDATE x2
Contact info: Connie Saltonstall
I found this on michigandems.com. The phone number goes straight to Connie herself! Wish her good luck.
I have already asked if Connie would support a Public Option and her answer is YES!
Further, even if Saltonstall's candidacy is a long shot, I think it is worth supporting her just to put some heat on these C Streeters and their cronies. This is what ACCOUNTABILITY looks like. Give Connie a call and show her some support!
Campaign Office
11362 Boyne City Rd
Charlevoix MI, 49720
Phone: (231) 547-2138
Cheers!
Peace.
You can follow me on Twitter @JesseLaGreca
Crossposted at ProgressiveElectorate.com