Oopsies. Guess cowards also cut deals for free legal services

The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating Rep. Jean Schmidt’s receipt of legal assistance from a Turkish-American interest group that has represented her in a host of proceedings in Ohio, one of the Republican’s counsels confirmed Friday.

Schmidt attorney Bruce Fein declined to answer questions about how he is paid, saying he is responding to a request from the OCE, the board that reviews potential rules violations and recommends investigations to the House Ethics Committee.

“We’ll be making proper responses to an outstanding inquiry,” said Fein, an attorney with the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund and a resident scholar at the Turkish Coalition of America.

Fein did not detail the inquiry, and the OCE does not comment publicly on its work or confirm whether it is reviewing specific matters.

But Democrat David Krikorian, who has twice sought to challenge Schmidt for the 2nd district seat, has filed multiple complaints to the OCE, alleging that the Ohio lawmaker improperly received free legal services from the TCA and its legal defense fund in violation of House rules. It is not known whether the OCE investigation stems from Krikorian’s complaints.

In a statement Monday, Schmidt spokesman Brian Pfaff acknowledged the Ohio lawmaker had not received a bill from TALDF for its work to date but said Schmidt had followed House rules.

OH-02: Culture of Corruption and Jean Schmidt

Bob Brigham flew to Ohio and files this report.

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That is Democrat David Krikorian conceding in the OH-02 Democratic primary last night. Krikorian is now predicting that Jean Schmidt will win the race and even goes as far as to accusing his opponent of pulling the race card.

Let’s talk about that “race card” for a moment. The opponent Krikorian is talking about is Surya Yalamanchili, an Indian and former contestant on The Apprentice. Last week it was discovered that Krikorian said to a VFW crowd “do you think a guy with a name like that has a chance of ever being elected?” This led Krikorian to one of the harder feats in politics – being named Worst Person in the World by Keith Olbermann.

The story didn’t die there last Friday night. Instead Krikorian, who ran as an independent in 2008 as a “Reagan Conservative”, went into a full right wing style conspiracy defense:

KRIKORIAN: Keith Olbermann is a buffoon for not checking his sources, for not even bothering to check. But here’s one thing I will state for the record: Last night’s program was sponsored by Procter & Gamble’s Oil of Olay brand, which is the exact brand that Surya Yalamanchili worked for. So how did they cover that story last night? Because I’m sure that Keith Olbermann is not reading the Cincinnati press. So our folks think that the Oil of Olay brand people – Procter and Gamble in particular – were advancing their former employee. And that’s how it got in there. […]

I think [Olbermann] was reading from his script. So somehow that got put in there. And how did it get put in there? Well, look at the relationship between the story and the show’s sponsor. I think it’s pretty clear how it got in there.

This even led Proctor and Gamble to issue a statement denying the allegations and landed Krikorian another spot on Worst Persons Monday night.

Krikorian doesn’t think Yalamanchili can be elected to anything because of his last name. Well guess what David? He just won an election and the person he defeated was you!

Brigham explains the situation. You can donate here.

Atrios has a funding update.

Hackett on CBS Evening News -Jean Schmidt says Hackett isn't pro-family.

Video-WMP

The Raw Story is reporting another scandal in Ohio.

Hackett has a diary up on Daily Kos

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What color is the sky in Mean Jean Schmidt's world? Because we are clearly through the looking glass when the Wicked Witch of Ohio claims that most Americans are against this bill (LIES), that the CBO says healthcare costs will not be reduced (LIES, although in fairness, they trashed the Republican version), and reduced Medicare benefits (LIES).

Maybe if the Republicans have nothing but lies and scare tactics to offer up as their objection to health care reform, that should tell their tea-baggin' supporters something.

(video and more via Think Progress)

Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt, Republican from Ohio, has been a treasure trove of wingnutiness over the past few years and her latest whopper came in a candid moment when she felt she could speak her mind freely:

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) spoke at the Voice of America tea party this Labor Day weekend outside of Cincinnati, OH. Following a tense Q&A session — during which, the congresswoman was booed for acknowledging that the Constitution is a living document — Schmidt engaged in a heated conversation with a birther off-stage. At the conclusion of their exchange, Schmidt whispered to the birther, “I agree with you, but the courts don’t.”

As Schmidt spoke to the birther, one of her staffers spotted the ThinkProgress camera and used his body to push the cameraman out of view of the congresswoman. ThinkProgress continued to film Schmidt from a respectful distance, but was again stopped by another staffer who grabbed the cameraman by the arm and ordered him to “go away.” Read on...

Aww, come on Jean, you've never been shy about waving your freak flag in public. Why so shy now?

You barely see or read anything in the media about health care town halls that are constructive and where people actually ask pertinent questions. The media have also forgotten that the leader of the House Republicans isn't having a town hall either. What's up with that?

Why isn't John Boehner having a town hall?

I’ll take right here in southern Ohio. My own representative, and the House Minority Leader, John Boehner is not holding any townhalls. Add to that the district directly south of me, OH-02, which is represented by Jean Schmidt (R), and our Republican Senator George Voinovich.

The closest townhall the people of southwest Ohio have had is one held in Columbus last week by Senator Sherrod Brown, however Steve Driehaus (D-OH-01) is also planning an event.

I can fully get behind what the right is doing, but I can’t tolerate partisanship in such an endeavor. To me its amazing, yet not shocking that John Boehner isn’t holding one. Boehner is a pro at ignoring his constituency. A few years back during the Medicare debacle his office flat out refused to talk to seniors, even when there was a large gathering only a couple of miles from Boehner’s house.

Maybe they'll make him cry like he did at the Reagan Statue:

The Cincinnati Enquirer is preparing to rank President Obama’s first hundred days. In doing so they listed how local lawmakers have voted with the President.

• Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: 100 percent
• Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio: 86 percent
• Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio: 71 percent
• Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio: 43 percent
• Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.: 41 percent
• Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky.: 24 percent
• Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio: 0 percent
• Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky.: 0 percent
• Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio: 0 percent

I think the most telling number there is that of the House minority leader, John Boehner. He is setting the lead for his caucus and they are following in lockstep with him. Even the Senate’s Minority Leader has been able to support the President 41% of the time.

Last December, Republicans in Congress introduced a resolution noting the significance of Christmas and the Christian faith, which eventually passed, blurring the lines between church and state -- and they're at it again, attempting to rewrite American history and further the lie that America is a Christian nation.

Via Secular Coalition for America:

Jan. 11 - Flush with last year's success in passing H.Res. 847, "Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian Faith," Christian nationalists -- those who would have the United States be governed as a Christian theocracy -- are pushing H.Res. 888, another resolution which promotes a false and distorted Christian nation reinterpretation of our history. Generally, we do not take action regarding resolutions because they are ceremonial in nature and express the non-binding opinion of one chamber. They do not have the force of law. Read on...

The resolution, which is supported by the likes of Reps Patrick McHenry, John Doolittle and Mean Jean Schmidt, calls for an "American Religious History Week" and rejects any attempt to remove religious messages or teachings from our public buildings and educational resources. There can be no doubt that during an election year, Reps voting against the resolution will be labeled anti-religion, but we can't let them be bullied into signing this flawed resolution that goes against the very principles our country was founded on. Contact your Representatives and tell them to say no to H. Res. 888, (corrected) which further blurs the separation between church and state.

Cause for Concern: An alliance of prominent national conservatives announced yesterday the formation of the American Freedom Agenda (AFA), a coalition established to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the Executive Branch.

Hughes for America: Here's one Dem "consultant" who couldn't find his ass in a hall of mirrors at high noon

The Reality-Based Community: Not a syllable in the Constitution exempts the White House staff from Congressional subpoena. And the Congress need not proceed via the courts. The WH offer is ridiculous...and Dianne Feinstein asks the question we raised last Sunday

Obsidian Wings: Planet Earth: Political Plaything

Swing State Project: Does Jean Schmidt have a political deathwish?

MaxSpeak, You Listen! House Poor