Peter King on Electoral Integrity, 2004

From the archives, a choice Peter King snippet:



"It's all over but the counting, and we'll take care of the counting."

Also, do take note of King's buddy GWB, and King's keg cup...

Blogswarm!

I came across this 2005 column called Netroots activism arrives on CNN.com. It reflects on the effect bloggers had on the OH-2 special election, and the Democratic candidate, Paul Hackett A quick read but definitely a few choice quotes:

Democrat Paul Hackett, running in a special election for an Ohio congressional seat that most national Democrats wrote off as hopeless.

But Hackett, a Marine who served in Iraq, showed fight.

"We have to say it loud that we are proud to fight for what this great country stands for," he said...

The bloggers raised a lot more money for the Hackett campaign than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"We raised around $500,000 from the netroots, which means we outspent the National Republican Congressional Committee and we're three times as relevant as the DCCC in terms of cold hard cash," Brigham said.

On the final day of the campaign they needed $30,000. "So Bob from Swing State sent out an email, made phone calls, said, 'Here is what we need, we need $30,000 in a very short period of time.'" Schechner said. "And the next day, ActBlue delivered a check for $60,000."

Peter King: So Very Wrong on Immigration

A blog called Dos Centavos has some choice words for House Republicans, Peter King included, and former Republican Heath Shuler. See Peter King and this gang oppose the bipartisan bill under consideration in the Senate, which would provide a means for illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.

From The Hill :

Another swipe at the Senate’s compromise came from across the Capitol, where several border-first House Republicans, along with Democratic freshman Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.), released a terse letter to their counterparts in the upper chamber.

“”It’s important that the Senate know that now there is strong opposition in the House of Representatives. It’s bipartisan opposition to amnesty,” Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) told reporters.

Yeah, so I'm not sure a bunch of right-wing Republicans and one former Republican qualify as "bi-partisan", per se.

Regardless, King's position is incredibly short-sighted, as illustrated by a recent study calculating the benefits of Latino immigrants for Long Island's economy:

Some of the nation's most virulent anti-immigrant proposals have erupted from Long Island's elected officials, from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to local Congressional Representative Peter King, co-sponsor of the harsh and unworkable immigration bill H.R. 4437...

The report, which is not yet available online, finds that Long Island Hispanics contribute nearly a billion dollars a year in taxes and other revenues to local government, far more than they use in public services, producing a net benefit to the public of $202 million a year. Consumer spending by Hispanics produced an additional $5.7 billion impact on the Long Island economy, creating more than 52,000 jobs.

Even Newsday's conservative columnist Raymond Keating gets the picture:

Locally, it's time for some groups to stop kicking around immigrants, and instead start recognizing the role they play in keeping Long Island's economy afloat. Common-sense economics and basic human decency dictate welcoming immigrants and aiding their assimilation.

Meanwhile, our congressional representatives should be pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. Yes, tighten up the borders for national security purposes, but also expand legal avenues for immigration to keep our economy chugging along. It's clear that immigrants are not an economic burden, but instead a blessing.

What does DMI have to say about the legislation Peter King co-sponsors?

The bill receives a D in this category rather than an even lower grade because of the implausibility that this effort will succeed: the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice do not have the capacity to prosecute, incarcerate, and deport 10 million people, suggesting that a large number will continue to live and work in the United States whether or not this legislation becomes law. The bill's objectives are so impracticable that it could not completely undermine the economic contributions of the undocumented immigrants it targets.

It's time Peter King got real about immigration reform; so far all he has to offer is "Send them all back!" and "Build a fence!". I'm not going to hold my breath on this one, though.

Woops. Cheney Surprise Party STILL ON! WOOO.

My bad; looks like I spoke too soon on my last post. Evidently I was referring to the surprise-free AP story, and not the New York Times' own coverage, which is joyously entitled "Cheney Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad".



Surprise!! Dick Cheney's here!! Now the party can really kick it w00000h..

P.S. Baghdad is still just like Manhattan (with roller coasters and flower markets!), in case you were wondering..

Surprise!! Dick Cheney's Baghdad PARTY wahoo..

So Dick Cheney is making a visit to Baghdad this week. Thankfully, the Times coverage is calling it an"unscheduled" visit. A polite euphemism to be sure, but much better than the "surprise" these photo-ops have been called in the past.

I mean, let's be honest here, it's not like Dick Cheney and Condelezza Rice get the zany idea to pop up on Maliki.

They FREAKING SNUCK IN, by the cover of night, to avoid GETTING BOMBED.


Update: Wait, nevermind. I definitely forgot this, but Baghdad is TOTALLY like Manhattan, you guys!! LOLZ

NY-03: Video of Dave Mejias Interview from Massapequanews.com

This is a month old by now, but I just came across a good interview of '06 Democratic challenger, Dave Mejias. No mention of plans for a rematch unfortunately, but some solid progressive wisdom from Mejias. Why did he enter politics? To paraphrase, "because not everyone can afford to attend a high-priced fund raiser, and those people should be heard too".

Are you getting this, Peter King?

It's strong progressive vision like this that makes me hope we'll see more of Dave Mejias in the future. Check out the video:

You Want Acess to Peter King? You Better Pay Up $$$

Peter King had two gigs on April 11th and 14th at the posh Garden City Hotel and the Cherry Valley Club, respectively. At the fabulous Garden City Hotel, Peter King was the keynote speaker for a luncheon given by the Garden City Chamber of Commerce. At the Cherry Valley Club, he addressed the "Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution".

The Garden City Chamber of Commerce represents a town that is "renowned for its upscale retailers, it is also the financial, legal and governmental hub of Nassau County" according to its website.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is no doubt one of the one most elite social clubs in America, open only to those able to trace their lineage to colonial Americans.

What will it cost to gain such access to the "people's representative", noted for his "blue collar appeal", Congressman Peter King? $65 a pop for non-members of the Chamber, and a more modest $35 for those not genetically pure enough to be "daughters" of the American Revolution.

Now, as we've reported previously, Peter King doesn't have much of any info on his website. But as far as I've seen there or elsewhere, there is no information listed about any sort of public forum he had or will be having.

Our blog friends at Rochester Turning have been documenting NY-29's John Kuhl's forays into town halls. His answers are often pretty whack, but hey, at least you can meet him face to face, for free. Peter King? No such luck, unless you're a connected individual ponying up hard cash. Shame.

Something is terribly wrong when the only way to hear your elected official speak is to pay for a pricey fund-raiser.

UPDATE: According to Peter King Watch's J, Peter King has never held a Town Hall meeting. Not once in 14+ years? Impressive!

Happy Mission Accomplished Day!

Happy "Mission Accomplished" Day, everyone! A day to celebrate indeed. Four years ago today, Bush declared the end of "major combat" operations in Iraq. Since then, it's all been a haze. Peter King and George Bush seem to have forgotten about this little publicity stunt, since they insist we stick around indefinitely.


I guess I can see why Peter King "thanks God every night that George Bush is our President".. He looks so courageous in a flight suit!

Heckuva job, Bushie! And Peter King too!

Will Peter King Save Net Radio? ACT NOW

Recently got this email from Pandora.com , a great site that lets you stream your favorite artists and bands along the same lines. Great way to hear new music. Only thing is, internet radio like this is under attack from the recording industry. These giant corporations are bleeding dollars fast, and in their greed, they're now going after great resources like Pandora.com . Call Peter King and tell him you're against this power grab from the RIAA. Go to www.savenetradio.org for more info.

Hi, Tim again,

First, I wanted to thank you again for the support last week. It was absolutely overwhelming. More than 200,000 Pandora listeners contacted their congressional representatives! The entire fax infrastructure on Capitol Hill ground to a halt. We had to deliver faxes manually - literally boxes full of them were delivered to every office in the Capitol building.

The result has been swift and dramatic: more than a million people have already joined the cause! There is now a bill just being introduced called the "Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060" to fix the problem and save Internet radio -and Pandora- from obliteration.

I'd like to ask you to do one more thing which is to call and ask your Congressperson, Peter T. King, to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060:

Peter T. King's phone number: (202)225-7896

This fight for our life is not over, but there has been a marked shift in momentum. Thanks to your efforts, this vital channel for musical diversity has a hope of finally being treated fairly and being allowed to grow and nurture a newly empowered class of independent musicians.

Your opinion matters to your representatives - so please take just a minute to call.

Visit www.savenetradio.org to continue following the fight to Save Internet Radio.

Thanks again for being such a wonderful supporter.
-Tim Westergren(Pandora founder)

Do you enjoy listening to internet radio stations? Then please call Peter King at (202)225-7896 or your member of Congress. We'll let you know if Peter King sides with independent media and artists, or the recording industry corporate fathers.

Sunlight Foundation: Peter King's Website Scores 16% on Transparency

The Sunlight Foundation, a group I wholeheartedly support, has done an interesting study on House Members' Websites and the level of information they provide. No surprise here, but Peter King failed miserably, scoring 16% on measures of transparency.

Want to find out what bills King is sponsoring? NOPE.
What statements Peter King puts into the Congressional Record? SORRY!
How about a schedule of what King is up to? FORGET ABOUT IT!!!

As Peter King Watch has noted, King barely updates his site; so much for using the Web to connect with your representative...

Peter King Strapped for Cash:Raises NEGATIVE $16,700

In the crucial test of political fund-raising, Peter King flunked out this quarter. He reports
a low $99,005 in receipts, with $115,700 spent, for a grand ANEMIC total of -$16,695. That's right, he LOST MONEY this quarter!

Granted, some of the expenses doubtless relate to tying up the '06 Campaign. But still, for a newly competitive district, King did not raise impressive numbers this quarter. Perhaps most significantly, he currently has only $287,090 Cash on Hand. At this point in the last election cycle, King was showing $776,990. In other words, he's down $489,900 from this time two years ago, or nearly $500 K.

From a progressive standpoint a strong challenge to King, such as a Dave Mejias rematch, can go head to head on fund raising. King's '06 victory, despite being down in numerous polls, can at least partially be attributed to his 2 to 1 spending advantage; he spent over $2.1 Million in the '06 Cycle. This time around, unless he ups his game hardcore, he won't be so lucky.

Peter King *Proud* Recipient of "Muzzle Award" for Restricting Free Speach

For calling upon the Justice Department to seek criminal sanctions against a newspaper and its staff for disclosing publicly the existence and extent of covert, warrantless surveillance by the National Security Administration, a 2007 Jefferson Muzzle goes to… U. S. Representative Peter King (R., N.Y.)

There can be no serious doubt that current conditions warrant heightened scrutiny of genuine threats to national security, and that the interception of some communications may be warranted to a degree not applicable in more tranquil times. Yet, a procedure presumably existed through which judicial approval for secret warrants could have been sought through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court. There had been no proof that such requests for emergency authority would have been unavailing.

"Announced on or near April 13 — the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson — the Jefferson Muzzles are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment..."

According to Newsday, King's only disappointed he didn't get any actual trophy:

"If they give me a medal, I’ll wear it," said King, who also said that he’d saved space on his wall for a hanging trophy.

"They’re using my good name to boost their popularity, and they’re too cheap to even give me an award," he complained.

I'll let them handle the factual smackdown:

Now for the reality check: Times executive editor Bill Keller wrote in a letter to readers that the decision to publish the story "followed weeks of discussion between Administration officials and The Times", after which the newspaper staff concluded that revealing the program would not endanger its existence.

Keller argued that banks would continue to co-operate if the program was legal and effective, and that the U.S. Treasury Department had already been vocal about its efforts to track terror financing.

Peter King, never one to let reality get in the way of truthiness. We'll see what we can do about that trophy, Peter.

Peter King: Imus Helps Me Connect with People...

You know how Don Imus called the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team "nappy-headed hoes"? Peter King's not certain there's anything wrong with that. At least, that's how it appears:
Via Newsday: Pols must decide if show is worth risk

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), who said he has been on the program at least three times, said he would evaluate Imus' on-air behavior before deciding whether he will continue his guest appearances.

Apparently this incident of blatant racism is not enough to sway King. But since he's already been on the show three times, surely he knows this is not an isolated incident. Imus is known for his bigotry. Thanks to Slate, a hi-lite reel: The Wit and Wisdom of Don Imus

"Boner-nosed … beanie-wearing Jewboy." (Description of Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, a frequent guest.)

"Knuckle-dragging moron." (Description of basketball player Patrick Ewing.)
etc.

I'm not sure why any rational politician would ever go on this show. But King's got his reasons:

"To be honest, it is a media opportunity to go over the head of Newsday and the New York Times and to speak directly to people," said King.

Ahh, ok. I knew Peter King wore a tin-foil hat and believes that real media are always out to get him. What I didn't realize, though, is that his alternative is to go on a show that preaches intolerance and hate.

Dave Mejias said it best: Peter King "practices the politics of hate and fear." Going on a show like Imus' is right up his alley.

Hillary Clinton '84

Nice. (h/t New York Post)

Your $ at Work:Peter King Buys Reelection, Influence for Rudy Giuliani; Skimps on Staff Salary

Via Newsday, we learn a few things about how Peter King spent the $1M your federal tax dollars helped finance. First off, King's cheap when it comes to paying staff salaries:

King (R-Seaford) was the most frugal of the local members, paying his staff a total of $659,391 in 2006.

Nevertheless, King runs an office of bloat, racking up the highest costs on Long Island:

Rent, telephone and office supply bills ranged from a total of $180,784 for McCarthy to $304,696 for King.

Not surprising that a Republican like King would undervalue those that actually run the halls of Congress on a daily basis, while also spending way too much. King doesn't scrimp when it comes to ensuring his own reelection though:

King and Bishop (D-Southampton), who both faced tougher re-election bids than other local members, spent much more on sending mail.

Bishop spent $131,772 and King $157,889...

You know those glossy fliers you throw straight into recycling? Well, campaigns spend good money for those, and $158K is a HUGE mail buy. Except this time, YOU pay the bill for "King '06".

Buying reelection with your money is one thing, but can you believe King is buying political clout too?

His smaller staff payroll included $17,000 for two family members of 9/11 victims to act as homeland security advisers during his tenure as the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

Firefighter Ken Haskell and former president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association Jimmy Boyle are longtime friends of the congressman and were the most vocal 9/11 family members supporting President George W. Bush in his 2004 re-election campaign.

King said the pair attended and coordinated meetings and homeland security training sessions for him, provided information on the needs of the firefighting communities and acted as a liaison for other families of 9/11 victims.

Aand cue the freakin' alarm bells.. Active Bush campaigners? Smells like patronage to me. More importantly, the major conflict of interest at play. As Chairman/Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, Peter King relies upon First Responders for credibility. Using YOUR $, King provided $17K to a well-connected former Union Boss. Peter King plays a prominent role both in his capacity as Ranking Member of Homeland, and leading the push for Rudy Giulani's Presidential campaign. Given this, it's highly unethical that he provides a salary, at your expense, to a powerful constituency for both himself and Rudy Giuliani.

Today Peter King has the gall to suggest:

""I think I'm protecting the integrity of the committee"

by working to keep Rep. Jefferson, FBI-investigated Democrat, and congressman from Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. I do agree with King that an ethically challenged Congressman has no place sitting on Homeland Security.

That's why Peter King should STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY. He is buying influence from firefighters, and last year denied the fact that his family lobbies for a firm involved with business in front of the very committee he chaired. Peter King's ethical lapses are just too much to risk when it comes to Homeland Security.

Peter King and Rudy:St. Patrick's Day Slight to FDNY??

Apparently Peter King marched in today's NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade with his fearless leader these days, Rudy Giuliani.

Now, I wouldn't expect a conservative Republican like King, or a pandering-to-the-right quasi-Repub like Rudy, to pay much mind to the fact that the parade's organizers have refused to allow gay and lesbian Irish-Americans from participating in the parade.

However, we all know that King has draped himself in the American flag, and frequently invokes 9/11 to endorse all sorts of terrible Bush ideas. Rudy is even running for President because of his "extensive experience with terrorism", aka he happened to be Mayor on 9/11.

So of course I'm interested to see how the duo reacts to this years Parade Politics. Via the Empire Zone:

This year’s main parade controversy involves the decision of the parade’s planning chairman, John Dunleavy, to move the firefighters to the middle of the parade — from their place of honor in the front — reportedly because they held up the parade last year, and because they showed up drunk. If he doesn’t relent, Mr. Dunleavy could very well be facing the jeers of a boo coalition organized by a city councilman.

They "held up the parade" to allow New Orleans Firefighters to join them, by the by. Mayor Bloomberg had this to say to parade organizers:

"I guess my advice to the guy running the parade is look, nothing’s perfect, lighten up. You have rules, rules are there to be guidelines, don’t enforce them at this level…. They’re our bravest, they protect us… Why dis them? I can’t understand why the guy’s doing it.”...

He said he would spend most of the parade tomorrow marching with firefighters to “stand up for them.”

Mayor Bloomberg saw how much of a slap in the face this is to NYC's Bravest, and took a stand to march with them in solidarity. I've heard no reports of a similar sentiment from either Peter King or Rudy, though I'll stay alert.

In the absence of a statement in support of the firefighters, or better yet, marching with them in the middle of the parade, King and Giulani are complicit in this callous move to degrade our bravest public servants.

Given Giulani's "tenuous relationship" with FDNY, and King's glorification of the heroes of 9/11, I cannot interpret this silence as anything other than brazen grandstanding on the part of those all too quick to comodify bravery for political gain. Shame on you, Peter King and Rudy Giulani.

(Was anyone there? Find any news reports about where they marched? I hope I'm wrong on this one.)

UPDATE:King on the record

http://www.firefight... : Marching beside presidential hopeful and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Long Island Rep. Pete King declared that Dunleavy "is just wrong." "The parade is not about John Dunleavy," he said. "The parade is about New York, and the FDNY personifies the spirit of New York. But fortunately not many people pay much attention to John Dunleavy." Unfortunately, King is wrong; a lot of people did pay attention to Dunleavy's actions, and that's why he should've come out in support of the firefighters much sooner. Now what about Giulani? Why wasn't his press secretary all over this days ago, and where did they march in the parade?

Racial Profiling for Dummies: Peter King Edition

Remember how Peter King's brilliant answer to terrorism is "Profile all the brown people at airports"?.

Yeah, I had my doubts too, but don't worry, the Washington Post tells us "it's totally legit, we can definitely catch the bad guys that way!":

Terrorists Proving Harder to Profile

"..terrorism suspects from atypical backgrounds are becoming increasingly common in Western Europe. With new plots surfacing every month, police across Europe are arresting significant numbers of women, teenagers, white-skinned suspects and people baptized as Christians -- groups that in the past were considered among the least likely to embrace Islamic radicalism."

I know I personally feel safer under Peter King's 'leadership'.. Heckuva job, Petey!

Fox News: On the Case (As Usual)..

(h/t to Daily Kos)

Telling Fortune Cookie?

"Your career is moving more and more towards service to others"

Power Elite, here I come!

Dem. Homeland Chair: Peter King a Republican Hack

Q&A: New homeland security chairman gets tough with Bush administration

Q. Will you expect the committee to be more active than it was under your predecessor, New York Republican Rep. Peter King?

A. Absolutely. I think that what I saw former chairman King subjected to was a micro-managed chairmanship by the Republican leadership. He couldn’t really bring any legislation forward without being told, chapter and verse, what it had to include.

New Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson makes public something we've all suspected for some time: for all his rhetoric about being an independent-minded Congressman, when push comes to shove, Peter King takes his marching orders from George W. Bush and Co. When Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer came to campaign for Dave Mejias last fall, he claimed that as Homeland Chair, a Democrat from Mississipi (Thompson) would do a better job protecting New York than Peter King:

In response to a question posed by a Newsday reporter about whether New York would be better off with a chair from another state, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that King (R-Seaford) hasn't done enough to make sure that security-related dollars are directed to cities based on threat.

Let's connect a few dots here. Despite his frequent allusions to the tragedy of September 11th, King was strangely unable to prevent 40% cuts in funding to NYC and D.C., two prime terrorist targets:

The announcement that the two cities targeted on Sept. 11, 2001, would suffer 40 percent reductions in urban security funds prompted outrage from lawmakers and local officials in both areas, who questioned the wisdom of cutting funds so deeply for cities widely recognized as prime terrorist targets.

Of course, King acted outraged at these cuts, for one because they made him look irrelevant. But really, he had very little say in the matter. The Bush Republicans prefer to divvy up Homeland Pork to all their red state friends and corporations, consequences be damned. Peter King, with his record of siding with Bush 85% of the time, is a willing foot soldier of Bush-Cheney. Too bad it's already cost NY BILLIONS in Homeland Security dollars.