Getting Back On Track
GETTING BACK ON TRACK....Can we go back to mocking Republicans for a while? Or expressing schadenfreude, or something? Here's a start:
In the tiny world of people who keep the books for Washington's multitude of political committees, Christopher J. Ward was considered the Republican "gold standard," in the words of a former co-worker — one of the few people with so much expertise in election law that everyone wanted Ward's services.So sad. If that doesn't grab you, here's David Corn on yet another one of John McCain's embarrassing religious endorsers, Reverend Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church of Columbus. It's great stuff from Mr. Straight Talk. And if that still isn't good enough, read here about the EPA yet again ignoring scientific advice in favor of caving in to industry lobbyists. Anything but more Geraldine Ferraro, OK? Anything but that.....But in late January, Ward, 39, was dismissed as the NRCC announced that it had found financial "irregularities" that "may include fraud." The FBI is investigating what appears to be "a significant amount of money" missing from the House Republican fundraising arm, according to a law enforcement official.
....Officials told The Post that the NRCC's problems may be more extensive. Republican lawmakers and former committee staff members now allege that Ward fabricated audits and other financial documents for 2003 to 2006, some of which were turned over to a Wachovia Bank branch in McLean in October 2006, when the NRCC borrowed $8 million in last-minute money for congressional campaigns.
....In an election year that holds dismal prospects for congressional Republicans, possible financial problems at the cash-strapped NRCC are the last thing the GOP needs.
"The House Republican brand is so bad right now that if it were a dog food, they'd take it off the shelf," said retiring Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who chaired the NRCC for four years earlier this decade.