Ethics clearance
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mike Beebe got a clean sweep today from the Ethics Commission on some picayune Republican harassment. An advisory opinion, requested by the Arkansas Republican Party, said it was not a campaign contribution for Tim Wooldridge, in a campaign ad for lieutenant governor, to link himself to the party's unopposed nominee, Mike Beebe. That's no campaign contribution to Beebe, the opinion said. Duh.
The bipartisan Ethics Commission also voted 4-0, with Beebe supporter Herschel Cleveland abstaining, that there was no probable cause to find Beebe had done anything improper as alleged by Republican gadfly Jim Parsons. Yeah a group with a matter pending before Beebe wanted to throw a fund-raiser for Beebe, but he didn't attend. Yeah, before he was an announced candidate he met in a state office with a potential political consultant. Though the Commission has said clearly that use of state equipment like faxes and computers for political purposes is improper, it is not ready to say occupying air space enclosed by state walls for such pre-candidacy discussions is a violation.
Comments
I bet the legislature is thrilled with this - now they can hold fundraisers at the capitol and have campaign meetings in the chambers. Good ruling - morons.
Posted by: you have got to be kidding me | June 16, 2006 03:26 PM
I know they want to protect Beebe, but this decision is opening pandora's box. Now officials can use their offices for political puposes - but not thier computers. How stupid is that. So fundraisers are OK during work hours but an email is wrong. What kind of dumb asses do we have at the ethics commission.
Posted by: Huh | June 16, 2006 03:29 PM
Good News for the politicians
Bad News for ethics in government
Posted by: Unethics Commission | June 16, 2006 03:33 PM
Well, I guess we can never criticize Huckabee for having a press conference at the mansion anymore. Good Lord - he could have done alot more than that.
ARK. BLOG Correct-o-mundo. Or to talk to Dick Morris or Dick Dresner when they drop by his office..
Posted by: Huckabee is smiling | June 16, 2006 03:36 PM
Rave on, wingnuts! I'm glad to see a ruling no matter how it would have turned out. Beebe should put this behind him and move on. But of course nothing in the ruling will be believed by the wingnuts. They'll troll on like this ruling never happened.
I am looking forward to the investigation into the use of the Lord's Ranch jet and into all the funds Arkansas has poured into the Lord's Ranch while Huckabee was playing footsy with the owner. Surely that is a tad more serious than using an office computer to type email and a few paper clips. I can think of 8.5 million reasons the ethics committee should look into Air Huckabee.
Of course the wingnuts will start screaming Jesus and PACS and anything they can think of to try to muddy the waters. But....here's a bet. It won't work. Huckabee has been exposed. Mr. Suhl has been exposed. Paperwork from LR to New Hampshire will hang them both and the name Warm Springs will go back to bringing up thoughts of FDR and polio.
Shine the light of day on Huckabee and he'll curl up like the Wicked Witch of the East.
Posted by: Deathbyinches | June 16, 2006 03:37 PM
I will criticze Mike Huckabee for ethical lapses but I will criticize Mike Beebe as well.
You guys (including you MaxWick) will never criticize Mike Beebe - in fact you are his biggest excuse maker. It is a sad state of journalism.
Posted by: Hypocritical Times | June 16, 2006 03:47 PM
I will criticze Mike Huckabee for ethical lapses but I will criticize Mike Beebe as well.
You guys (including you MaxWick) will never criticize Mike Beebe - in fact you are his biggest excuse maker. It is a sad state of journalism.
Posted by: Hypocritical Times | June 16, 2006 03:49 PM
The ethics commission has just gutted the ethics law. This practice has been outlawed forever and they just opened it up. I don't care who you are supporting for Governor, this is a terrible ruling.
We are in trouble when the Ethics Commission loosens the ethical standards. What were they thinking.
Posted by: Confused and Disapointed | June 16, 2006 09:36 PM
This is shameful. Huckabee deserves what he gets. But let's be honest, Beebe deserves the same. I am embarrassed for our state.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 16, 2006 10:37 PM
Wasn't Cleveland appointed by Stovall?
ARK. BLOG You may be right. But he's a contributor to Beebe
Posted by: Anonymous | June 16, 2006 11:12 PM
Check this out:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003068930_homeland18.html
I wonder if this article will get aired in the DEM-GAZ?
ARK. BLOG As we've already noted, the answer is NO.
Posted by: Fred Short | June 19, 2006 03:09 PM