Iaquinto calls out Nye

“The people of Virginia Beach expect their candidates for public office to keep their word. On Monday, Glenn Nye’s campaign demanded that Thelma Drake cancel a fund raiser with Karl Rove, who has done nothing wrong. Nye’s campaign falsely said Rove broke House rules. On Wednesday, Nye’s campaign called their own standard “absurd” when they were asked to return $4,000 from Charlie Rangel, who admitted to the New York Post that he violated House Ethics Rules on fund raising. Glenn Nye must live up to his own standard and return Charlie Rangel’s money or risk looking like a hypocrite to Virginia Beach voters.”

Which is exactly what Brian Kirwin called Nye here on Bearing Drift Wednesday.

So, right now it’s 2-1 in the surrogate battle. Mathieson and Bouchard for Nye; Iaquinto for Drake. Will another delegate step-up for Drake to even the score?

Update…I see your two delegates with one delegate and raising you a senator…the latest from State Sen. Frank Wagner:

“Glenn Nye has a lot of nerve to ask Virginia Beach voters to support him when he can’t be counted on to practice what he preaches. One day Nye’s campaign falsely accused Karl Rove of “breaking the rules” of the House and called on Thelma Drake to cancel a fundraiser with him. The next day, they called their own standard “absurd” and refused to return $4,000 from Charlie Rangel, who admitted that he violated House Ethics Rules on fundraising. Glenn Nye seems to be more interested in empty partisan political rhetoric than holding himself to his own standard. I call on him to return Charlie Rangel’s money because Virginia Beach residents know hypocrisy when they see it.”

Update: National Republican Congressional Committee also slams Nye…

Nye Refuses to Hand Back Tainted Cash
Watchdog Groups and Fellow Congressman Calling for Ethics Investigation on NY Rep. Rangel

Washington- Glenn Nye, Democrat candidate for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, refused yesterday to give back donations from New York’s ethically-embattled Congressman Charlie Rangel. His refusal to return Rangel’s cash shows he is just another typical politician, who says one thing but does another.

“…Drake called on Nye to return a $4,000 donation from New York Congressman Charles Rangel, who’s facing scrutiny over a possible violation of fundraising ethics rules…

“A spokes person for Nye said the candidate won’t be returning Rangel’s donation and called Drake’s request absurd.” (The Virginian-Pilot, July 17, 2008)

To review, Rangel has been under fire for the past week for varying acts of misconduct, which indicates he broke House Ethics Rules and New York City law:

Probe Is Urged of Rangel’s Fundraising for N.Y. Center – Washington Post
Rangel’s Pet Cause Bears His Own Name – Washington Post
Another Pol for Rent: Range’s Good-Time Deal – NY Post
Another Complaint Against Rangel, And A Potential Complication – New York Daily News
DC Watchdog To File FEC Complaint Against Rangel – New York Daily News
Mr. Rangel’s Very Good Deal – New York Times
Rangel Rents Apartments at Bargain Rates – New York Times

Now, it turns out that Rangel is putting a down payment on Nye’s future support with a $4000 campaign contribution. Even more troubling is Nye’s willingness to accept Rangel’s money, no matter how poorly it reflects on his campaign.

“The only thing that’s absurd is that Glenn Nye is trying to convince voters that he’ll bring change while he’s cozying up to Washington’s Democrat establishment and proving himself to be nothing more than a status-quo politician. By his own standard, Nye is being hypocritical by not giving back the donations from Rep. Rangel.” said NRCC spokeswoman Julie Shutley. “If Nye wants to separate himself from an unpopular Democrat majority and a corrupt machine politician, he will return Rep. Rangel’s campaign checks. He is doing himself no favors by embracing his business-as-usual politics.”

Rangel is at the center of a major political scandal for unethical behavior and abuse of power. If Glenn Nye really wants to change the culture of corruption in Congress, he should do the right thing and denounce Charlie Rangel’s unethical behavior and return the thousands of dollars in campaign contributions he’s received from him.

Ouch. It starts to hurt when the big-kids come to the playground.

Tags: Glenn Nye, Sal Iaquinto, Thelma Drake

Category: Campaigns and Elections