“But if politicians must be held to a high ethical standard, if they must avoid even the appearance of using a public office for self-enrichment, Miller has disqualified himself.”
That’s what the Virginian-Pilot wrote in it’s endorsement of Sen. John Miller’s opponent, Mickey Chonany. Miller’s losing support, losing his cool and losing his campaign.
At issue is Miller’s getting a sweet new job by Orion Air, who was the only company who benefited from a huge tax break bill that Miller cosponsored.
“more intense scrutiny has fallen on another financial issue in the race: Miller’s job with a Newport News aviation company.
That attention came after conservative blogger Brian Kirwin reported the company, Orion Air Group, is eligible for tax breaks under legislation Miller co-sponsored this year.” (Virginian-Pilot)
Miller and his gang have now tried to get advertising about the deal taken off the air!
In the Virginian-Pilot‘s “Miller asks stations to pull Republican ad claiming he traded ‘tax breaks for a job’,” they list the efforts the Democrat made to get the TV ad taken off the air. It shows the ad, which was also on Bearing Drift, along with a direct mail piece comparing Miller’s deeds with another politician who lined his pockets from public service.
WVEC covers the controversy here and noted blogger Vivian Paige chimed in that “this misstep could prove to be the difference.”
As the Virginian-Pilot recognized, this is a big deal. I thought so when I broke the story two weeks ago. It’s a big, giant, huge error in judgement on the part of Miller. Sponsor a tax break that only one company qualifies for, and then take a conveniently open new job with the company when the tax break takes effect?
Thought it was wrong then and think it’s wrong now. Miller should’ve thought so then. He still doesn’t think so now. In fact, he stubbornly can’t see what Democratic bloggers and newspaper editorial boards can clearly see.
His response wasn’t to step down from the questionable job. His response wasn’t even to apologize. His response is to try to squash the First Amendment and impede the advertising about his actions.
That’s another judgement error for Miller. This is the John Miller voters are seeing. How’s it look to you?
