tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16044385814035896062024-03-08T03:31:43.076-08:00The Buchanan RecordThis is a new local blog for Florida's thirteenth Congressional district and watching the actions of Vern Buchanan, the Republican representative who misserves us in Washington.
If you are interested in posting at The Buchanan Record, drop me a line at quinnelk@hotmail.com with some idea of your Democratic and/or progressive credentials and I'll add you as a blogger.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-22025965225044879512009-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:06:13.622-07:00FarewellThis blog is being closed and further updates will be featured on <a href="http://flacongress.blogspot.com/">Florida Congress Watch</a>. Check us out over there.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-57542953610870136172009-09-26T13:59:00.000-07:002009-09-26T14:01:17.122-07:00Buchanan Still CorruptHe once again makes <a href="http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/">CREW's list of most corrupt members of Congress</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is a two-term member of Congress representing Florida’s 13th district. His ethics issues stem from pressuring his employees to make contributions to his campaign committee and improper use of corporate resources for campaign purposes. Rep. Buchanan was included in CREW’s 2008 report on congressional corruption.<br /></blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/files/Buchanan_0.pdf">Read Vern's full report</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-73283749972898326312009-09-03T21:02:00.000-07:002009-09-03T21:08:46.193-07:00From the Blogs<img src="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/images/subjects/congress.png" alt="Congress" /><br /><br />The latest stories from the Florida blogs...<br /><br />madfloridian: <a href="http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4302">FL 13th Vern Buchanan reputation questioned now.. He should NOT have won last year.</a><br /><br />The Spencerian: <a href="http://warnerkirby.blogs.com/spencerian/2009/06/a-campaign-plea-to-broke-democrats-everywhere.html">A Campaign Plea to Broke Democrats Everywhere</a><br /><br />Blast Off: <a href="http://flprogressive.blogspot.com/2009/04/im-not-vern-buchanans-friend-anymore.html">I'm not Vern Buchanan's friend anymore</a><br /><br />Blast Off!: <a href="http://flprogressive.blogspot.com/2009/04/buchanan-loves-his-tweeps-as-long-as.html">Buchanan loves his tweeps ... as long as they're wingnuts</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-82209422280454039362009-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:41:12.192-07:00Capitol Offense: Where Is Congress on the Public OptionToday, I'm joining with Democracy for America, Health Care for America Now and Open Left in supporting the <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com">Stand With Dr. Dean Campaign</a>. The idea is to put pressure on our members of Congress to find out where they stand on health care reform and whether or not they support Dr. Howard Dean's call for a reform that includes a public option. See Dean's statement here:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.openleft.com/diary/13580/making-a-difference-on-health-care-through-crowdsourced-journalism">Chris Bowers</a> has suggested that we use crowdsourcing techniques to find out where everyone in Congress stands, which also helps pressure them to take the right stand. So here's the plan:<br /><br />1. Contact your member of Congress via e-mail and ask them the following questions:<br /><br />1--Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?<br />2--If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?<br />3--Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?<br />4--Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?<br /><br />Don't call, do this via e-mail because we want a written response. If they are vague in answering these questions, contact them again and ask for clarification. If they don't answer you, keep contacting them (and have your friends and family contact them) until they do give you the answers.<br /><br />2. Forward the responses to me at quinnelk@hotmail.com. We're going to publish an official response from as many of our members as possible so we know where everyone is. And we'll keep a track of who isn't responding so we know who to put pressure on. Similarly, once we find out who is on board and who isn't, we know who to put further pressure on down the road.<br /><br />3. If you have your own blog, post the responses there, too. The more public pressure we can put on Congress, the easier we make it for them to do the right thing.<br /><br />Here is the public contact info for each of our Florida members of Congress:<br /><br />Rep Gus Bilirakis R FL-9 http://bilirakis.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=44<br /><br />Rep Allen Boyd D FL-2 http://www.house.gov/boyd/zip_authen.html<br /><br />Rep Corrine Brown D FL-3 http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/IMA/issue.shtml<br /><br />Rep Virginia Brown-Waite R FL-5 https://forms.house.gov/brown-waite/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm<br /><br />Rep Vern Buchanan R FL-13 http://buchanan.house.gov/contact.shtml <br /><br />Rep Kathy Castor D FL-11 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ander Crenshaw R FL-4 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart R FL-21 http://diaz-balart.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact<br /><br />Rep Mario Diaz-Balart R FL-25 http://www.house.gov/formmariodiaz-balart/ic_zip_auth.htm<br /><br />Rep Alan Grayson D FL-8 https://forms.house.gov/grayson/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Alcee Hastings D FL-23 http://www.alceehastings.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid=<br /><br />Rep Ron Klein D FL-22 klein.ron.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Suzanne Kosmas D FL-24 https://forms.house.gov/kosmas/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Connie Mack R FL-14 http://mack.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactConnie.ContactForm<br /><br />Sen Melquiades Martinez R FL http://martinez.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorMartinez<br /><br />Rep Kendrick Meek D FL-17 http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/contact1.shtml<br /><br />Rep John Mica R FL-7 http://www.house.gov/mica/messageform.shtml<br /><br />Rep Jeff Miller R FL-1 http://jeffmiller.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home<br /><br />Sen Bill Nelson D FL http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm<br /><br />Rep Bill Posey R FL-15 http://posey.house.gov/Contact/ <br /><br />Rep Adam Putnam R FL-12 http://adamputnam.house.gov/contact.shtml<br /><br />Rep Tom Rooney R FL-16 https://forms.house.gov/rooney/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R FL-18 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Clifford Stearns R FL-6 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz D FL-20 schultz.debbie.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Robert Wexler D FL-19 http://wexler.house.gov/email.shtml <br /><br />Rep C. W. Bill Young R FL-10 bill.young@mail.house.gov <br /><br />We'll also post the results of these at the WatchBlogs dedicated to each Republican member and at the Florida Democratic News blog.<br /><br />You can also <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com/">sign the petition on health care here</a>.<br /><br />I'm Kenneth Quinnell and I approve this message.<br /><br />Read more on Florida politics at the Florida Progressive Coalition blog (http://flaprogressives.org) and the Florida Progressive Coalition Wiki (http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/).Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-29414896642244325372009-04-07T17:23:00.000-07:002009-04-07T17:25:31.459-07:00Tell the Party of No - "Yes We Can"<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-17730751046936446092009-03-29T18:56:00.000-07:002009-03-29T19:00:21.693-07:00From the BlogsThe latest stories from the Florida blogs...<br /><br />Fried Gator: <a href="http://www.friedgator.com/2009/03/add-another-name-to-the-list-of-corrupt-republicans-in-tallahassee-charlie-dean.html">Add another name to the list of corrupt Republicans in Tallahassee: Charlie Dean</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-75660000382712353552009-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:002009-01-11T13:25:38.699-08:00From the Blogsthe seminole democrat: <a href="http://seminoledemocrats.blogspot.com/2009/01/vern-buchananour-own-al-franken.html">Vern Buchanan...Our own Al Franken</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-22587663688692526192009-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:002009-01-02T10:59:44.299-08:00Thank You from DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-41362851174547837252008-10-29T17:07:00.001-07:002008-10-29T17:07:38.238-07:00Third Episode of Vern's Office Is Up<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qqEle98yi04&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qqEle98yi04&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-11189199565856696062008-10-27T13:02:00.001-07:002008-10-27T13:02:10.771-07:00What Matters<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ITzQtGI-Edw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ITzQtGI-Edw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-3915249761583543272008-10-23T18:06:00.000-07:002008-10-23T18:23:42.867-07:00Stop Him Before He Runs Again<a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081020/COLUMNIST/810200349/2257/NEWS?Title=U_S__Senate_candidate__and_heir_to__he_coon__">Jeremy Wallace reports, hilariously, that Vern Buchanan has his eye on "higher office."</a><br /><blockquote>"I don't know where my public service will take me," he said. "This is my starting point. I don't know where it evolves to."</blockquote>Um. Wow.<br /><br />Really? <br /><br />Because I think it might evolve A.) to you cleaning out your office when <a href="http://www.christinejenningsforcongress.com/">Christine Jennings</a> beats you, and then B.) the dustbin of history. Say hi to <a href="http://warnerkirby.blogs.com/spencerian/katherine_harris_she_so_crazy/">Kitty Harris</a> for us, won't you?Benjamin J. Kirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17948007254159623174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-41759927442511885992008-10-21T06:16:00.000-07:002008-10-21T06:47:14.765-07:00Oh Noes! Panicked Buchanan Begs McSame to Visit Former GOP-Stronghold of Sarasota<a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081021/ARTICLE/810210383/2058/NEWS?Title=McCain_will_rally_this_week_in_Sarasota">John McCain is having to come to Sarasota</a> -- an area he should be winning handily -- at the behest of soon-to-be defeated Congressman and thug Vern Buchanan.<br /><br />Said soon-to-be re-elected state representative <a href="http://www.gofitzgo.com/">Keith Fitzgerald</a>: "When McCain is having to spend time shoring up Sarasota, they have a problem on their hands and they know it."<br /><br />Yeah. <br /><br />Here's the analysis of failed Sarasota Republican chairman Eric Robinson. Watch for him to be posting his resume around town very, very soon. Maybe he and Vern can go into some sort of corrupt business together that will eventually fail.<br /><blockquote>Robinson discounted the chances that Sarasota County could fall to Obama. Instead, Robinson said that McCain was coming to Sarasota because the county posted record voter turnout in 2004 and has historically been a Republican stronghold. That year 82 percent of registered voters turned out, 54 percent of them for Bush.</blockquote><br /><blockquote><p>"It's not that we're in play, it's that they need us to balance out the east coast of Florida," Robinson said.</p></blockquote><br />Hey, you can either take the word of the guy that won an election in Sarasota -- and part of Manatee -- in 2006, or you can believe that they need to "balance out" the rest of the state. Yes, that old famous political tactic, "balancing out."<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/fl/florida_mccain_vs_obama-418.html">Real Clear Politics, Obama is up +2</a>. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/road-to-270-florida.html">FiveThirtyEight has Florida looking mighty blue</a>.<br /><br />Sure, Eric. Just going for "balance." Whatever you say. <br /><br />Boy, can you imagine that panicky phone call from thug Vern to McCain?<br /><br />SOME CHIPPER McCAIN CAMPAIGN WORKER: Good morning, McCain Campaign! Country First!<br /><br />THUG VERN: Yeah, give me John McCain.<br /><br />SCMCW: Who may I say is calling?<br /><br />V: It's Congressman Vern Buchanan. It's urgent. <br /><br />SCMCW: And may I tell him what's it's regarding, Congr...<br /><br />V: Goddamit! Get him on the goddam phone! It's a fucking emergency! <br /><br />SCMCS [startled]: Ye... Yes, sir (sob)... have a blessed day... and remember! Countr...<br /><br />V: <em>Get him on the goddam phone right now</em>!<br /><br />SCMCS: (sob!) (transfer's call)<br /><br />JOHN McCAIN: McCain here.<br /><br />V: Jesus, John. Thank God. I just talked to Eric at the Sarasota Republican Party H-Q. It's a disaster. A fucking disaster! <br /><br />JM: Calm down, my friend. What's going on?<br /><br />V: Jesus, John -- don't Davis and Schmidt show you any polls? We're losing Florida!<br /><br />JM: My friend, what did you say, my friend? <br /><br />V: Goddamit. John. Listen to me. We're losing Florida. And it's starting in Sarasota. You've got to get down here. <br /><br />JM: My friend, I will be down there, my friend, immediately, my friend. People need to hear the truth about <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/">Barack Obama</a>, my friend. For example, my friend, did you know, my friend, that he, my friend, is, my friend, a Muslim, my friend? Also, my friend, a, my friend, communist? Also, my friend, a terrorist? And, finally, my friend, he will, my friend, raise your taxes.<br /><br />V: Senator, you may want to lay off the 'my friend' stuff just a bit. Jesus.<br /><br />JM: I'm on my way, Vern, my friend. We'll do what we can to shore up Sarasota. But tell Eric, my friend, when he talks to the press that we're doing something like balancing out the rest of the state, my friend.<br /><br />V: Okay, Senator, will do.<br /><br />JM: Thank you my friend. <br /><br />V: [sigh] Thanks, Senator. We'll see you soon. [away from phone] Hey, are those bundled checks still coming in? [hangup] <br /><br /><em>Fin</em><br /><em></em><br />We can take Florida. And it will, in fact, start in Sarasota. Two more weeks.Benjamin J. Kirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17948007254159623174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-19938081611298827162008-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:002008-10-18T21:54:40.028-07:00Fla. Dems Good on Environment, Reps Not So Much<a href="http://capwiz.com/lcv/dbq/vote_info/?command=results&state=FL&chamber=&session=1102&sort=Score%2CName&submit.x=11&submit.y=13&submit=go">The League of Conservation Voters</a> released their scorecards for Congress. Can you guess what the pattern is? Of Florida Republicans, only Ileana Ros-Lehtinen does as good as any Democrat and that's only one person. Beyond that, all Democrats do way better than all Republicans. No shocker there.<br /><br />Alcee Hastings (D), 92%<br />Ron Klein (D), 92%<br />Timothy Mahoney (D), 92%<br />Kendrick Meek (D), 92%<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), 92%<br />Bill Nelson (D), 91%<br />F. Allen Boyd (D), 85%<br />Corrine Brown (D), 85%<br />Kathy Castor (D), 85%<br />Robert Wexler (D), 69%<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R), 69%<br />Vern Buchanan (R), 62%<br />Gus Bilirakis (R), 38%<br />Ginny Brown-Waite (R), 38%<br />Mario Diaz-Balart (R), 38%<br />C.W. Bill Young (R), 38%<br />Mel Martinez (R), 36%<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R), 31%<br />Ander Crenshaw (R), 15%<br />Ric Keller (R), 15%<br />Connie Mack (R), 8%<br />John Mica (R), 8%<br />Adam Putnam (R), 8%<br />Dave Weldon (R), 8%<br />Tom Feeney (R), 0%<br />Jeff Miller (R), 0%<br />Cliff Stearns (R), 0%Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-43250630463937313452008-10-18T21:11:00.000-07:002008-10-18T21:18:14.133-07:00Esquire Endorsement<a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/esquire-endorsements-2008/florida-1108">Esquire endorsed Christine Jennings over Buchanan</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />This one was close in 2006--Buchanan edged our pick, Jennings, by just 369 votes--and it will likely be close again. But not if word gets out about the seven lawsuits--from hiring illegal immigrants to sexual harrassment--now filed against Buchanan by employees at his car dealerships.<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-35156118025864847042008-10-15T12:33:00.000-07:002008-10-15T12:35:06.895-07:00AD WATCH: Buchanan Continues False Attacks Against Jennings<blockquote><br />Continuing a campaign strategy built on misrepresenting the record of Christine Jennings, Vern Buchanan’s latest ad, released late last week, makes several false claims about Jennings’ record on taxes, while avoiding answering serious questions raised about his own record.<br /><br />“Not surprisingly, Buchanan continues to run away from his own record by lying about Christine Jennings,” said Jennings spokesperson Melissa Smith. “Buchanan willfully misrepresents Christine Jennings’ record on taxes in this ad, once again breaking his pledge for positive campaigning, while failing to mention serious issues he’s personally faced with the IRS. <br /><br />“This is another attempt to distract from the serious questions that have been raised by the more than 180 lawsuits filed against Buchanan and his businesses over the past 20 years, including nine since May of this year. Instead of directly answering the legitimate questions about allegations of consumer fraud, bank fraud and illegal campaign contributions raised by these lawsuits, Buchanan’s campaign has yet again lashed out with an ad made up entirely of false claims.”<br /><br />AD WATCH:<br /><br />Buchanan Claim: “Markets are in turmoil…jobs lost…pensions in jeopardy. The last thing we need is a tax increase, but Christine Jennings is for higher taxes on Social Security, on families, seniors, small business…”<br /><br />FACT: Christine Jennings will provide real tax relief.<br /><br />* Jennings supports a range of policies to provide middle class tax relief, include raising the estate tax exemption, making higher education more affordable and providing relief from skyrocketing homeowners' insurance rates. Jennings supports ending the marriage penalty, extending child tax credits and providing tax credits and simplifying the tax code for small businesses.<br /><br />FACT: Christine Jennings will protect Social Security for our seniors.<br /><br />* Jennings is the only candidate in the race to be endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. She has consistently and unequivocally opposed risky privatization schemes for Social Security, and has been clear about her commitment to ensuring Social Security remains solvent for current retirees and future generations.<br /><br />FACT: Vern Buchanan supports President Bush’s Social Security plan, putting seniors’ retirement at risk.<br /><br />* Buchanan says he's against privatizing Social Security, but told the AARP that he does support creating personal retirement accounts, like those advocated by President Bush. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 10/26/06]<br /><br />Buchanan Claim: “What’s worse, she wants to raise your taxes, but admitted she didn’t pay her own for three years.”<br /><br />FACT: The article cited by Buchanan was about how Jennings found and corrected the tax mistake, which was related to her campaign, not her personal taxes.<br /><br />* Federal Election Commission records show that on May 23, Jennings made the final payment to the IRS to square the [campaign] tax bill…She said the mistake was found by her staff, and not by the IRS, which does not comment on private tax disputes. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 8/01/07]<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan has had tax problems – after an eight-year-long tax dispute with IRS, Buchanan had to pay $1.3 in penalties and interest.<br /><br />* “It took eight years of court battles, but by 2002 the parties had settled and Buchanan paid the $1.2 million he always insisted was the real amount he owed. But during the time he fought the tax, penalties and interest piled up and the IRS charged him another $1.3 million.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 6/14/08]<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan has allegedly practiced tax avoidance strategies, including structuring real estate deals to evade taxes.<br /><br />* “A multimillionaire with vast business holdings, Buchanan cut his own taxes on two real estate deals that experts say were structured to avoid paying more than $300,000 to the federal and state governments…Even if such transactions are common, [real estate expert Robert] Stern said, state revenue officials ‘could very well have determined that this violated the doc stamp laws. This was a complicated transaction with lots of layers and lots of details elaborately put together,’ [Stern] said, ‘and one of those benefits may have been to avoid the transfer taxes.’” [St. Petersburg Times, 9/21/08]<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan also uses “controversial” “offshore tax havens” for the “wealthy” that the IRS Commissioner wanted to eliminate.<br /><br />* “Congressional candidate Vern Buchanan uses offshore reinsurance companies in Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands to reduce taxes on extended warranties sold by his auto dealerships…These tax avoidance strategies are controversial. The Internal Revenue Service has stepped up efforts in recent years to investigate offshore reinsurance companies, and IRS Commissioner Mark Everson has urged lawmakers to change laws that help the wealthy benefit from these offshore tax havens.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 10/31/06]<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-55413435765315052012008-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:002008-10-13T11:14:44.793-07:00From the BlogsYbor City Stogie: <a href="http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/most-corrupt-list-rep-vern-buchanan.html">Most Corrupt' List: Rep. Vern Buchanan</a><br /><br />madfloridian: <a href="http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/2802">Buchanan still leading Jennings in FL 13 in spite of huge growing allegations against him.</a><br /><br />Daily Kos: <a href="http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/a34-QiTg0rs/612129">FL-13: Incumbent Buchanan (R) at just 43%</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-84473077200800566492008-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:002008-10-12T17:31:57.559-07:00Republicans Don't Support Troops As Well As DemsCheck out the latest scorecards from Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3483">DAV</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, 100<br />Allen Boyd, 100<br />Corrine Brown, 100<br />Kendrick Meek, 100<br />Robert Wexler, 100<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz, 100<br />Alcee Hastings, 100<br /><br />Mel Martinez, 60<br />Jeff Miller, 66<br />Ander Crenshaw, 66<br />Ginny Brown-Waite, 66<br />Cliff Stearns, 66<br />John Mica, 66<br />Ric Keller, 50<br />C.W. Bill Young, 66<br />Adam Putnam, 66<br />Connie Mack, 66<br />David Weldon, 66<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 66<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 66<br />Tom Feeney, 66<br />Mario Diaz-Balart, 66<br /><br />Notice a pattern here? All of the Dems have 100%, while none of the Republicans has anything better than a mid-range "D." So much for supporting disabled troops.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.capwiz.com/iava/dbq/officials/directory/statedel.dbq?state=FL&print=yes">IAVA</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, A+<br />Allen Boyd, A<br />Corrine Brown, A<br />Kathy Castor, A<br />Timothy Mahoney, A<br />Kendrick Meek, B<br />Robert Wexler, A<br />D. Wasserman Schultz, A+<br />Ron Klein, A+<br />Alcee Hastings, A<br /><br />Mel Martinez, B<br />Jeff Miller, B<br />Ander Crenshaw, B<br />G. Brown-Waite, B<br />Cliff Stearns, B<br />John Mica, B<br />Ric Keller, A<br />Gus Bilirakis, A<br />C.W. Bill Young, B<br />Adam Putnam, C<br />Vern Buchanan, B<br />Connie Mack, B<br />Dave Weldon, C<br />I. Ros-Lehtinen, A<br />L. Diaz-Balart, B<br />Tom Feeney, B<br />M. Diaz-Balart, B<br /><br />Republicans do a little better on this one, with Keller, Bilirakis and Ros-Lehtinen all getting an "A." Dems still do better, Meek has the lowest grade on our side of the aisle, and he still has a "B." The only "A+" grades amongst Florida's delegation are Dems and the only grades below "B" are all Republicans. Again, which party actually supports the troops?Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-45248256390027276702008-10-03T10:41:00.001-07:002008-10-03T10:41:22.619-07:00Crazy Florida Republican Quote of the DayLadies and gentlemen, <i>your</i> Repubican Party:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />The independent survey shows Buchanan leads Jennings 49% to 33%, confirming previous polls that have shown Buchanan with a large double-digit lead over Jennings. <br /><br />Independent Jan Schneider is winning 9 percent of the total vote, much of it from Democrats and Independents. A fourth candidate on the ballot, unaffiliated Dan Baldauf, is getting 3 percent of the total vote, and like Schneider, is pulling more votes from Democrats than from Republicans. . <br /><br />“This poll confirms that Vern’s positive message of change is resonating with the voters while Christine Jennings’ negative and dishonest campaign has backfired,” said campaign spokeswoman Sally Tibbetts. “We take nothing for granted and will continue to campaign hard right up until the election and continue talking about the issues that matter to people – economic growth, jobs, energy and national security.”<br /></blockquote><br /><br />By definition, an incumbent can't have a "positive message of change," unless he's retiring. Sally Tibbetts' statement confirms that the use of logic and the English language is not resonating with Sally's own mind.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-82229766971297248592008-09-26T16:05:00.000-07:002008-09-26T16:05:00.524-07:00Corrupt Buchanan Apparently Supports Nation of LawyersAt some point I would think corrupt thug Congressman Vern Buchanan would just keel over from sheer embarrassment.<br /><br />He has now taken it upon himself to<a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080926/ARTICLE/809260371/2058/NEWS?Title=Rep__Buchanan_sues_ex_partner"> sue a former colleague for allegedly defaulting on a loan</a>.<br /><br />Really, Vern?<br /><br /><em>Really</em>?<br /><br />Given <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article820770.ece">the rather lengthy expose from the St. Petersburg <em>Times</em></a> a few days ago, I'd think this would be something Vern would want to avoid. At least for the sake of politics. <br /><br />Apparently not.<br /><br />"Shame" is evidently not in Vern's vocabulary: <br /><blockquote><p>...Buchanan left Michigan just as American Speedy [the company he founded] verged on a spectacular collapse. Angry franchise owners accused him of mismanagement, deceit and outright fraud. Michigan's attorney general was threatening to shut down the company. In 1992, American Speedy landed in bankruptcy court, followed by dozens of store owners, some of whom lost their life savings.<br /><br />[snip]<br /><br />In eight lawsuits filed since May, former employees accuse Buchanan of bilking customers of his auto dealerships, employing illegal immigrants to help build his house and violating federal campaign finance laws by reimbursing donors for campaign contributions.</p><p>Buchanan denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated. They surfaced so close to the election that he has virtually no time to disprove them in court. </p><p>But the court record is settled in Michigan, where Buchanan left a trail of lawsuits, judgments and settlements. </p><p>"Whatever he's involved in, at best he's being opportunistic," says Ben C. Maibach III, among the American Speedy franchisees who sued Buchanan. "You won't find many people in Michigan who have any respect for Vern or anything good to say about him." </p><p>[snip]</p><p>Buchanan liked the franchising concept so much that in 1976 he and James W. McDonald started American Speedy Printing Centers and began selling franchises.</p><p>[snip] </p><p>In fact, they had a bitter falling out. It led to extensive litigation, including a lawsuit in which 10 Business Card store owners claimed Buchanan and American Speedy had wrongfully transferred assets between the two companies, sold "antique" equipment to stores and vastly overstated the earnings potential of franchise<br />locations. </p></blockquote><br />Hm, a corrupt businessman who bilked a lot of good and honest people out of their money and the cut and run before anyone caught on, at the expense of the little guy. Sounds an awful lot like a certain financial situation our nation collectively finds itself in today...<br /><br />Vern Buchanan: <em>not</em> the kind of guy you want in Washington. Especially these days.Benjamin J. Kirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17948007254159623174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-82485917478461007842008-09-25T19:32:00.000-07:002008-09-25T19:34:00.538-07:00Jennings Fact-Checks Buchanan Ad<blockquote><br />AD WATCH: Buchanan Makes False Claims to Distract From Ethical Problems<br /><br />Misrepresents newspaper quotes in connection with lawsuits<br /><br />SARASOTA, FL – September 18, 2008 – In an ad that began airing earlier this week, Rep. Vern Buchanan misuses quotes and logos from newspapers and television stations to deflect from allegations of campaign fraud and unethical business practices stemming from recent lawsuits against himself and his businesses.<br /><br />“Once again, Rep. Buchanan is avoiding responding to these serious allegations. Instead of any explanations, Buchanan releases an ad that distorts the words of the media to divert attention away from the real issue – his inability to be open and honest with the people he represents,” said Christine Jennings spokesperson Melissa Smith. “Vern Buchanan should give voters clear and direct answers about these serious allegations, instead of spending millions to blanket the airwaves with misrepresentations.”<br /><br />AD WATCH:<br /><br />Buchanan Claim: “Ugly, Character Assassination, False – that’s what the press is saying about the politically motivated attacks on Vern Buchanan.<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan has taken quotes out of context to misrepresent the press’s coverage of lawsuits filed against him and his businesses.<br /><br />“Ugly” (Bradenton Herald, June 20, 2008): This selective quotation is nearly three months old, does not refer to any of the charges in the pending lawsuits, and is about the “Buchanan-Jennings duel.” “The Buchanan-Jennings duel has yet to start in full force, and it's already getting ugly. Like last time.” [Bradenton Herald, 6/20/08]<br /><br />“Character assassination” (Bradenton Herald, August 3, 2008): Buchanan again quotes out of context from the Bradenton Herald editorial, in which Jennings’ campaign manager goes on the record as saying the campaign is "absolutely not" connected to the lawsuits, which is what the Herald was editorializing as “character assassination.” [Bradenton Herald, 8/3/08]<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan has consistently refused to answer questions about the pending lawsuits against him<br /><br />“False” (WFLA, August 15, 2008): According to transcripts, WFLA reporters and anchors have never editorialized on the merits of the claims against Buchanan. In fact, Buchanan actually fled when asked about the allegations against by WFLA reporter Mark Douglas at a press conference; in response to a question about allegations by former Buchanan employee Carlo Bell, Buchanan would only respond, “I’m running to catch a plane.” [WFLA, 07/29/08]<br /><br />Buchanan Claim: One even said, ‘be skeptical of these accusations.’”<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan’s Businesses Have a History of Ending Up in Court<br /><br />The ad fails to mention that, given Buchanan’s long history of lawsuits against him and his businesses, these accusations should be fully investigated. Over the years, Buchanan and his businesses have been sued more than 180 times. [http://www.scribd.com/doc/4737285/Buchanan-Lawsuits]<br /><br />Buchanan has previously run a business that ran into numerous lawsuits, including several that he was forced to settle. The bankruptcy, lawsuits related to his time running American Speedy and a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over the money he received from Merrill Lynch stretched through the 1990s. As Buchanan was building his Florida business empire, he was still dealing with the fallout from the one crumbling in Michigan.<br />…<br />Buchanan and American Speedy were defendants in a string of lawsuits during the late 1980s and early 1990s by franchisees and master franchisees, who said they were not making the money that Buchanan had said they could expect.<br />…<br />Many former associates didn't return calls. Others cited confidentiality agreements from settled lawsuits or said that they feared Buchanan would sue them if they spoke publicly about their experience with him. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 10/6/05]<br /><br />Buchanan Claim: “Vern Buchanan -- honest, independent, fighting for change”<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan Named One of the 20 Most Corrupt Members in Congress<br /><br />* Vern Buchanan has been named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by a non-partisan ethics organization for allegations of illegal campaign contributions. [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, accessed 9/17/08]<br /><br />FACT: Buchanan Voted with the Republican Party over 90% of the Time. [Washington Post Congressional Votes Database, accessed 9/18/08]<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-84868482878816703472008-09-25T19:28:00.000-07:002008-09-25T19:30:29.226-07:00Christine Jennings and Brad Sherman Go After Offshore Loopholes and Buchanan<blockquote><br />Rep. Brad Sherman, Christine Jennings Discuss Need for Offshore Tax Reform<br /><br />“Must make sure that taxes can’t be evaded by taking money out of the country”<br /><br />SARASOTA, FL – September 23, 2008 – Visiting Sarasota this weekend to support the candidacy of Christine Jennings, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), one of Congress’ foremost experts on taxes, discussed steps that can be taken to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington, including closing certain offshore tax loopholes.<br /><br />“We must do what it takes to ensure that honest, tax-paying Americans are not undercut by loopholes that allow the super-rich to avoid paying their fair share of taxes,” said Christine Jennings, Democratic candidate for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. “There are steps we should be taking to curb these loopholes and make sure that taxes can’t be evaded just by taking money out of the country.” <br /><br />Representing California’s 27th Congressional District since 1997, Rep. Sherman currently serves on the Committee on Financial Services, the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade. Rep. Sherman, who specialized in tax law as an attorney and is a Certified Public Accountant, also was an instructor for Harvard Law School’s International Tax Program.<br /><br />Specifically, Rep. Sherman pointed out two bills that show promise in combating offshore tax loopholes:<br /><br />* H.R. 2136, the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), which would “restrict the use of offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters to inappropriately avoid federal taxation.”<br /><br />* H.R. 2345, the Abuse of Tax Shelter Shutdown and Taxpayer Accountability Act of 2007, also sponsored by Rep. Doggett, would “curb tax abuses by disallowing tax benefits claimed to arise from transactions without substantial economic substance,” including provisions to define “economic substance” and increase penalties for large corporations and individuals with high net worth who fail to disclose certain tax-sheltered transactions.<br /><br />Jennings’ opponent, Rep. Vern Buchanan, has exploited offshore tax loopholes for his own personal wealth in a few different ways. He and his immediate family members own offshore reinsurance companies that allow his car dealerships to pay much reduced taxes on the extended warranties they sell. Buchanan can then invest the profits from these companies in offshore investments in order to defer taxes indefinitely – these investments include real estate developments in the Bahamas.[1]<br /><br />In addition, according to his latest personal financial disclosure form,[2] Buchanan has invested between $13 million and $65 million of his money in hedge funds that benefit from tax loopholes he has voted against closing[3] – allowing them to classify income at the much lower capital gains rate instead of the income tax rate – and as much as $5 million of his annual income thus benefits from the tax advantage he has protected.<br /><br />“Instead of exploiting islands like the Turks and Caicos or the Cayman Islands as a tax haven, Buchanan should have voted to stop offshore tax evasion,” said Rep. Sherman. “Unfortunately, he has refused to support H.R. 2136 and H.R. 2345, and a number of times voted to let hedge fund managers use these offshore islands to evade taxes.”<br /><br />“Restoring fiscal discipline to Washington is of my top priorities,” said Christine Jennings. “Making sure everyone pays their fair share of taxes is an important step toward balancing the budget and paying down the debt, especially as our government faces so many other economic challenges. I couldn’t agree more with Rep. Sherman’s recommendations for closing these off-shore tax loopholes that allow too many people to escape paying their fair share.”<br /><br />“We need more people in Congress like Christine Jennings,” said Rep. Sherman. “The economic knowledge demonstrated by Christine during her forty-year banking career will be such an asset to both her constituents and to her colleagues in Congress. I look forward to working with Christine on these issues when she is elected to the House of Representatives.” <br /></blockquote><br /><br />[1] “Use of offshore companies helps Buchanan reduce his tax burden,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 10/31/06, http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310410<br /><br />[2] 2007 Vern Buchanan Personal Financial Disclosure, http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00027626<br /><br />[3] Buchanan voted against three bills regarding the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would have also closed tax loopholes affecting offshore arrangements and hedge funds, among other provisions (H.R. 6275, June 2008; H.R. 4351, Dec. 2007; H.R. 3996, Nov. 2007)Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-19177073880737955552008-09-25T18:04:00.000-07:002008-09-25T18:05:04.445-07:00Second Episode of Vern's Office is UpFrom Emily's List:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mKWX3SY76lM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mKWX3SY76lM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-11221720829036231242008-09-24T21:17:00.000-07:002008-09-24T21:19:31.240-07:00From the BlogsInterstate4Jamming2: <a href="http://interstate4jamming2.blogspot.com/2008/09/florida-republicans-filled-with-corrupt.html">Florida Republicans: Filled With Corrupt Politicians, Conflicts Of Interest, And More</a><br /><br />Ybor City Stogie: <a href="http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2008/09/meet-christine-jennings-running-for.html">Meet Christine Jennings, Running For Congress In Florida</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-57134133982251866452008-09-21T18:04:00.000-07:002008-09-21T18:14:58.180-07:00Buchanan Inspires Online ActivismCheck out the first episode of <a href="http://www.emilyslist.org/vernsoffice/index.html">Vern's Office</a> from Emily's List:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZ249TlezPY&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZ249TlezPY&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Also check out the new web site <a href="http://bootbuchanan.com/">Boot Buchanan</a>.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604438581403589606.post-45123968617414569592008-09-21T06:29:00.000-07:002008-09-21T06:36:29.332-07:00Thug Buchanan Is So Corrupt, And Has Been Forever<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article819885.ece">A very in-depth piece from today's St. Petersburg <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span></a> lays out just how crooked and awful thug Congressman Vern Buchanan is. And it's worse than you thought.<br /><blockquote>It's an inspiring story.<br /><br />One of six kids in a blue-collar family, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan put himself through college and grad school. While still in his 20s, he founded American Speedy Printing, a Michigan-based chain of franchised print shops. The company boasted 720 stores and $150-million in sales by the time Buchanan sold it in 1989, took an early retirement and moved to Florida.<br /><br />At least that's how Buchanan, a Sarasota Republican, has often told it.<br /><br />In reality, voluminous court records show, Buchanan left Michigan just as American Speedy verged on a spectacular collapse. Angry franchise owners accused him of mismanagement, deceit and outright fraud. Michigan's attorney general was threatening to shut down the company. In 1992, American Speedy landed in bankruptcy court, followed by dozens of store owners, some of whom lost their life savings.</blockquote>In other words, Vern was Enron before Enron was cool. <br /><br />You know, given the state of the American economy and given <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fi-newboss21-2008sep21,0,1355734.story">the state of some of the biggest businesses and banks today</a>, is Vern Buchanan really who we want overseeing this stuff in Congress?<br /><br />Some of the stories of the broken lives Vern left behind are truly tragic.Benjamin J. Kirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17948007254159623174noreply@blogger.com