Buchanan Inspires Online Activism

Check out the first episode of Vern's Office from Emily's List:



Also check out the new web site Boot Buchanan.

Thug Buchanan Is So Corrupt, And Has Been Forever

A very in-depth piece from today's St. Petersburg Times lays out just how crooked and awful thug Congressman Vern Buchanan is. And it's worse than you thought.

It's an inspiring story.

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.

At least that's how Buchanan, a Sarasota Republican, has often told it.

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.

In other words, Vern was Enron before Enron was cool.

You know, given the state of the American economy and given the state of some of the biggest businesses and banks today, is Vern Buchanan really who we want overseeing this stuff in Congress?

Some of the stories of the broken lives Vern left behind are truly tragic.

From the Blogs

Pam's House Blend: CREW's 20 most corrupt members of Congress

Blog For America: Jim Dean: Set the record straight

Where's Vern?

Our Congressman in Court

A new blog dedicated to Vern's legal troubles.

Corruption and Staff Discord in the Vern-iverse

If you didn't hate him so much, you'd almost feel sorry for thug Congressman Vern Buchanan.

First, his district director and campaign coordinator was busted for another DUI. Now he's resigned.

Poor Vern hasn't found a replacement yet.

Of course, maybe he's been tied up reading about how he is at the top of the list of the Citizen's for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's "Most Corrupt" list. Check out his profile on their site.

By all means, download the five-page report here [PDF].

Not for nothing -- you notice a whole lot more "Rs" there than you do "Ds." Should tell you something.

From the Blogs

madfloridian: Charges mounting against FL Republican congressman...Vern Buchanan

FLA Politics (Mark Lotwis): 21st Century Democrats endorses Garcia, Jennings and Martinez for Congress