I witnessed a strange exchange today during the Senate Privileges & Elections (or “P&E,” as the cool kids call it) meeting. Perhaps you’ll understand it better than I do.
SBE Campaign Finance Administrator Chris Piper was answering questions from the committee about SB 141, a bill on which he and the State Board of Elections have worked really hard for many moons. SB 141 is a major overhaul of the language used in state campaign finance law. It doesn’t change anything in terms of policy, it only clarifies the language and updates the law to reflect the current interpretation of practices. Both Chris and the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jay O’Brien (R-Clifton), made this very clear in their introduction.
Inevitably, some of the members of P&E didn’t get this, and several proceeded to complain about past slights, real or perceived, imposed upon them by a past opponent and, by proxy, the SBE in failing to summarily execute said opponent. Each wanted to know why the bill didn’t solve this problem and to each it was explained that this bill only clarifies existing law. I zoned out at this point.
I was jerked to attention when Sen. Stephen Martin (R-Chesterfield), the committee chair, loudly declared that a remark was “totally out of line” and, a few seconds later, made another loud declaration (“enough!” perhaps?). I rewound my mental TiVo, but found it wanting.
It seems erstwhile gubenatorial candidate Sen. Russ Potts (R-Winchester) was grumbling about a past opponent (Mark Tate, I believe) having received some $80,000 by having it funneled through a 527, in the manner of Attorney General Bob McDonnell. This accusation upset Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), and it was when he began to respond that Sen. Martin made his exclamation.
Again, I wasn’t paying attention — I’m totally unclear on the details.
Is there any reason to think that Mr. Tate received illegal or questionably-legal contributions in his 2003 nomination challenge to Sen. Potts? And why was Sen. Obenshain so immediately defensively of Mr. Tate? And what did he say that so angered the committee chair?
I’d expect this kind of an exchange in the House, but the Senate? It’s not known for this sort of thing. Plus, all four characters in this little drama are Republicans. I wonder if there’s some kind of underlying tension among Republicans in the Senate, or if this is just a weird, unrelated spat.
Anyhow, maybe this will mean something to somebody else. I’m just left scratching my head.
Could be just some of the leftover hostility surrounding or related to Mr. Potts defection from the republicans during the gubernatorial race. (but then that’s just my guess).
You’re on the right track. Obenshain supported Tate, as did his sister, Kate Obenshain Griffin, Republican state party chair, whose husband, Phil Griffin, opposed Potts in the primary in 2003 before backing out to support Tate.
Hey, even Mark Herring is involved in this: read more.
It wouldn’t be a poor prediction that Tate had Griffin’s support, so Obenshain knew exactly what tree Potts was sniffing at. Kate Obenshain Griffin is from Winchester, and has been a thorn in Potts’ side form the get-go.
Money is on Griffin (Phil) to run against Potts in 2007. Mark Obenshain will be right there to help out.
Are you allowed to record the proceedings?
It’s really not clear to me. I’m not even sure that I’m supposed to be taking pictures. I don’t know who I’d ask.
Go to this website: http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate+for+WClerksOfficeDepartments?OpenForm
It’s a listing of phone numbers and people in all the support services. Someone should be able to answer that question for you.
You can generally do just about anything until you get caught. Seriously, if you’re not on the floor of the Senate, it’s fair game. Click and record to your heart’s content.
Speaking of the McDonnell-supporting 527, they’ve had to disclose their donors to the IRS by now. Who is going to acquire the info and report it? I suggest some polite prodding of James Grimaldi, the WaPo reporter quoted in Waldo’s November post. Couldn’t find an email, but the Post’s contact info says:
If you are trying to reach a Washington Post reporter or staff member, please call 800.627.1150 or 202.334.6000
I’m off to make that call.
I believe that the Republican State Leadership Committee IRS filing isn’t due until the last day of the month. Their 2004 year end report (form 8872) wasn’t filed until Jan. 31 2005. When it does appear, I expect it’ll be available on this portion of the IRS’ website.
Update: I just talked to Mike Shear, the Richmond WaPo bureau chief, and he promises to dig up the info and at least link to it on his blog, if an actual story doesn’t come of it.
Thanks for the pointer, Waldo! The info about the filing date is also helpful — will keep me from being impatient w/the Richmond Report.
Dang, Nell, look at you go. :) Thanks for calling that to Mike’s attention.
Perhaps Obnshain’s reaction wasn’t so much as a defense of Tate, but more a frustration of having to deal with that blowhard, Russ Potts. Obenshain was one of 19 senators who voted just a couple of weeks ago to kick Potts out of his Education chair, so I imagine there is no love lost between the two.
As for Potts, making undocumented accusation and whining about people who have the temerity to oppose him is de riguer. I did a quick check of the SBE and found no 527’s of any kind involved in the Tate/Potts race (please correct me if someone finds this to be wrong). I did find some independent expenditures, but having lived in or near that district for a several years now, I can assure you there is no shortage of people and groups that loathe Potts and would spend money to defeat him — independent of what Tate or any other candidate might do.
This is typical for Potts — wait until your prey cannot defend himself, hurl an accusation that has little or no truth to it, then skulk back into your hole to wait for another opportunity to sucker-punch your next victim.
What a guy…..
A friend and supporter alerted me to this post.
I have placed a call to Sen. Mark Obenshain to learn precisely what transpired at this P&E committee meeting. I have never had the opportunity to meet Sen. Obenshain, but I know of his character by way of his brother-in-law, Phil Griffin who chaired my campaign against Potts and is also a good friend. So I trust him to tell me exactly what happened.
While I await a more complete explanation as to the spirited exchange in that committee, I must say that it fits the pattern of Potts’ previous behavior. For example, to even imply that I received some sort of “coordinated” expenditure (he reportedly said it was $80,000) is absurd and despicable.
Frankly I am beginning to get pretty tired of his petty fulminations and baseless accusations. This is not the first time that Russ Potts has threatened me. A little over a year ago he sent me a threatening letter, making similar accusations and declaring he was going to bring a lawsuit against me.
I’m still waiting for him to back up his threat. It promises to be a long wait – because there is NOTHING there. Potts knows this.
For those of you who are fortunate enough not to know him, Russ Potts has a long history of bluster and intimidation. Consider this letter to a constituent in Clarke County, … Several copies of this letter made their way around Richmond:
“I have seen some cheap shots in my life but this takes the cake!
Your gutless, spineless letter to the editor is the worst. Obviously, I was humbled, suprised and very appreciative of the sports complex being named in my honor, but I would rather those Clarke County kids have a new High School than anything with my name on anything. What is important is a new high schoolfor a great public school system.
The reporter asked what I thought and I told him. What you likely would have doneis given a gutless, spineless response of “no comment” which is the way you do business.I’ve got news for you – nobody buys Russ Potts, and for damn sure nobody like would ever intimidate me. I have the right to my opinion just like you and just because I am a State Senator, does not mean I will take the cowardly way out and not express my opinion and principles. No, no aides or advisors said anything to me about my commentsbecause they know I am my own man- not a coward like you. Now i will fight even harder to help Clarke County to get a new High School. The More you criticize, the harder I will fight.
It is disgraceful that Clarke County,one of Virginia’s wealthiest counties, has not stepped up to build a new high School. ”
Believe it or not, this is typical Potts behavior. He threatens colleagues, constituents, party leaders. Everyone.
Even the Richmond Times Dispatch published an editorial about Potts on 12 April 2005 entitled Anger Management,
Interestingly enough, Potts is someone who rarely carries through on his repeated threats to not only me, but many others as well. He must figure that if you sling enough mud at someone, they will back down.
Not me. And certainly not to the likes of Russ Potts.
Russ Potts is the very worst kind of political coward. He puffs out his chest, sneers at those who have the temerity to disagree with him, bellows that he is going to do this or that, then slinks away until he can try to intimidate again. Were he alive today, Sen. Joseph McCarthy would be so proud of Russ.
Not that he’s in the habit of taking advice from me, but here’s what Potts should do:
1. Apologize. Apologize to me and the thousands of supporters and voters who supported me when I came within 106 votes of retiring this buffoon two years ago. Apologize for all the hollow threats and unfounded accusation he has thrown at people over the years.
2. Resign. Step down as Chairman of the Education Committee – after all, he kept the seat only after every Democrat in the state senate voted to let him stay. 90% of the Republican senators voted to kick his sorry butt out, but we lost the opportunity by just one vote.
3. Stop calling himself a Republican of any kind. He forfeited that privilege a long time ago.
4. Resign from the Senate. He has lost the respect of his Republican colleagues and the public and he ought to do the honorable thing and just leave.
5. Sue me. He should just put his money where his over-sized mouth is. Actually follow through on a threat; which he can’t because he has no standing to sue, and he realizes that a trial would give me the chance to depose him.
For Liberty,
Mark
PS: Please pardon the harsh tone of this message. If it sounds like I am angry — it’s because I am.
I’d like to reiterate that I’m very much unclear on the details of what transpired, but perhaps somebody else can clear it up. Maybe Potts said 80,000 dollars, maybe he said $8,000 dollars, maybe he said 80,000 rabbits. I was pretty spaced out, so please use this post as a starting point, rather than the final word.