Now He's on the Lam

And no doubt Jim Doyle will still hang onto his cash...

California businessman Norman Hsu, a former New York apparel executive and major contributor to Democratic candidates and causes, failed to appear for a bail reduction hearing Wednesday, leading to speculation that he again is a fugitive from the law, FOX News has learned.

Hsu's attorneys say they do not know his whereabouts, and that their client did not surrender his passport.

Hsu turned himself in to authorities last week after more than 15 years on the run from a felony conviction of grand theft. He admitted to defrauding investors of $1 million in a bogus investment scam.

He failed to appear in court for sentencing on that 1991 conviction, a revelation that prompted high profile Democrats -- including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton -- to return thousands of dollars donated by Hsu.

Chief of Staffs Say the Darnedest Things

With power comes treasure, and no doubt the Democrats are bringing it in for the 2008 election. PACs have come calling, businesses trying to stay on the offensive against potential regulation are cutting checks, and so on and so forth.

Dan Bice was nice enough to look at the numbers for the Wisconsin Democrats in the House. Everyone's making out like bandits; especially Obey; as Appropriations Chair, and Kagen; being the rookie they need in place to maintain the majority.

Obey's office wasn't willing to comment on campaign finances. (Wonder why...)

David B. Williams (See how much he makes in three months here.), Chief of Staff for Rep. Steve Kagen, M.D. (D-Appleton), was surprisingly open about it.

(He clearly doesn't know you only give Bice tips, not full-fledged interviews. He'll learn.)

Next in line after Obey: first-termer Steve Kagen, who collected nearly $450,000 from January to June. Of that, about $325,000 came from PACs - more than eight times what he took in from special-interest accounts during his entire election run last year.

"Two things," said Kagen chief of staff David Williams, describing his boss' sudden popularity on the money circuit. "He's now an incumbent, and he's in the majority."

[...]

Williams said it is Kagen's aim not to dip into his wallet to underwrite his campaign, even if it takes several million dollars to win. Last year, he pumped more than $2.5 million into the race.

"People here - for instance, in the D.C. PAC community - have gotten the message that it's important to (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority, including people like Dave Obey, that Steve return," Williams said. "So people are stepping up."

And they'll keep doing so as long as he's the incumbent and the Democrats are in charge.

And the clear reality is, as long as Kagen's in that seat; he's never going to have anything close to an easy re-election fight. He's going to need a gerrymander to ever end the constant looking over his political shoulder.

Funny thing is, I'd don't recall Mark Graul, Chris Tuttle, or Nicole Vernon -- Green's Chief of Staffs during his eight years in Congress -- ever openly talking about campaign finances and PAC donations in what was clearly their position as "Policy Guru and Congressional Office Manager."

Did ethics laws change for the worse since then?

Truth be told, none of this is news to me. Kagen's pulled in about 80% of his total contributions from PACs, as I've reported previously. His donations from individuals; particularly from his own district, are next to nothing.

As for his Chief of Staff's gaffe; hey par for the course. It's getting hard to tell the office and the campaign apart in recent months.

I'd also like to thank Williams for confirming what I've been saying for months: Kagen wants others to pay the bills this time. He's not going into his pockets a second time.

Perhaps, this just might end the "He's Loaded" talk from the Recess Supervisor once and for all. But from what I've been told, Gruber's always had a hard time with mea culpas since college.

Bottom of the Class

Sunday was the day all FEC reports were due for second quarter, and as I pointed out earlier; Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D (D-Appleton) didn't have an impressive showing.

How bad?

Well, according to the Hill he's the one with the worst fund-raising record of the DCCC's Frontline candidates with only $420,000 for the first half of the calendar year. Frontline is the DCCC's program meant to protect what they deem as vulnerable candidates or attack vulnerable GOP candidates.

In fact, many of the DCCC's Frontline candidates didn't hit their targets, and some freshmen Democrats are already whining behind the scenes their target donation amounts were set too high.

Soon after the 2006 election, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) announced that Democrats in the committee’s Frontline program would aim to raise between $600,000 and $1 million by June 30.

According to Federal Election Commission reports that were due Sunday, 10 of the 24 Frontline freshmen did not hit the fundraising objective, and some missed the mark by more than $100,000.

Frontline is a program designed to help vulnerable incumbents raise money, and it is dominated by freshmen following the Democratic takeover in 2006.

One source close to a Frontline member was critical of the DCCC for setting such an ambitious goal and making it public. The source said members were frustrated with the goal.

“To publicize your goals, especially in some of these smaller districts that have a smaller donor base or, frankly, are poorer — it’s just harder to raise money,” the source said, adding that it is difficult for members in rural districts to approach small donors so soon after the 2006 election and ask them to give again.

[...]

Freshman Frontline Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Ron Klein (Fla.) led the pack, each exceeding the goal with more than $1 million. Rep. Steve Kagen (Wis.) had the lowest fundraising total, at $420,000, and Reps. Michael Arcuri (N.Y.) and Ciro Rodriguez (Texas) also raised less than $500,000.

Most Democrats fell just short of the fundraising goals. In addition to Ellsworth and Walz, Reps. Heath Shuler (N.C.), Zack Space (Ohio), Nick Lampson (Texas), Paul Hodes (N.H.) and Chris Carney (Pa.) raised more than $500,000.

Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.) raised $600,000.

Kagen is showcasing the two things many observers from the sidelines saw was going on last cycle, he never developed any sort of in-district (in-state, or hell ANY!) fund raising network, and his millions are still a deterrent for people to give.

After all, people don't like giving to a millionaire, that's always been the case. Kagen's problem with campaign money this cycle seems to be that no one outside of his campaign seemed to have gotten the memo others were supposed to pay the bills this time.

I mean, what's $180,000 to Kagen; one-tenth the sale of his Florida home if it comes to that?

One final point. The majority of Kagen's money is designated for the 2008 Primary, something that the Congressman is unlikely to face. What that means is the $300,000+ in Primary COH is going to two key places: early ads to puff himself up while the GOP candidates are clubbing each other, and his own pocket since he still has $469,300 in debt to pay off of the $2.6m he pulled from his pocket in 2006.

Money designated for a Primary fight, must be spend during a primary fight. You can't carry it through to the General Election if you're a federal candidate.

Correction: My sources on the above paragraphs were in correct, since they all ran campaigns before McCain-Feingold became law. Rules on Primary / General election accounts changed with its passing.

Kudos to Barb and Sue

I know in certain quarters of the Cheddarsphere these two are the "Wicked Witches of WRTL" but today, especially in many corners out here in DC, they're heroes.

So congratulations to Barbara Lyons and Susan Armacost of Wisconsin Right to Life; for helping start the slaying of the Incumbent-Protection Campaign Finance Dragon.

(Though, I will say, seeing Mike McCabe and WDC go into meltdown like this, was well worth it by itself.)

'I am Spartacus'

As some of you may know, some nitwit has filed a complaint with the state Elections Board against Boots & Sabers for having a Blogs For Ziegler button on the blog.

Here's the button:

In an "I am Spartacus" moment, some BBA members have added the button to their blogs and effectively dared her to file a complaint as well.

• Badger Blogger.
• The American Mind.
• Texas Hold 'Em.
• Jiblog.
  
• The Asian Badger. (added)
• Pete Fanning. (added)
• No Runny Eggs. (added)
• Marcus Aurelius at Blogger Beer. (added)
• Kate the Not-So-Ol'-Broad. (added)
• The Thoughtful Conservative. (added)
• Silent E. (added)
• Triticale. (added)
• Lance Burri. (added)
• On The Borderline. (added)
  

Anyone else? BBA or non-BBA. Post 'em in the comments and I'll add you!

This is silly, but also a sign of how the Left plans on taking on the blogs under "campaign finance reform." We saw the taxers and spenders in Washington state shut down talk radio under campaign finance laws for opposing a tax hike referendum on the air by labeling it an "in-kind" contribution to a political campaign in violation of campaign finance laws.

Where do you think they are headed? The (Un)Fairness Doctrine to shut down talk radio and campaign finance "reform" to shut down the blogs.

If they get their way, we'll be reduced to recipe-swapping.

Re: Crappy Coverage

Could it be that many people in the MSM don't want to dig too deep in the areas of experience and judicial philosophy? Or is it just the MSM being lazy again by regurgitating what Clifford's PI hands them and using the race to push for their favorite causes?

Owen, I have to agree with your last comment. Points 2 & 3 are often held up as reasons to muzzle freedom of speech and if ordinary (and even not so ordinary) groups are muzzled then the MSM becomes even more powerful. So, why not in this race?

Point 1 is just their natural political convictions.