Democrats turn over Republican court files - DMR

[Debi]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081005/NEWS10/810050336

Iowa Democrats scoured public records and documented that several Republican Iowa House candidates have criminal charges in their backgrounds. Then they provided a neatly labeled binder full of records to The Des Moines Register.

Republicans are furious that Democrats delved so deeply into their personal lives by poring over public documents on bitter small-claims cases, financial woes, child-support disputes and messy divorces.

"This is the sleaziest thing I think I've heard of in Statehouse politics," said House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City.

The Des Moines Sunday Register's independent review of court records for Democrats and Republicans seeking Iowa House seats showed a handful of candidates with alcohol-related offenses, and most of those charges were older than five years.One of those candidates has a felony conviction for third-offense drunken driving.In addition, one candidate has an active warrant for his arrest in connection with a driver's license problem. Another is currently dealing with a federal violation at his workplace, the Register found.

Both parties do opposition research, but it's unusual for the information to be released collectively.

Democrats said they decided to take such a step because they believe there is an unusually high number of Republican candidates with legal problems. Voters should consider whether a candidate's history hampers his or her ability to serve the public and obey laws, said Iowa House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy of Des Moines. "If these candidates were elected to office," McCarthy said, "it would not be a stretch that we would need to establish night court at the state Capitol, together with a bailiff and maybe bring in Jerry Springer to cover it."

<snip>

+++++++++++++++++++++++


I don't know what to think of this - on one hand a person's life becomes an open book when they decide to run for office. On the other - shouldn't the press have been doing that work w/out the help of one party? And if I had one more hand - does EVERY act we perform (legal or illegal) in our past qualify/disqaulify us for public office?

Your thoughts?

[rurallib]

1. IOKIYAR

but not if your a Democrat. I always thought this was the case.
You have republicans on a national level trying to make a case that Obama is unfit using the flimsiest of ties. Yet on the other hand, Bushco constantly snubs legal processes and Palin is now doing the same in Alaska. McCain treats the Keating 5 as though it were a 'youthful indiscretion' - always hated that. It was bribery out and out. I would be much more lenient toward a person who was up front about their problem and tried to explain it rather than someone who buried it.
I am thinking anymore if someone runs for an office, I would like to know ahead of time if they think legal processes are just for the unwashed.
I guess I am just ranting, but I am surely sick and tired of the current disdain that Republicans show for legal processes.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Depends on the sort of cases that were uncovered

If they were divorces or small claims type of stuff, then I agree with Rants(!). That sort of thing can, and does happen to anyone, anytime. And public intox? Hell, I've had that, although I'm not running for office. Let's face it people, when we were younger, a lot of us did things we may not be all that proud of. As someone or other said, don't sweat the small stuff. This may well come back to bite the Dems in the butt.

[Peacetrain]

3. Christopher Rants is such a self righteous son of a gun

If the republicans had printed that on democrats he would have been the first posting the article on every car in Le Mars you can bet on it!!

[Cairycat]

4. Maybe not the small claims, divorce court stuff

But phrases like "felony third offense DUI", "active warrant for his arrest" and "dealing with a federal violation" kind of stick in your craw - I think the voting public has a right to know, and if the press is too lazy to do its job, then it's fine for the political parties to do it.

And I agree 1000% with peacetrain - that hypocrite Rants would be the first one out there, all over the media and plastering it on windshields, had stuff been dug up on the Dems.

[47of74]

5. No, I do not have a problem with that...

I don't have a problem with what the Democrats did here. It's past time they started playing a little bit of hardball with the Republicans, because the Republicans would certainly do no less. And if that hypocrite Rants doesn't like it, well I'd say if he can't stand the heat he should get the you know what out of the kitchen!