Comments on: Swalwell denies claim of ‘pay-to-play’ in Dublin

By: Rick K.

Rick K. — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 03:24:05 +0000

Swalwell doesn’t smell well. Sweep him out with the rest of the trash, into the dumpster of political oblivion.

By: Leslie P.

Leslie P. — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:03:43 +0000

Josh, in Congress, does Pete Stark have to announce before every committee hearing whether the person providing testimony on a bill has made a contribution to him? Did Stark really take $200,000 in health care money while being on a health committee? Did contributors come before his committee? This looks like a larger issue of needed reforms at all levels. But if you and east bay express are reporting on Swalwell contributions, doesn’t that mean they were disclosed? Or were these found some non-public way?

By: Truthclubber

Truthclubber — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:28:57 +0000

@4 -- Talk about a NON SEQUITUR! Unless there is a connection between Ellen Tauscher and schizophrenia (which, if proven, I would not be surprised by, since Elwood is promoting it...)

By: CuteStuff

CuteStuff — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:11:01 +0000

The anestheologists ran Independent Exenditures (IE’s) – they do not report to Stark campaign nor does Stark have any control whatsoever of what they say or mail or do in supporting them. Thank McCain Feingold for this little nugget of campaign finance. The anestheologists and any other IE reports what they spend money on and not the candidates. The candidates report actual dollars they were given.

By: JohnW

JohnW — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:53:05 +0000

Re: #6

Recommend you go find some undecideds to convince. I already voted.

By: mederatevoter

mederatevoter — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:34:37 +0000

Eric Swalwell is an Alameda County prosecutor, his Dad’s a retired cop too. Every law enforcement group in Alameda County – and Contra Costa – is supporting Swalwell for Congress, not a single law enforcement group is backing wacky 81 year old Pete Stark’s run for the 15th district. Given this I find it sort of laughable Stark would go after Swalwell on ethics or honesty. Who is Stark trying to kid? Voters are not that stupid in the 15th district.
If anybody is vulnerable on the ethics front it’s Pete Stark. Stark is drawing down a $174,000 a year salary yet he missed 1/3 of his votes in last session, he doesn’t even bother to show up to work 1/3 of the time. Carla Marinucci – the San Francisco Chronicle political editor – reported a couple of months ago that Pete Stark’s wife – his third – was a former intern in his office. In fact, according to Marinucchi, Stark actually met her when she was a high school student. Apparently Stark was visiting a local high school – he was married at the time to another lady – and he took a shine to this high school girl, she later became an intern, and after that – I presume Stark waited until she graduated from high school (I hope) – she became Mrs. Stark.
Now – we are learning courtesy of the Swalwell campaign – that Pete Stark has had his young wife – who has no accounting experience – acting as his campaign treasurer over a period of years – she’s been paid $300,000 over a period of years – except the work is actually being done by an outside accounting firm. So Stark has deftly managed to hook up his wife with a “no-show” job, and her salary is being paid by Washington DC special interest groups. Such a deal.
This, by the way, has got everybody laughing because most know Stark – legendary for his laziness – has long been a “no-show” Congressman in his district. Stark who claims he lives in the 15th district – actual address in the district is a “mail-drop” at his son’s house, so now everybody is saying our “now-show” Congressman – who pretends to live in the district and never seems to be around, has hooked his wife up with a “no-show” job. I mean how fitting.
As most voters know, we have a horrific problem with unemployment in California, in the 15th district you’ve got double digit unemployment, many more under employed, we have a crises going on, yet Pete Stark, this lazy slug of a Congressman – a “no-show” Congressman in every sense of the word – is trying to claim he’s the guy that’s going to help solve this problem. I don’t buy it, I think Pete Stark deserves a pink slip.

By: Fremont Resident

Fremont Resident — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:15:11 +0000

Thanks for clearing this up, it doesn’t look like Swalwell actually did anything wrong. it sounds a little shady, but reading the Express article makes it seem as if the donations weren’t reported at all. If they were properly reported, then what’s the problem?

Does the guy that writes the East Bay Citizen realize that this just makes him look more biased? His article reads like a half truth.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:40:47 +0000

@ 2

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to: Tell the difference between what is real and not real;

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

By: JohnW

JohnW — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:35:02 +0000

What , the anesthesiologists, are rooting for Pete? Given Pete’s advancing years, there’s probably a joke in there somewhere. But I haven’t figured one out yet.

As for the article in the Express, this underscores my concerns that the media have been so obsessed with Starks’s behavior (with very good reason) that they forgot to vet Swalwell in terms of experience, issues and alleged conflicts while on the Planning Commission and City Council. I’m NOT suggesting that there is any substance to claims that campaign contributions he took from developers or the garbage company influenced his votes. But, since Stark did make such claims about the developers, I was surprised the media did not do some digging and reporting to determine whether or not there was any validity to them.

Dublin obviously needs to upgrade its rules on campaign contributions.

By: Truthclubber

Truthclubber — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:25:02 +0000

“Swalwell campaign manager Lisa Tucker….”

The same Lisa Tucker who was Tauscher’s principal campaign strategist and lever-puller?

The very same one.

Now we now that “The Tauscherian Candidate” (Smellwell) will not only “play for pay”, but will virtually hand over his US House voting button to Queen Ellen, who I’m sure regrets having had to step away from Congress for that temp job over at State.