Monday, December 08, 2008

Take me out to the ballgame

Congressman Paul Kanjorski has been beaten up in the press the last couple of days because he went to a Washington Nationals game as the guest of a Freddie Mac executive. It doesn't look good but I really doubt that Kanjo can be bought off with a baseball ticket

And he is pissed.


WASHINGTON - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) provided the statement below about the Associated Press article that recently appeared about Freddie Mac and Members of Congress.

"As early as 2000, I have consistently and vocally promoted a strong, independent, world-class regulator for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with the resources needed to get the job done. Unfortunately, President Bush, with the support of some Republican Members of Congress, obstructed efforts to improve the regulation of these government-sponsored enterprises. In 2005, with my strong support, the House Financial Services Committee, on a bipartisan basis, passed a comprehensive reform bill. A short time later, the bill passed the House, but this legislation died in the Senate in part because of the lack of support in the White House. Mike Oxley (R-OH), the Republican Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee at the time blamed the White House for failing to pass the bill and causing the current crisis with Fannie and Freddie, stating ‘What did we get from the White House? We got a one-finger salute.' When the Democrats regained control of Congress in 2006, we made regulation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae a priority and passed a regulatory reform bill in May 2007, which the Senate passed and the President finally signed a year later. I only wish that the President had heeded warnings earlier about the need to act.


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"Finally, there are strict rules prohibiting Members of Congress from receiving most gifts. I have never violated those rules. The ticket to attend the opening game of the Washington Nationals was valued at less than $50, which was the gift limit at that time. The Associated Press article misled its readers by refusing to include this information in the piece. Furthermore, it is ludicrous to suggest that my positions on policy could be influenced by any factors other than the merits of the policy."



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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

i am not a crook

Anonymous said...

Common sense tells you that a seat behind the home teams dugout for the opening day of an inaugural season at the new ballpark costs alot more than $50 if you could get one at all.

I support Kanjorski and hope that it would take a hell of alot more "grease" to buy his vote than a stupid ticket to a baseball game, but it just looks bad.

The average shmo looks at this and says to him or herself this guy is on the take.

I'm going to contact Kanjorski's local office and see if he could get me some $50 tickets to opening day at the Yankees new ballpark next year.

...and yes GORT I will ask him if you can have opening day tickets for Fenway @ $50 a piece.

...and Pope, while I'm at it I will see what he can do for you about Phillies tickets.

Anonymous said...

Why does anyone believe any statement from a politican about a gift. We re-elected him again and he will go to more town hall meetings and say how they have to lie in order to get elected. Good going NEPA!!!! Remember the Realtors Assoc gave Papa Paul alot of money next time you go an buy a house

Anonymous said...

the ticket was for the opening game for the nats, not the new stadium, they opened at RFK.

I suggest going to the new stadium it is nice(but its not Citizens bank park) Buy the cheapest seat and then move to the expensive seats becuase no one goes. When the Nats play a team from the NE the visitor fans outnumber the home fans

Anonymous said...

who cares??? we had an awful choice in the last election, the dunce/racist vs. the suggested corruption/nepotist... what does it matter this is NEPA, we will never have honest or good representation... time to move out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This is the same guy who a few years later walks into Charlie Rangle's fund raiser through the back door..
Nice fvcking people you dems reelect

Big Dan said...

The Washington Nationals are so bad, I think they actually paid Kanjorski to come to the game!!!

Big Dan said...

I think Kanjorski walked up to the ticket booth and those seats were available...that's how bad the Nats are! They STINK! Let's get real here!

I think there were so few people there, they gave Kanjorski a couple a free hoddogs, too!!!

Big Dan said...

...a couple too/tree hoddogs...

McGruff said...

Its not about the price of the ticket. Its about the fact that he is fraternizing with the people his committees oversee. He rushed to get them a bailout yet $350 billion has yet to be used.

Why didn't they grill the Freddies and Fannies like they grilled the Auto Execs?

He created a loophole where insurance companies are now buying banks in the hopes of cashing in on the remaining bailout money.

Chris Carney got 3 times the money that Kanjo brought back last year under a Republican President with a Republican Senate. Yet, I hear that people voted for Kanjo to keep seniority.

Kanjo is arrogrant and dirty. I predict he will be taken out next election. Obama saved him this time.

Anonymous said...

You wanted him, you got him (again)