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Political Hay
Beam Me Up, Jimbo
Jim Traficant — ex-congressman and ex-con — is free as a bird.
Few politicians have earned a reputation equally colorful as it is criminal as former Rep Jim Traficant (D-OH), who is expected to be released from prison today. Though seven years may have passed since Traficant was convicted of racketeering, bribery and fraud, among other gems, the area he represented hasn’t changed much since their Congressman was first elected in 1984.
Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, soil soaked with union sweat, Traficant was first elected Mahoning County Sheriff back in 1980. During that time, Traficant endeared himself to his constituents because he “refused to execute foreclosure orders on several unemployed homeowners” who lost their jobs after several steel mills — the area’s bread and butter — closed. In 1983 Traficant was charged with racketeering and accepting bribes from the mob. The former Pittsburgh Steelers player showed he had brawn and brains and represented himself during his trial. His defense? He accepted bribes only as a part of an undercover sting. The result? He was actually acquitted of all charges. Traficant rolled the publicity he received from trial into a successful run for the U.S. Congress. The Democrat beat a three-term Republican and went on to be elected to eight terms after that.
Traficant was a champion for the blue-collar worker and his eccentricities only increased his popularity. Traficant traipsed around Washington in a skinny tie and toupee and frequently gave one-minute speeches that were as short as they were pointed. In a 2001 speech about the meaning of Christmas Traficant quipped:
Reports say students in Minnesota were disciplined for having said “Merry Christmas.” Now if that is not enough to find coal in your athletic supporter, check this out: A school board in Georgia removed the word “Christmas” from their school calendar because the ACLU threatened to sue. Beam me up. If this is religious freedom, I am a fashion model for GQ.
Traficant didn’t just take his sense of humor and fashion sense to jail, he brought along his artistic side. While incarcerated, Traficant began to paint horses and barns. He sent his art to fellow artist Sybille Oelschlager, who auctioned off the paintings on www.beammeupart.com (now defunct) and eBay with the intent to send Traficant the proceeds for art supplies. One painting sold for $2,001. As an inmate, Traficant has not been allowed to profit from his work, but that didn’t stop him from sending some of his art to a local news station in August concluding a handwritten, 16-page letter. In the letter, the politician says little about politics and instead recounts the glory days playing high school football.
Unfortunately for his devoted constituents, Traficant’s criminal activities cut his ninth term short, despite the fact that his course was full of character. In 2002, a federal jury found Traficant guilty of bribery and tax evasion after receiving kickbacks from businessman and employees. The U.S. House expelled him, something that’s only happened once before in the last 150 years. Given his history, it’s not surprising then that this felon ran for another term while incarcerated, nor that he received 15% of the vote.
While some of Youngstown seems mixed about Traficant’s return, overall, residents have been more receptive of their colorful convict than one might think. The minor league baseball team, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, had scheduled a “Traficant Release Night” on September 2 to recognize their Congressman’s homecoming and only cancelled it after “being flooded with calls and e-mails against the idea.” Said General Manager Dave Smith in a press release: “The night was never planned as a celebration of his release, yet it’s obvious that is how it is being perceived….[t]here are likely better venues than a baseball game for the community to share their thoughts and feelings on Jim.”
Really? If it wasn’t a celebration, then what was it? It’s not like they were going to feed him a dog and a beer and throw him back in the slammer. More likely Traficant was going to throw the opening pitch, then kick a few back with Smith himself.
Still, others lack the sensitivity of Manager Smith, like Linda Kovachik, a former aide to Traficant. She spearheaded a $20-a-plate “appreciation dinner” to be held September 6 at a banquet hall in Boardman, near Youngstown. Though she can’t guarantee the former Congressman will actually attend, all 1200 seats are sold out. Apparently the economy is tough in Youngstown, but not so for the 1200 rabid fans of Traficant who are willing to shell out a little cash to support their ex-Congressman-turned ex-con.
The local news has been abuzz about Traficant’s impending release and few stories conclude without mentioning Traficant’s record or mindset of those he represented for so long. “The former congressman will get a hero’s welcome home,” read the tagline of a story a few weeks ago in the Vindicator, Youngstown’s largest newspaper. Radio talk show host and blogger Louie Free blogged on the Vindicator’s website about a conversation he had with a familiar, local businessman. The man told him: “Everyone in government here is on the take. Everyone in office here is corrupt. Jim Traficant does represent the mindset of this area.”
A local official who is one of the few elected conservatives in the area echoed that sentiment, though he preferred to speak anonymously. “[Traficant] is what’s wrong with Youngstown. He’d get out of jail Tuesday and run again Wednesday if they’d let him — and he’d get elected too. He got caught taking money from the mob when he was a sheriff. He said he took money but gave it back and everyone believed it. That’s how stupid we are.”
Technically Traficant could run again — there’s no law on the books that prohibits an ex-con from running for office — and if the past is any sign of the future, he wouldn’t do half-bad. Depending on your view point, that could be funny or frightening.
About the Author
Nicole Russell writes from Northern Virginia.
Big J| 9.2.09 @ 6:56AM
"Guilty as h*ll, free as a bird."
Who said that?
Oh, that's right, Obama's buddy Bill Ayers.
Are there any politicians with morality, anywhere?
Conrad Spiracy| 9.2.09 @ 7:00AM
>> Technically Traficant could run again -- there’s no law on the books that prohibits an ex-con from running for office --
Conrad Spiracy| 9.2.09 @ 7:00AM
ref: see Alcee Hastings
Melvin| 9.2.09 @ 7:13AM
Hmmm, could it be true, that Teddy boy rises from the grave today?
CB| 9.2.09 @ 7:17AM
....but he had some GREAT speeches in Congress....
Richard Baker| 9.2.09 @ 8:18AM
Huey Long made colorful speeches, as well. Is Traficant his heir?
cuban pete| 9.2.09 @ 8:47AM
Marion Barry was a friend of mine and you Mr.Traficant are no Marion Barry.
Tom Rowan| 9.2.09 @ 9:19AM
James Traficant's return to the House of Representatives will bring a fresh breeze of honesty back to Washington. Sure Traficant is a scoundrel. And he is a lovable one at that.
It is important to remember with all the truly dispicable and criminal scoudrels running amok at large in Congress theses days, (Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, Rangel, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Tim Geitner, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum,) that Traficant has paid his debt to society.
His political honesty and wit has been sorely missed in Washington. I would vote for Traficant and I have never voted for a Democrat in my life.
loulou| 9.2.09 @ 9:36AM
If Traficant didn't kill anyone (Kennedy) or run a brothel out of his Capitol Hill townhouse (Barney Fwank), I say-- go for it!
km| 9.2.09 @ 10:22AM
Go for it Jim. At least you have already don time and the democrats need to be lighten up a lttle bit and shown they to can survive in Jail.
Etiquette Man| 9.2.09 @ 10:33AM
Hi loulou,
Actually, that's "Bahney" Fwank, not "Barney." (At least that's how HE says it.)
Forgive me, but I just HAD to correct that one . . .
:-)
Cheers!
EM
Tony in Central PA| 9.2.09 @ 11:45AM
I just want to see if he still has the same funny hairpiece after he gets out of jail.
BigDaddyG| 9.2.09 @ 12:12PM
I would contribute to his re-election campaign just to have hit stand in the well of the House and say "you created a $5 trillion deficit because you inherited a $1 billion deficit? Beam me up! Nance that makes no sense"
Or "$900 million for the unemployed people in Gaza? Beam me up! How about $900 million for unemployed workers in Youngstown or Detroit?"
I would watch C-Span just to see this guy. Welcome back Congressman.
BigDaddyG| 9.2.09 @ 12:14PM
Sorry, can't spell or type.
hit > him
Nance > Madam Speaker Nance
Dai Alanye| 9.2.09 @ 12:42PM
When first becoming aware of Traficant I was appalled that Youngstown would elect such a rascal. But after getting to know him better, he's like a breath of fresh air—assuming one shows a willingness to overlook the stench of a degree of financial corruption.
Unlike so many other Congressboobs, though, he engaged less in intellectual corruption. Two things made him stand out—his willingness to openly criticize Clinton's behavior, and his standing up for John Demyanyuk, falsely accused of being deathcamp guard "Ivan the Terrible."
His Congressional politics seemed less Democrat than populist with conservative impulses. Had he lived in another area he might have run as a Republican maverick.
If he's exited prison unchanged, I could think of many a politician I'd be happy to see him replace.
steve from girard| 9.2.09 @ 1:31PM
where is traficants party, when?
Northern Rebel| 9.2.09 @ 1:33PM
Jim used to be my favorite dem congressman. It's too bad he turned out to be a crook.
Does anyone else see anything wrong with the fact that if you're a felon, you can't vote, but you can hold elective federal office?
Alan Brooks| 9.2.09 @ 3:11PM
What does Santangello think of this paisan?
L. Ross| 9.2.09 @ 3:44PM
Northern Rebel:
Actually, if you are a felon, it shows that you lack the judgement to vote. If a felon is elected to congress, it shows what is wrong with universal sufferage. All it takes to vote is a pulse.
Tom Fry| 9.2.09 @ 9:17PM
I will never forget when I first heard of this guy. He was giving one of his floor speeches in the house and the Democrats of the day were debating some bash the rich issue and he said something to this effect: "My daddy worked hard and was poor his whole life, but during that time he never once worked for a another poor guy. If we keep up this punishing of business owners who are poor people going to work for. Who is going to finance new factories?" I have been a fan ever since. He is a very rare Democrat indeed. He is not only one that can understand and see the truth, but speaks it as well. It is easy to see why even his fellow Democrats helped give him the boot, unlike Harry Reid and Charlie Rangel whose equal offenses they are now helping conceal.
diesel jeans | 9.2.09 @ 10:48PM
Cool website, like what I have read. Will definitely be back to read again.
Goggles Pisano| 9.2.09 @ 11:21PM
It's not a toupee, it's a comb-over. And Traficant had the greatest Sunday morning political show EVER. No guests, just Jim ranting for 30 minutes about what's wrong with Washington. Entertainment gold.
Northern Rebel| 9.3.09 @ 1:22AM
L. Ross:
Is that a justification of my comment, or a rationalization, or do you you agree that there is something wrong with this picture?
I think only taxpayers and land owners should vote, because it seems the public has figured out they will be given things by politicians.
As soon as more than 50% of Americans pay no income taxes, our way of life is doomed.
Brian Richard Allen | 9.3.09 @ 4:19AM
Mr Trafficant left prison and returned to the house of reps.
As the consequence, the moral integrity and the mean IQ of both places recorded 50% jumps.
Brian Richard Allen
Lost Angels - Califobambicated 90028
And the Far Abroad
Marc Jeric| 9.3.09 @ 5:57AM
Some 160 years ago that famous Frenchman, visiting the new country America, said that the noble experiment in democracy will die when they give the vote to people who pay no taxes. What prescience!
Red Phillips | 9.3.09 @ 8:49AM
C-SPAN has never been the same since Trificant and Dornan left. Those guys made C-SPAN worth watching.
Billie jean | 9.4.09 @ 3:55AM
Yes,More likely Traficant was going to throw the opening pitch, then kick a few back with Smith himself.
Bailey Button Ugg Boots
Paul Revere| 9.4.09 @ 2:36PM
Come om folks, you don't think Traficant would have a field day with Ali Obama and the Forty Czars? I'd Tivo C-Span every day for that one!!!!!!!!!!
imsteph555@gamil.com| 9.5.09 @ 6:33PM
Traficant has always kept saying he is innocent.....thinking he was framed for going up against the Justice Department....however, he had a little 'rant' about the UN and the UNF .... could it have been this instead?
The Bankruptcy of The United States
United States Congressional Record, March 17, 1993
Vol. 33, page H-1303
Speaker-Rep. James Traficant, Jr. (Ohio) addressing the House:
"Mr. Speaker, we are here now in chapter 11.. Members of Congress are official trustees presiding over the greatest reorganization of any Bankrupt entity in world history, the U.S. Government. We are setting forth hopefully, a blueprint for our future. There are some who say it is a coroner’s report that will lead to our demise.
It is an established fact that the United States Federal Government has been dissolved by the Emergency Banking Act, March 9, 1933, 48 Stat. 1, Public Law 89-719; declared by President Roosevelt, being bankrupt and insolvent. H.J.R. 192, 73rd Congress m session June 5, 1933 - Joint Resolution To Suspend The Gold Standard and Abrogate The Gold Clause dissolved the Sovereign Authority of the United States and the official capacities of all United States Governmental Offices, Officers, and Departments and is further evidence that the United States Federal Government exists today in name only.
The receivers of the United States Bankruptcy are the International Bankers, via the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. All United States Offices, Officials, and Departments are now operating within a de facto status in name only under Emergency War Powers. With the Constitutional Republican form of Government now dissolved, the receivers of the Bankruptcy have adopted a new form of government for the United States. This new form of government is known as a Democracy, being an established Socialist/Communist order under a new governor for America. This act was instituted and established by transferring and/or placing the Office of the Secretary of Treasury to that of the Governor of the International Monetary Fund. Public Law 94-564, page 8, Section H.R. 13955 reads in part: "The U.S. Secretary of Treasury receives no compensation for representing the United States?’
Gold and silver were such a powerful money during the founding of the united states of America, that the founding fathers declared that only gold or silver coins can be "money" in America. Since gold and silver coinage were heavy and inconvenient for a lot of transactions, they were stored in banks and a claim check was issued as a money substitute. People traded their coupons as money, or "currency." Currency is not money, but a money substitute. Redeemable currency must promise to pay a dollar equivalent in gold or silver money. Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) make no such promises, and are not "money." A Federal Reserve Note is a debt obligation of the federal United States government, not "money?’ The federal United States government and the U.S. Congress were not and have never been authorized by the Constitution for the united states of America to issue currency of any kind, but only lawful money, -gold and silver coin.
It is essential that we comprehend the distinction between real money and paper money substitute. One cannot get rich by accumulating money substitutes, one can only get deeper into debt. We the People no longer have any "money." Most Americans have not been paid any "money" for a very long time, perhaps not in their entire life. Now do you comprehend why you feel broke? Now, do you understand why you are "bankrupt," along with the rest of the country?
Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) are unsigned checks written on a closed account. FRNs are an inflatable paper system designed to create debt through inflation (devaluation of currency). when ever there is an increase of the supply of a money substitute in the economy without a corresponding increase in the gold and silver backing, inflation occurs.
Inflation is an invisible form of taxation that irresponsible governments inflict on their citizens. The Federal Reserve Bank who controls the supply and movement of FRNs has everybody fooled. They have access to an unlimited supply of FRNs, paying only for the printing costs of what they need. FRNs are nothing more than promissory notes for U.S. Treasury securities (T-Bills) - a promise to pay the debt to the Federal Reserve Bank.
There is a fundamental difference between "paying" and "discharging" a debt. To pay a debt, you must pay with value or substance (i.e. gold, silver, barter or a commodity). With FRNs, you can only discharge a debt. You cannot pay a debt with a debt currency system. You cannot service a debt with a currency that has no backing in value or substance. No contract in Common law is valid unless it involves an exchange of "good & valuable consideration." Unpayable debt transfers power and control to the sovereign power structure that has no interest in money, law, equity or justice because they have so much wealth already.
Their lust is for power and control. Since the inception of central banking, they have controlled the fates of nations.
The Federal Reserve System is based on the Canon law and the principles of sovereignty protected in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In fact, the international bankers used a "Canon Law Trust" as their model, adding stock and naming it a "Joint Stock Trust." The U.S. Congress had passed a law making it illegal for any legal "person" to duplicate a "Joint Stock Trust" in 1873. The Federal Reserve Act was legislated post-facto (to 1870), although post-facto laws are strictly forbidden by the Constitution. [1:9:3]
The Federal Reserve System is a sovereign power structure separate and distinct from the federal United States government. The Federal Reserve is a maritime lender, and/or maritime insurance underwriter to the federal United States operating exclusively under Admiralty/Maritime law. The lender or underwriter bears the risks, and the Maritime law compelling specific performance in paying the interest, or premiums are the same.
Assets of the debtor can also be hypothecated (to pledge something as a security without taking possession of it.) as security by the lender or underwriter. The Federal Reserve Act stipulated that the interest on the debt was to be paid in gold. There was no stipulation in the Federal Reserve Act for ever paying the principle.
Prior to 1913, most Americans owned clear, allodial title to property, free and clear of any liens or mortgages until the Federal Reserve Act (1913)
"Hypothecated" all property within the federal United States to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, -in which the Trustees (stockholders) held legal title. The U.S. citizen (tenant, franchisee) was registered as a "beneficiary" of the trust via his/her birth certificate. In 1933, the federal United States hypothecated all of the present and future properties, assets and labor of their "subjects," the 14th Amendment U.S. citizen, to the Federal Reserve System.
In return, the Federal Reserve System agreed to extend the federal United States corporation all the credit "money substitute" it needed. Like any other debtor, the federal United States government had to assign collateral and security to their creditors as a condition of the loan. Since the federal United States didn’t have any assets, they assigned the private property of their "economic slaves", the U.S. citizens as collateral against the unpayable federal debt. They also pledged the unincorporated federal territories, national parks forests, birth certificates, and nonprofit organizations, as collateral against the federal debt. All has already been transferred as payment to the international bankers.
Unwittingly, America has returned to its pre-American Revolution, feudal roots whereby all land is held by a sovereign and the common people had no rights to hold allodial title to property. Once again, We the People are the tenants and sharecroppers renting our own property from a Sovereign in the guise of the Federal Reserve Bank. We the people have exchanged one master for another.
This has been going on for over eighty years without the "informed knowledge" of the American people, without a voice protesting loud enough. Now it’s easy to grasp why America is fundamentally bankrupt.
Why don’t more people own their properties outright?
Why are 90% of Americans mortgaged to the hilt and have little or no assets after all debts and liabilities have been paid? Why does it feel like you are working harder and harder and getting less and less?
We are reaping what has been sown, and the results of our harvest is a painful bankruptcy, and a foreclosure on American property, precious liberties, and a way of life. Few of our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. have dared to tell the truth. The federal United States is bankrupt. Our children will inherit this unpayable debt, and the tyranny to enforce paying it.
America has become completely bankrupt in world leadership, financial credit and its reputation for courage, vision and human rights. This is an undeclared economic war, bankruptcy, and economic slavery of the most corrupt order! Wake up America! Take back your Country."
You Gays are ridiculous| 9.8.09 @ 2:30AM
He did his time and now is free, what is so hard to understand?
I mean, fuck, you dumbshits have given a traitor like Gordy Liddy a fucking radio career. I mean what the fuck are you talking about here?
Squeaky | 1.27.10 @ 4:57PM
"Beam me up"
Elect Jim "Jimbo" Traficant
Vote Traficant 2010
For T-shirt info go to
www.chrisrossart.net