Massa expands on the Ethics Allegations
Congressman Massa held his last radio progam broadcast yesterday - I was otherwise engaged but Oh boy. Now in full disclosure here - I haven’t listened to the program but from other places here are some quotes and analysis.
“I was set up for this from the very, very beginning,” he said, on what Massa insisted would be the last broadcast of the Sunday morning show on WKPQ 105.3 FM in Hornell. “You think that somehow they didn’t come after me to get rid of me because my vote is the deciding vote in the health care bill? Then, ladies and gentlemen, you live today in a world that is so innocent as to not understand what’s going on in Washington, D.C.”
According to Massa, the sexual harassment complaint stemmed from an incident during a wedding on New Year’s Eve last year. Sometime soon after midnight, Massa said, a drunken male staffer made a lurid comment to Massa about dancing with one of the bridesmaids at the reception.
“A staff member made an intonation to me that maybe I should be chasing after the bridesmaid. His points were clear and his words were far more colorful than that,” Massa said. “And I grabbed the staff member sitting next to me and said, “Pal, what I really ought to be doing is fracking you.’ And then I tussled the guy’s hair, and left.”
Massa said that another staff member—disturbed by Massa’s statement—reported it to the House Ethics Committee. Massa said the staffer to whom he directed the comment never was involved with the complaint.
“That staff member never said to me he felt uncomfortable,” Massa said. “He never came to me, he never said a word to me. In fact, he never went to anybody.”
F29th also has a some detailed analysis - the short version is
- The source of the harassment seems to be at a Wedding
- There was another ethics issue involving a funding raising letter
- The House leadership is trying to get rid of him
- and Bob Lonsberry is full of Sh*t
Josh Marshall analysis over at TPM looks very solid as well
Then there is the D&Cs take (personal note, can’t wait for the op-ed board to weigh in)
Like I said I don’t know what to make of the radio show not having listened to it but I shy away from the global conspiracy 24-esque story line. That said - Given that Massa imploded quickly as opposed to say other members of Congress - I can only speculate that as Massa set himself on fire some folks on his side of the aisle decided to bring marshmallows. The hands of help and support simply were not extended.
Related posts:
Apparently Massa is going to be on Glen Beck’s show tommorrow at 5pm. Just the thought makes me queasy.
My sense of this is that the rest of the House Dems want Massa gone fast to avoid the ethics investigation dragging out and potentially becoming a national story more than it already is. See the anonymous comments that were making the rounds comparing the Massa situation to Mark Foley–ridiculous, but probably insightful as to what the rest of the Dems are thinking.