Just Democrats Only: Schultz

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: You guys know Romney’s a flip-flopper, right? (Daily Caller)

Speaking to reporters after Saturday’s Republican primary debate in New Hampshire, Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Republican voters would be wise to question front-runner Mitt Romney’s conservative credentials.

“This is a candidate without any conviction at all, willing to say or do anything to get elected,” she said. “Tonight he talked about how supportive he was of overturning Roe v. Wade, yet just in 2002 he was a candidate for governor who was totally supportive of Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose. I mean, that’s a pretty significant issue to have such a major flip-flop.”

“I think Republican voters need to ask themselves whether Massachusetts elected a conservative Republican candidate for governor,” she continued.

Romney’s perceived insincerity has been a major focus of criticism since he first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. During his two campaigns for statewide office in traditionally Democratic Massachusetts — for the U.S. Senate in 1994 and for governor in 2002 — Romney ran as a moderate, pro-choice Republican.

After leaving office in 2007 and setting his sights on the presidency, however, Romney moved to the right and left many conservatives wondering if his views on issues like abortion were heartfelt or simply a matter of convenience.

Wasserman Schultz’s comments indicate that Democrats will pick up the “flip-flopper” meme if Romney should win his party’s nomination. But by attempting to exacerbate the divide between Romney and the Republican base, they also re-enforce the notion that President Obama’s allies see his as the strongest and most threatening candidate in the GOP field.

“At this point he’s certainly done everything he can to get as far to the right as possible,” she said. “He’s embraced extremism, he’s embraced the tea party, so he certainly needs to be held accountable for the things he’s saying now.”

“He’ll be held accountable for the Mitt Romney who ran in 1992 and the Mitt Romney who ran in 1994,” she continued. “You never know which Mitt Romney you’ll be running against, but we’ll be running against them all.”

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Second ethics complaint to be filed against Wasserman Schultz over DNC ad (Daily Caller)

The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) will submit a new ethics complaint against Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, The Daily Caller has learned.

The complaint, which will be filed on Thursday with the Office of Congressional Ethics, takes issue with DNC ads that appear to violate House rules.

Thursday’s complaint will be the second the RNLA has leveled at Wasserman Schultz. Earlier this week the group sent a letter to the OCE about a 30-second ad touting President Barack Obama’s jobs plan. The video featured footage from Obama’s Sept. 8 speech to a joint session of Congress.

House ethics rules prohibit members of Congress from using footage of official House proceedings for political purposes.

The letter that will be sent Thursday doubles down on the original complaint, targeting newly-released Spanish-language ads in Tampa, Denver, Miami and Las Vegas. The ads proclaim in Spanish: “In the face of Republicans, the President can’t do it alone. Read the plan. Stand together for more jobs.”

The RNLA letter calls for an immediate investigation by OCE and the House Ethics Committee. (RELATED: Second ethics complaint to be filed against Wasserman Schultz for DNC ad)

“The Obama Administration, the DNC and the Democrat leadership in the House believe in rules only as they apply to others,” RNLA Chairman David Norcross said in a statement.

“At a time when the president and the House Minority Leader repeatedly plead for bi-partisanship they spare no effort to be confrontational wherever and whenever possible,” Norcross said. “They certainly don’t let House rules stand in their way.”

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Republican legal group files ethics complaint against Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Daily Caller)

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida is the subject of a new ethics complaint filed in the Office of Congressional Ethics. The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) filed the complaint in response to a video the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which Wasserman Schultz chairs, released last week.

As The Daily Caller previously reported, the DNC ad promoting President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act appeared to violate House ethics rules that prevent footage of floor proceedings from being used for political purposes. The 30-second ad, however, featured only footage of the president’s recent speech to a joint session of Congress — not speeches of members of Congress themselves.

Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem for the DNC. But since Wasserman Schultz is a member of Congress, some say the House ethics rules now apply to the DNC.

“This carefully orchestrated political campaign is consistent with a disturbing pattern of President Obama’s misuse of official resources for political purposes,” read the RNLA’s complaint. “Now it appears he has not only misused the resources of his own office, but he has engaged Representative Wasserman Schultz in the misuse of coverage of House proceedings, in direct violation of her ethical duties as a Member of Congress.”

The rule in question is House Rule 5, clause 2(c)(1), which says, “Broadcast coverage and recordings of House floor proceedings may not be used for any political purpose.”

Additionally, House Rule 11, clause 4(b) says that “radio and television tapes and film of any coverage of House committee proceedings may not be use, or made available for use, as partisan political campaign material to promote or oppose the candidacy of any person for public office.” (RELATED: Does a new DNC ad violate House ethics rules?

According to the Office of Congressional Ethics website, once a complaint is filed, two board members may conduct a preliminary review – a process that takes 30 days – to determine if all information available provides a reasonable basis that a violation occurred.