AZ-03: John Shadegg's Credit Card Found in AZ Dem Party Office

[ccharles000]

http://swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=A123005D88CF4678C3AF5C28AAD75262?diaryId=3572

This is just surreal. The Arizona Democratic Party issued the following statement this afternoon. Due to the extreme bizarreness of this development, I'm reprinting the release in full:


Lost and Found: John Shadegg's campaign credit card discovered at Democratic office
A credit card for John Shadegg's campaign was found this weekend under the front desk of a Democratic Party office.

The card is issued to a senior Shadegg campaign operative, lists Shadegg's re-election organization and was found near Democratic campaign materials.

The Democratic Party notified Shadegg's campaign office that the card has been found. The party has also filed a report with the Tempe Police Department and with the credit card company.

"It's extremely disturbing that a senior campaign operative for Republican John Shadegg would leave a credit card under a desk at one of our offices," said Maria Weeg, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party. "We let Congressman Shadegg know we found his credit card and requested Shadegg promptly explain what a member of his staff was doing in our office and how his campaign credit card arrived in our office."

Congressman Shadegg has a responsibility to personally answer the following questions:

1) How did his campaign credit card arrive in a Democratic Party office?

2) What was a member of his congressional and campaign staff doing in the office?

3) Did his staff member access any information in the office or remove any materials - and, if so, will he return this information and materials?

[Indenturedebtor]

1. Watergate 08? K+R n/t

[POAS]

6. Depending on the type of lock

some can be "slipped" open with a card or other stiff and thin implement.

This is strange and Deja vu-ish on many levels.

[girl gone mad]

19. That was my first thought. n/t

[dmr]

31. It was to buy a bumper sticker! Seriously - here's a link:

Like we believe that lame excuse ....

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/20/20081020credit-card1020-ON.html

- snip -
Shadegg campaign spokeswoman Abby Winter says a volunteer running errands stopped at the office to check out campaign memorabilia and apparently dropped the card when taking money out of his pocket to buy a bumper sticker.

- snip -

[yardwork]

36. A campaign staffer bought the opponent's bumpersticker? Why?

[TheDebbieDee]

2. Watergate! Er....uh. Shadegg-Gate!

What did Shadegg know? And when did he know it?

[mikelgb]

3. teh fux? why didn't he leave his birth certificate and a photograph as well?

smelly

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. I just saw an episode of The First 48 that had a murderer leave his cellphone near the body

of the guy he shot to death.

This guy is going to go up for 25-life behind this murder. He left his cellphone ON THE SCENE. Amazing.

That show teaches you that most murders are just tawdry, no account affairs. Dumb people panicking and doing really stupid shit. Think of how many people you know who are truly smart, who truly have both the brains and guts to be good criminals. It's not a high number.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

4. Oops!

Can't wait to see the tapdance on this.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Dumb shit Republicans--set a trap for the Dems & stepped in it themselves.

They were hoping the Dems would run up huge illegal charges on the card so they could have them prosecuted. Instead the Dems turn it into a propaganda coup. Dirty, diabolical goddamn Dems, trapped us by playing honest! Who would have ever thought of that?

[nc4bo]

8. Not much more would surprise me. Pukes are desperate. nt

[StatGirl]

10. It's reasonable for them to think so . . .

. . . because that's what *they* would do if they found a credit card!

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Yeah. Projection.

That's what I was trying to imply.

[Fuzz]

14. My guess is it's something along those lines. Trying to set a trap of some

sort. Report it stolen and it is remarkably found in a Democratic Party headquarters. Then they can claim they stole it.

Rovian.

[Richard Steele]

32. That's exactly the thought that sprang to my mind as well.

They deliberately dropped that card there, because
it never occurred to them that there are folks
who WOULDN'T run right out and run up a huge bill
on someone else's credit card.

That's what THEY would do. And the fact that someone
who found a credit card actually behaved in an honest
and legal fashion probably has them scratching their
pointy little heads in bewilderment.

[druidity33]

35. it was a setup...

they deliberately dropped it there IN THE HOPES a D staffer in that office would run up a bill. Then at the last moment (a few days before the election) they were going to announce that they caught a Democrat from his opponents campaign STEALING from him.

jerks.

:(

[nc4bo]

7. k&r due to curiosity. I know! CC used to jimmy desk lock? Ya think?

He is soooo BUSTED!

[dmr]

30. That was my first thought. To pry open the top desk draw. n/t

[jillan]

9. Omg - very interesting.....

Shadegg is a snake. This is going to be interesting to watch the outcome of this.

[DiverDave]

11. This is truely bizarre

Just raises all sorts of questions.
I'm gonna have to watch this one play out:popcorn:

[intheflow]

15. Yeah, time to stock up on popcorn for sure.

:popcorn:

[DesertRat]

13. Here's the Shadegg campaign's "innocent explanation"

Republican Congressman John Shadegg's re-election campaign says there's an innocent explanation as to how a campaign credit card ended up on the floor of a Democratic Party office in Tempe.

Shadegg campaign spokeswoman Abby Winter says a volunteer running errands stopped at the office to check out campaign memorabilia and apparently dropped the card when taking money out of his pocket to buy a bumper sticker.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Emily DeRose said a volunteer found the card under the front reception desk.

DeRose said there's no sign of forced entry or any immediate indication that anything is missing.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/20/20081020credit-card1020-ON.html

[ccharles000]

16. Why was a Repub buying a bumper sticker from a Democratic Party office?

:wtf:

[DesertRat]

17. I know, it makes no sense at all.

And unfortunately Shadegg is my Representative. :puke:

[crispini]

18. Yes, because volunteers always get access to credit cards...

riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Senior operative hand out their credit cards all the time to volunteers

They say "Put it in your wallet! You go ahead and hold on to it for awhile. Pick us up some burgers at Ruby Tuesday's while you're at it!"

Yeah, it's an everyday occurrence.

:sarcasm: :wow:

The explanation is as incriminating as the credit card.

[barbtries]

39. my thought as well

no "volunteer" is going to be running around with the campaign credit card! this sure smells like watergate to me.

[City Lights]

22. I call moose shit on Shaggy.

Lamest explanation ever.

And for the record, where was G. Gordon Liddy when this was going down?

[Canuckistanian]

34. Wouldn't a credit card purchase from a GOP campaign raise a few red flags?

The Democratic Party office should go over all their credit card receipts to verify this story.

[glitch]

23. K & R for WTFH? nt

[VoodooGuru]

24. He was trying to secretly donate to Tinklenberg and failed?

I have no idea, but it's kinda funny to watch them squirm. :silly:

[TexasObserver]

25. they'd better sweep the office for bugs

The card's presence implies that the guy was there surreptiously, was either on the floor or under a desk, and while there, lost the card accidently.

There's a bug in the office, in all likelihood.

[norepubsin08]

26. how's that race going?

what are the polls saying?

[DesertRat]

27. I liked the reader comments after the story.

:kick:

[ccharles000]

28. ....

Research 2000 for Daily Kos (10/6-8, likely voters):


Bob Lord (D): 39
John Shadegg (R-inc): 48
(MoE: ±5%)
The last poll we saw of this race, from Anzalone Liszt showed a dead heat. R2K didn't include the Libertarian candidate in its polling (an oversight), which Markos believes would have shaved off a point or two from Shadegg. In any case, Shadegg is under 50 and is currently weathering a series of big hits from both Lord and the DCCC (who have spent nearly $700K on this race so far). A recent Roll Call article takes note of some displeasure with Shadegg's campaign by DC GOP insiders, so you have to wonder what their own internal polling is telling them.

But this is even more remarkable -- check out the Presidential numbers in this district. McCain is only beating Obama by 50-39 here. Put that in perspective: This is an R+6.5 district that Bush carried by 58-41 in 2004. Despite having a homestate advantage, and Obama largely not contesting the state (at least, in terms of serious media buys), McCain is only hitting 50%. That's pretty stunning, and possibly an ominous sign for Republicans like Tim Bee and Dave Schweikert, who were counting on some McNap coattails to carry them over the line in the 8th and 5th Districts.

[ThoughtCriminal]

29. Close

http://dccc.org/blog/archives/az_03_lord_leading_shadegg_in_new_az_03_poll/

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today released a new Anzalone Liszt Research poll conducted October 6-8 that shows Bob Lord leading Congressman John Shadegg in the race for Arizona's 3rd congressional district. The initial head to head between Democrat Bob Lord and Republican John Shadegg is 45 to 44, Libertarian Michael Shoen got 5. The poll surveyed 400 likely voters and has a 4.9% margin of error.

[BrightKnight]

33. 4) Is there a plumber on John Shadegg's staff? - n/t

[ccharles000]

37. lol

[LaurenG]

38. Well could the card belong to a "double agent"

Is there a republican from John Shadegg's campaign working there pretending they're a democrat, perhaps registering voters or just trying to get the scoop on the democrats?