Posted on 09/07/2009 9:40:22 PM PDT by Chet 99
(CNN) — Former Rep. James Traficant had a triumphant homecoming Sunday night, his first public appearance since being released from federal prison, a local paper reports.
The Youngstown Vindicator said Monday a supporter-organized welcome home dinner for the former Democratic congressman, which drew the capacity crowd of roughly 1,200 Sunday, included performances by an Elvis impersonator and a polka band, as well as a speech from Traficant himself.
The newspaper reported that Traficant was defiant, telling listeners that he'd "been hounded by some government people for a long time" and that the government "had to cheat to convict me."
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
No suprise - Youngstown is the mob headquarters in Ohio.
i like this guy. Heis a breath of fresh air. I hope he runs again for congress.
He was entertaining, though. Ohmygosh, remember the ferrets-in-his-hair picture they used to post to threads about him.
"I would support (Traficant) tomorrow if he ran for Congress," Johnson told the paper.
He must know where the money is....
Unless this is a file photo, he still needs a decent hair cut.
From New Castle, Pennsylvania to Youngstown,OH in all over the Mahoning Valley is is still pretty popular.
Breath of fresh air, huh? He's a weasel, just like every Dem....
Maybe he could head the new National Conservative Party for Senate. Its a sure bet the Democrats and the GOP will have nothing to do with him. His time in jail may have transformed him into a true Conservative.
I think he is beloved by Republicans more than Democrats? Go figure? Sort of like Sen Lieberman?
Yeah he was until the corruption charges came to light....
If he was allowed to run, I think that he would win again.
Actually Traficant was very much of a fiscal conservative...libertarians loved him.
I’d have to study his case before I’d believe that he really did do the things he was convicted of. Call me suspicious, but I don’t trust our court system in the same way I don’t trust politicians...
Some sort of irony here....
Supposedly he stood up to Clinton and got smacked down. Clintons always keep this stuff in their back pocket.
I would take him for President over Obama, Biden or Hillary in a heartbeat.
I would take him for President over Obama, Biden or Hillary in a heartbeat.
__________________________-
Hell yes!
I would take him for President over Obama, Biden or Hillary in a heartbeat.
__________________________-
Hell yes!
Rep. James Traficant’s One-Minute Speeches, 1997
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/724026/posts
The word “hypocrite” jumps to mind....
Great! Now there's a nice warm cell for Rangel.
Yes, yes! I’ve missed Trafficant (as my husband says from across the room “Who’s the guy with the badger on his head”).
LOL! He is a funny nutty guy. He loves Elvis.
In a heart beat!
I always liked him too. I don’t know if he was guilty or not. I’m inclined to think he was railroaded because he was incredibly outspoken, even against his own party. I don’t know if he can run for Congress again.
I would definitely vote for him.
Trafficant is a bum and a hypocrite. After cheerleading for Clinton’s impeachment, he went on to vote against all 4 counts. I have no respect for the bum.
This guy should be in *PRISON*!
Yes, a person convicted of a felony can run for Congress. There are obstacles. Getting one’s name on the ballot depends on state laws; in some states it is more difficult than others.There is at least one case of a former convict being elected to Congress: F.H. Shoemaker, of Minnesota, was elected for one term in 1932, despite having served time in Leavenworth for mail fraud.
Amazing how many people on FR would vote for this fraud....
ditto
compared to the rest of congress, he was a saint with a sense of humor...
FRom Wikipedia
“The House Ethics Committee recommended that Traficant be expelled from Congress. On July 24 the House voted 420-1 to expel him. Gary Condit was the lone “no” vote, and nine members voted “present.” Traficant was the first representative to be expelled since Michael Myers’s expulsion in 1980 as a result of the Abscam scandal.
After his expulsion, Traficant ran as an independent candidate for another term in the House while incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute, Allenwood. He received 15 percent of the vote (27,487 votes) and became one of only a handful of individuals in the history of the United States to run for a federal office from prison. The election was won by one of his former aides, Tim Ryan.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Traficant
The man voted with the Republicans on many important pieces of legislation in the 1980s and 1990s
Planned Parenthood use RICO to take pro lifer to court...and corruption is anything the democrats don’t like...
Again he is still very popular in that part of the country .
I have always believed he was railroaded because he went after the IRS. Going after the collection agency of the Fereral Reserve makes enemys who are powerful.
I agree
Beam Me Up
We were sitting around last night, listening/watching utube of Traficant before the corrupt government sent him to the joint.
We all agreed, we'd vote for him too.
LOL
I bet we can find a fiscally conservative pedophile to run for office. Let's elect him, too....
I always liked him too. I don’t know if he was guilty or not. I’m inclined to think he was railroaded because he was incredibly outspoken, even against his own party.
The same thing happened to Tom DeLay but on much more vague and obscure charges. He was charged with violating a campaign law that did not even exist at the time.
He was railroaded by a long time Democrat District Attorney who shopped for the proper Grand Jury to whom to present the false evidence.
Traficant was always there for the House Republicans when they needed a vote. He was always bashing members of his own party.
I heared he will be On the Record with Greta tonight.
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