Free Republic

Put simply, “your words were akin to yelling ‘Fire’ in a crowded theatre.” That’s how Snohomish County Prosecutor Adam Cornell closed out a letter to Sheriff Adam Fortney, refusing to defend him against a recall effort over his public criticism and refusal to enforce the Gov. Inslee’s stay-at-home order. Fortney made the comments in an April 21 Facebook post following a statewide address from Inslee outlining a path forward to reopening the economy, that critics complained lacked specific details on benchmarks. Among other things, Fortney repeatedly questioned the constitutionality of the governor’s order, and reiterated his position that he would...

Supporters of Eric Swalwell, the Democratic insurgent who’s challenging Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, are up in arms about a recent Stark mailer which depicts Swalwell in a cup of tea – a la the Tea Party. Here are some excerpts: “Who is really behind Eric Swalwell? On the doorstep, at meetings, driving this rookie city councilman’s campaign? Tea Party supporters. They’ve given money, given energy and given life to the Swalwell campaign – and they’ll succeed unless we stop them.” “Campaign finance reports show that over $86,000 of Eric Swalwell’s contributions come from Republicans. Swalwell claims he’s no conservative, but...

Even as he faces his most competitive Congressional challenge in decades, 19-term East Bay Democratic Rep. Pete Stark, 80, has cut back on local campaign appearances –and turned down two upcoming debates sponsored by five area Chambers of Commerce and an Asian Pacific Islander group in his district. Stark’s retreat from public and campaign appearances in the East Bay in the midst of a heated campaign has been noticeable since he made headlines recently with some eyebrow-raising campaign gaffes at a Chronicle editorial board and at a public debate in Hayward. The California Congressional delegation’s longest serving member, who has...

It was a revealing moment for California Rep. Pete Stark, the irascible East Bay liberal who has forged a reputation as a firebrand during four decades in Congress. The 80-year-old Democrat, in a meeting with Chronicle editors and reporters this week, appeared to be confused about Solyndra, the Fremont solar power company whose collapse has fueled Republican criticism of the Obama administration's energy policies this election year. "I wish I had enough expense allowance to get one of those new S's that Solyndra's going to make down there - the electric car," Stark said, after being asked about the company....

By many accounts, Rep. Pete Stark's re-election campaign should've been a cakewalk. But with less than five weeks to go before the primary election, his recent gaffes have left some wondering whether he's got a real race on his hands. The 80-year-old Stark, D-Fremont, has a long-standing reputation for (ahem) direct language. In 2003, he called a GOP congressman "a fruitcake." Three years ago, when a constituent asked him not to "pee on my leg and tell me it's raining," Stark replied that he wouldn't waste the urine. But those and other incidents tended either to be rhetorical ripostes or...

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, should have retired by now. His performance in this campaign has produced cringe-worthy moments that show a mean-spiritedness and recklessness with the facts - and a detachment from one of the region's critical issues - that suggest it is time for change. The Democratic establishment would prefer to let the 80-year-old Stark leave on his own schedule. That is the way things work in Washington - and helps explain why Washington is not working for us. Members of Congress with records as dismal as Stark's are protected by a system of money and party discipline that...

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, has made some nasty charges during his 19 terms in Congress. Stark has called a female colleague a "whore," a male colleague a "little fruitcake," and a black Cabinet member "a disgrace to his race." At a political debate last month, Stark accused Democratic challenger Eric Swalwell, a Dublin city councilman, of accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes" - without presenting any proof. Later, Stark issued a lukewarm apology. At a Chronicle editorial board meeting Tuesday, Stark completed the crazy circle when he accused someone in the room of giving money to Swalwell's campaign...

California Rep. Pete Stark, the 20-term South Bay Democratic Congressman, raised eyebrows in a public debate last month by accusing his primary challenger of misconduct — taking “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes — without any evidence. On Tuesday, he was at it again — but this time his target was columnist Debra J. Saunders, whom he wrongly accused during a Chronicle editorial board meeting of contributing to Democratic opponent Eric Swalwell’s campaign.Stark was forced to publicly apologize to Swalwell last month after his unsubstantiated charges. On Tuesday, he had to apologize again, after he said he had documentation proving Saunders – who writes the Chronicle’s “Token Conservative” blog”...

Pete Stark’s political consultant Alex Tourk sent out this email today to apologize to Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Eric Swalwell. Stark’s bad, as The Chronicle’s Carla Marinucci reported: He accused Swalwell, who serves on the Dublin city council, of accepting “hundreds of thousands” in bribes — even though Stark could not substantiate the charge. Here’s the statement:“I misspoke the other evening when I made allegations against my opponent for taking bribes and for that I apologize.   Yet I do have concerns about my opponent’s behavior. . . . “Stark gives bumbling, dyspeptic old fools who say stupid things a bad name.”

An East Bay congressional candidate is on the warpath after the longtime incumbent he's challenging him publicly accused him of accepting bribes, yet hasn't produced evidence. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, leveled the accusation against fellow Democrat, Dublin councilman and Alameda County prosecutor Eric Swalwell during a candidates' forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Eden Area on Tuesday night at Hayward City Hall. Stark, 80, said Swalwell, who was elected to the Dublin council in 2010, has taken "hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes" from the Lin family -- among the city's most prominent real estate...

A national, nonpartisan “super PAC” targeting incumbents on both sides of the aisle reportedly is taking a hard look at two Bay Area House members.The Hill reported yesterday that the Campaign for Primary Accountability – which has already begun spending against Republicans and Democrats in other states, two of whom subsequently lost their primaries – is watching California representatives including Pete Stark, D-Fremont, and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto.The campaign is targeting safe districts in which entrenched incumbents have what it deems to be credible challengers, taking a “throw the bums out” mentality to ousting lawmakers it believes have been on...

Republicans danced on tabletops last week after Bloomberg News reported that longtime Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, claims a Maryland home as his "principal residence," thereby snaring a tax break. "My message to Pete Stark," said Ron Nehring, chairman of the California Republican Party, "is that California is a wonderful place to visit — and it's an even better place to live. He should try doing that. "It's an outrage," Nehring added, "for someone to purport to represent California but take a tax deduction claiming that they don't live in California." A senior member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee,...

Why would folks in Alameda County, California want a Maryland resident representing them in Congress? Yes, it's legal -- but only because the CA office of elections covers their ears and eyes and pretends not to know the 77-year-old Stark doesn't really live with his in-laws. Posted by Jeff Emanuel March 19th Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark (Democrat-Californyland) has represented California’s 13th Congressional District since January 1973. In 2007 and 2008, though, he claimed Anne Arundel County, Maryland, as his home, filing for tax exemptions on a waterfront house he claims is his only residence. A fact sheet provided by the...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- An anti-war Democratic congressman is demanding to know why there were uniformed Defense Department personnel watching House proceedings from a public gallery Thursday, who they were and what they were doing. "If they were here on official duty, this was an abhorrent misallocation of our military resources at a time of war," Northern California Rep. Pete Stark asserted Friday in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Stark, an 18-term incumbent known for his liberal positions and outbursts of temper, said he observed the contingent of 20 or so officers, apparently Army generals, in the gallery for...

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, has become the Democrats' Ann Coulter - he keeps saying things that aggrandize him while discrediting his political persuasion. Last week, after President Bush vetoed a bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover not only poor but also middle-class children, Stark accused Republicans of wanting "to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send them to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Speaker Nancy Pelosi rebuked Stark for his "inappropriate" comments. Stark then issued a new statement:...

NEWARK -- Atheism might be the last political taboo, but it doesn't seem to have hurt Rep. Pete Stark in his East Bay district. In town hall meetings in Newark and San Leandro today, the 35-year congressional veteran received only cheers and applause when a speaker brought up a survey this week that named Stark as the highest-ranking politician in America who was willing to admit he doesn't believe in God. Stark waved away any suggestion that he was being courageous when he described himself to the Secular Coalition for America, an association of atheist and humanist groups, as "a...

ANY POLITICAL consultant will tell you there is little reason for an incumbent to debate a challenger. In a live forum, there is the remote chance an incumbent will say something that backfires, which is why some politicians won't debate unless they are in a competitive race and fear losing office. In 2004, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, beat GOP challenger George Bruno with 72 percent of the vote to Bruno's 24 percent -- so you have to credit Stark for appearing at a League of Women Voters debate at Fremont's Comcast studios Thursday. I showed up to see if Stark's...

FREMONT -- In his first town meeting since being re-elected in November, Democratic Rep. Pete Stark wasted no time in decrying the partisan enviroment that prevails over Congress. Stark said that House Speaker Dennis Hastert has made it clear that Democrats would not be invited to help craft legislation. "It makes our job one of a constant critic," he said. About 50 people came to Saturday morning's meeting at the Senior Center, to hear what the Fremont Democrat had to say about the upcoming congressional session. It will be Stark's 17th term in the House, since first being elected in...

<p>THERE WAS a time when Democrats were in control of the House and Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, was well regarded for his command of health and tax issues.</p> <p>Today, the Republicans rule the House and Stark is mostly known as a back bencher who can't control his tongue.</p>