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Stark purchases satirical ad to jab at GOP congressman
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/21/5 | Edward Epstein

Posted on 06/21/2005 7:44:10 AM PDT by SmithL

Washington -- Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, pounced Monday on the ethical troubles of a fellow House member, Republican Randy "Duke'' Cunningham of San Diego County, who is under investigation for an alleged sweetheart real estate deal with a defense industry lobbyist.

"Attention Powerful Lobbyists,'' read the headline in a satirical advertisement Stark bought Monday in the online editions of CongressDaily and the Hotline, a political roundup. "House for sale by influential member of Congress."

A San Diego federal grand jury and the FBI are investigating Cunningham, who sits on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, for his sale of a home in Del Mar for $1.7 million to Mitchell Wade, president of the defense contractor MZM Inc., in 2003. The buyer resold the home in 2004 for a $700,000 loss.

Cunningham used proceeds from the sale to buy a $2.5 million home in Rancho Santa Fe.

In Washington, Cunningham lives on a yacht owned by Wade.

While Cunningham has denied doing anything wrong, Stark's ad left no doubt where he stands on the eight-term member's troubles.

Stark paid $500 for the ads aimed at Cunningham.

"From recent practices by defense contractor lobbyists, it appears that you may be able to slip a cool million to a member of Congress with little fear of ethics violations! This could be your firm's crowning achievement: a chance to line the pockets of a Democrat with $1 million,'' the ad continued.

Stark said his ad was intended as "a bit of ridicule'' to get the House Ethics Committee to investigate Cunningham.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: 109th; ads; dukecunningham; mitchellwade; mzm; petestark; starkravingmad

1 posted on 06/21/2005 7:44:11 AM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Their party practically owns Hollywood, yet this is the best Stark could do??? If you can't make it believable, at least make it funny. This accomplished neither.


2 posted on 06/21/2005 7:52:39 AM PDT by Niteranger68 ("Spare the rod, spoil the liberal.")
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