HMMMMM. B-O-H-I-C-A time.
keithtoo: Yup, I can see the Lib Press spin it now: "James Trafficant, Rep., Ohio, who usually can be counted on to vote with the conservative wing of the GOP, was dismissed from the US House today. A fate that almost befell, Gary Condit, Rep., CA, who also is considered a conservative by most Washington insdier"Well, unfortunately, your imagined story would also be the truth. If you recall, Hastert pushed many projects Condit's way as a reward for voting the Republican way and Karl Rove put him on the list of Bush's suggested nominees for Agriculture Secretary. And consider this information about wooing Trafficant to switch parties to Republican that was on the Republican National Committee website in 2000:
RNC website July 26, 2000 Rebel Democratic Rep. James A. Traficant, Jr., of Ohio is considering accepting an invitation to attend, and possibly address, the Republican National Convention next week in Philadelphia, CNN has learned.--Raoul
"There's a slight chance he'll be going," Traficant's press secretary, Paul Marcone, said. "He hasn't made up his mind yet. Traficant, who has said he will support the re-election of Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, as speaker of the House next session, received the invitation from "a leading Republican," Marcone said. "He might go out of courtesy or respect for Hastert and the other GOP leaders," Marcone said.
House Republicans, who have been openly courting the recalcitrant Democrat, recently passed a bill that included $25 million for a community center in Traficant's hometown of Youngstown.