GOP Rep Steven Latourette is out porking Dem challenger Capri Cafaro

Latourette's opponent, Capri Cafaro, has a huge $3,000,000 budget and is giving Leavin' Steven a hell of a run for his money. Bush and the GOP congress have responded by pouring pork barrel project money into the 14th congressional district to create lots of publicity for the fifth-term pro-life congressman who left his wife of twenty years last year for a lobbyist he met in Washington. (I guess he did not know that those were the sort of women that you didn't have to marry after you had sex with them.)

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Normally ignored Ohio lawmakers get special attention from president
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Sabrina Eaton
Plain Dealer Bureau

Washington - For 10 years, Rep. Steve LaTourette has hosted Northeast Ohio elected officials at a conference about their needs for federal money - drawing nary a glimpse of a president. This year, they got more than a glimpse.

President Bush and first lady Laura Bush warmed the crowd with 10 minutes of handshaking, banter and picture-taking in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room (that's where FDR hosted his fireside chats).

LaTourette, Republican of Concord Township, attributed the special attention to Ohio's prominence in this year's presidential election. "The president went on a bus tour of western Ohio last week, and by meeting with these 49 officials from eastern Ohio, he's done the whole state," said LaTourette.

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"Let's face it: Ohio is a key state in this election," said DeGross, a Democrat who came to Washington seeking money to halt mudslides in Moreland Hills. "If we were from Montana, it wouldn't have happened."

Plain Dealer

O8)

You innocent little angel!;-)

She has only managed to raise about $22,000 and has loaned her campaign about $212,000.

http://www.fecinfo.com/cgi-win/x_candpg.exe?DoFn=H4OH14094*2004

Considering the Republican nature of the district, and the fact that LaTourette currently has almost $700,000 in the bank, this race is far from competative.

Or--more accurately--her billionaire father JJ Cafaro's money. She spent $250,000 to win the primary in a surprise upset.

Capri has been all over the district campaigning, too.

Note: remove the space in your url link

$3 million is a lot for a house campaign.

She had better be careful about who's money she is spending on the campaign. If it can be shown that her father is giving her money for the campaign, she could get into legal trouble. A few years back in PA a Republican who was running for Congress put a lot of 'his own' money into his campaign. But a review of his financial disclosures showed that there was no way in hell that he had that kind of money. It turns out that his mother had given him a series of 'gifts' over the past year. The FEC ruled that this was illegal becasue the gifts were not part of a pattern that existed before long before he became a candidate. But I am sure that JJ Cafaro would never do anything illegal. ;)

The best he could do was to "mortgage" a piece of property to finance the campaign during the Iowa caucus. Theresa has about $600 million, which is enough to finance two campaigns, but was not allowed to give it directly to John's campaign.

As for Capri's $3 million, that is the talk around the district. It may have been in the paper. The Dems are happy, because the contest makes the local republican donors have to shift resources to Latourette. The Dems have a more level playing field on the other races in the county. All of the 3 seats in the statehouse and one county commissioner race are open seats. The Dems may prevail.

As for JJ doing something illegal, Google "JJ Cafaro" and his recent plea bargain and you will see Capri's biggest liability in this campaign.

Interesting conflict there. I think LaTourette, despite his cheating ways, will get the nod from voters. He's too well-entrenched in a very wealthy, Republican district. Cafaro is young (26?) and an outsider. Her "Youngstown Mafia" roots aren't exactly the best thing she's got going for her, either.