GotZoom
Senior Member
No, not that Mike Rogers
By ANDREW ENGEL
A protest organized June 1 by MoveOn, a liberal political action committee, drew about 20 people to the Michigan Avenue office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton. Demonstrators protested Rogers ties to embattled House Majority Leader Tom Delay.
There was only one problem: They had the wrong Mike Rogers.
Whoops.
The group came armed with financial records from a Web site that detailed various financial contributions between the two Republicans, including a $20,000 campaign contribution from DeLay to Rogers as well as a $5,000 contribution by Rogers to DeLays legal defense fund.
However, the Mike Rogers involved was not the Michigan congressman, but rather Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.
Federal Election Commission filings show that Michigans Rogers did receive $15,000 from DeLays PAC, but not the $20,000 that the other Mike Rogers received.
Michigans Rogers has not contributed to DeLays legal defense fund, according to Conor Kenny of Public Citizen, a non-profit watchdog group.
The Web site houseofscandal.org, where the information was gathered, apparently posted inaccurate information.
"Its unfortunate that they made an error," said Bill Rittenberg, a protest organizer.
Democrat Bob Alexander, who ran against Michigans Rogers in 2004, also participated in the event.
"Its unfortunate that we had this inaccuracy," Alexander said. "We didnt attempt to mislead anyone."
Sylvia Warner, press secretary for Michigans Rogers, said her boss and the Alabama congressman are frequently confused with each other.
"We get each others mail and each others calls from reporters," Warner said, adding people should be more careful not to confuse the two lawmakers.
The protesters delivered a petition signed by 1,166 voters in Rogers Michigan district asking him and other Republicans to disassociate themselves from DeLay.
DeLay, R-Tex, has been the center of several recent ethics scandals. The House Ethics Committee has admonished him three times, and questions concerning trips financed by special interest groups continue to hound him.
The discrepancy between the numbers has not affected Rittenberg and Alexanders opinion on the petition, however.
"Tom DeLay is the core of it," Rittenberg said. "I think its a sound petition."
Alexander, meanwhile, said the overall effect of "a few dollars here and a few dollars there" was not relevant to Rogers of Michigans ties to DeLay.
Warner would not comment on the actual protest.
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Classic...simply Classic. You can't make this stuff up.
By ANDREW ENGEL
A protest organized June 1 by MoveOn, a liberal political action committee, drew about 20 people to the Michigan Avenue office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton. Demonstrators protested Rogers ties to embattled House Majority Leader Tom Delay.
There was only one problem: They had the wrong Mike Rogers.
Whoops.
The group came armed with financial records from a Web site that detailed various financial contributions between the two Republicans, including a $20,000 campaign contribution from DeLay to Rogers as well as a $5,000 contribution by Rogers to DeLays legal defense fund.
However, the Mike Rogers involved was not the Michigan congressman, but rather Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.
Federal Election Commission filings show that Michigans Rogers did receive $15,000 from DeLays PAC, but not the $20,000 that the other Mike Rogers received.
Michigans Rogers has not contributed to DeLays legal defense fund, according to Conor Kenny of Public Citizen, a non-profit watchdog group.
The Web site houseofscandal.org, where the information was gathered, apparently posted inaccurate information.
"Its unfortunate that they made an error," said Bill Rittenberg, a protest organizer.
Democrat Bob Alexander, who ran against Michigans Rogers in 2004, also participated in the event.
"Its unfortunate that we had this inaccuracy," Alexander said. "We didnt attempt to mislead anyone."
Sylvia Warner, press secretary for Michigans Rogers, said her boss and the Alabama congressman are frequently confused with each other.
"We get each others mail and each others calls from reporters," Warner said, adding people should be more careful not to confuse the two lawmakers.
The protesters delivered a petition signed by 1,166 voters in Rogers Michigan district asking him and other Republicans to disassociate themselves from DeLay.
DeLay, R-Tex, has been the center of several recent ethics scandals. The House Ethics Committee has admonished him three times, and questions concerning trips financed by special interest groups continue to hound him.
The discrepancy between the numbers has not affected Rittenberg and Alexanders opinion on the petition, however.
"Tom DeLay is the core of it," Rittenberg said. "I think its a sound petition."
Alexander, meanwhile, said the overall effect of "a few dollars here and a few dollars there" was not relevant to Rogers of Michigans ties to DeLay.
Warner would not comment on the actual protest.
---
Classic...simply Classic. You can't make this stuff up.
