Former IPR editor Austin Cassidy at Uncovered Politics:
[Traficant] served as Sheriff of Mahoning County from 1981 to 1985 and in 1983, was charged with racketeering for accepting bribes. Traficant, who represented himself in the criminal trial, argued that he accepted the bribes only as part of an “undercover investigation” into corruption. Amazingly, he was acquitted of the charges, becoming the only person ever to win a RICO case while representing himself.
The publicity from the RICO case helped propel him into a successful run for Congress in 1984, where he represented Ohio’s 17th District for nearly two decades.
The article goes on to say,
During his subsequent years in prison, Traficant would spend an extended period locked in solitary confinement for causing a disturbance. He even received support from (of all people) David Duke. It seems that Duke urged some of his followers to donate funds into Traficant’s canteen fund.
Traficant publicly claimed to know facts about Waco, Ruby Ridge, Pan Am Flight 103, Jimmy Hoffa and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and that he would release them at some point.
In recent years he’s spoken out against Jewish control of the media and Israel’s influence on American foreign policy. Saying in an interview with CNN: “They control much of the media, they control much of the commerce of the country, and they control powerfully both bodies of the Congress. They own the Congress.”
Once again off and running as an independent, Traficant filed petitions earlier this month to secure his spot on the November ballot. In trying to reclaim his old seat, Traficant will face incumbent Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican nominee Jim Graham in the heavily Democratic district.
Read the whole thing at Uncovered Politics.
I am a political fundamentalist. Why I posted is that few understand the true math variables over time. It’s quantitative.
I can go to Vegas and count cards on Black Jack. Real easy shit for me when I failed math.
History is just that and who controls history?
The Point is few can’t
Destination of ourselves won’t be a MIT Study group.
Thanks for the correction – Perfection
In an age of political criminality, there is a severe price for doing and saying the righteous thing(s) in national politics. Jim Traficant paid that price.
I would not,
Ron Paul, is one of the nine reps who refused to vote YES on expelling him from the House.
This person who has the information needs to contact me to get Traficanct back in office.
I can only do so much but the people we have elected have done Zero. Hey, hows the war going? Who cares and Why? Oh, it’s just a war and why didn’t you invest in Body bags?
James was set up!
The green party is another Problem.
Let’s call it the purple party
Make my lips purple after they dunk my head in the water and when I come up for air over politics my lips won’t be green.
Er… “not” = “note”. Damned Spill chequer.
Jim Traficant is a hero. The criminal case against him was a sham and most (all?) of the witnesses against him have recanted and said they were coerced by the FBI. This is his self-defense in the House expulsion proceedings in 2002:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kNpHapPY68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3AMbEpBBfY&NR=1
In an age of political criminality, there is a severe price for doing and saying the righteous thing(s) in national politics. Jim Traficant paid that price.
I would not that Ron Paul is one of the nine reps who refused to vote YES on expelling him from the House.
Red, sounds like you agree with Catholic Trotskyist’s position on the Democrat, for the most part.
but Green party Conservative, I agree with you also; but Traficant should not accept the green nomination. All political parties are evil. Yes Austin, that’s my position; any independent is better than any major party or third party candidate.
Meaning the T-man would be an excellent media draw as Green Party candidate.
Interesting fellow. Sure knows how to raise a fuss.
Brave to give pollytics another try…
The Green Party should invite that dude…;-)
That would cause some fireworks, and break through the media blackout…
Fair enough, my friend, glad to hear it.
I have a nuanced position on trade, but am much more free trade than most paleos. I was focused more on the rhetorical stance and what is perceived to be in the best interests of the working class.
Red,
I think most of what you think is good about Traficant is based on economics–an issue on which we differ considerably. I think Traficant’s positions on economics would do more to hurt the American working man than anything he could do to help by calling for a more restrained foreign policy.
Jim Traficant has my vote!
Traficant intrigues me because he (minus the corruption) is what the Democrat Party should be if it were really the party of the working man. Pro-union, anti-free trade, economically populist, but moderate to conservative on social issues. Instead the Dems are the party of pervs, abortionists, minority grievance hustlers, and urban elitist fat cats. The GOP pretends to be the party of the little man in flyover country but supports economic policies that (arguably) hurt them in the cause of shilling for a different set of elitist fat cats.
Traficant is also not afraid to call out the Israel Lobby, although he may now go too far since he has less to lose.
I think Traficant was probably guilty of much of what was alleged, but I think he was clearly singled out to be targeted.
I dont think he cares to start off on an unbiased foot, Red.
I’ve never been a fan of Traficant–though he certainly intrigues me. Dornan is interesting to me because in ’05 he wanted to run as an AIPer in the race that Jim Gilchrist wound up running in. I wonder if Dornan isn’t still interested in doing that.
Austin, calling him a whack job in the headline isn’t exactly starting off on an unbiased foot.
Trent, I long for the good ol’ days of C-SPAN when we still had Traficant and Dornan. C-SPAN just hasn’t been the same without them.
James is a true patriot, he was clearly set up. He is for the American people, Just like the Paul Family. Go get em James!
Doesn’t mean it makes any sense, though. 🙂
Welcome to third party politics–Austin, haven’t you been around?
=)
So even a guy who has gone to Federal prison for selling his influence — basically being totally corrupt — is still better than a major party candidate?
Isn’t that sort of an crazy position to take?
What if Traficant endorses PLAS, Robert?
Zero Party Revolution would like to endorse James Traficant for his campaign for Congress, along with all the other independents running on all political perspectives and all offices around the country, slowly but surely destroying the system of political parties.
Traficant has always been fascinating to me.
Awaiting moderation at the original article:
It’s not amazing when someone gets acquitted of something Austin, we’re innocent until proven guilty in this country. The man beat a charge on one of the vaguest laws on the books, while at the natural disadvantage of representing himself, and then immediately got elected to still higher office on the strength of the triumph. ….Okay, maybe that is amazing, but I don’t think that’s the way you were implying it.
I forget how many all these years later, although I remember at the time several of the jurors in the 02 trial said they would have voted to acquit had they heard information they learned about after the trial. Something to do with witnesses the judge refused to allow IIRC.
Source me the CNN interview sometime, Traficant’s views on Israel and its Congressional lobby are well known, but I don’t recall ever hearing or reading him mention “Jewish control of the media”.