Eric Massa's Not So Quiet Exit. UPDATE: or not?

by Charles Lemos, Mon Mar 08, 2010 at 11:10:08 AM EST

Freshman Democratic Representative Eric Massa whose resignation from Congress takes effect at the close of business today isn't going quietly out the door. Over the weekend on his weekly radio show on New York station WKPQ Power 105 FM, he accused the Democratic leadership of orchestrating a campaign against him for voting against the healthcare reform legislation last August. He had some particular harsh words for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel offering up a vignette of a naked confrontation in the showers of the Congressional gym.

"Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil's spawn," Massa said. "He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive."

Roll Call has the details surrounding the ethics complaint as recounted by the Congressman on his radio show.

Rep. Massa represents the NY-29 in upstate New York.

[UPDATE] Jerome Armstrong:

This is drama. Massa said this over the weekend:

“I’m not going to be a Congressman as of 5 o’clock [Monday] afternoon. The only way to stop that is for me to rescind my resignation. That’s the only way to stop it. And the only way that’s going to happen is if this becomes a national story.”

I think it has become a national story. I don't see why he should resign, sounds like its just beginning to get interesting for him. We'll know by 5.

Tags: Rep. Eric Massa, NY-29 (all tags)

  • 10 Comments
  • 0 recs
  • Share
  • Permalink

Comments

10 Comments

Shadow_head_small
This guy is sounding like a real nut to me...

...or just your run-of-the-mill Republican.

He's been in Congress for a year, there's an 8 month history of allegations, there's a paranoid delusion about being the deciding vote (what about the other ~30 no votes?), there's supposed recurrence of cancer, so he resigns, then he rescinds his resignation, there's a history of sexual misconduct from his 24 year career in the Navy, he's married with children.

The only non-Republican thing he did was resign, which to me, is indicative of getting caught red handed.

This guy is innocent until proven guilty, but his behavior (resignation then constructing a paranoid conspiracy that everybody is out to get him) is highly suspicious.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-08 01:10PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: This guy is sounding like a real nut to me...

He's completely cracked:


"Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) says the House ethics committee is investigating him for inappropriate comments he made to a male staffer on New Year's Eve — and that he's the victim of a power play by Democratic leaders who want him out of Congress because he's a "no" vote on health care reform.

Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill," Massa, who on Friday announced his intention to resign, said during a long monologue on radio station WKPQ. "And this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill. And now they've gotten rid of me, and it will pass. You connect the dots."

 

I'm not sure what health problems he has but clearly they are no longer just physical.

by vecky 2010-03-08 01:33PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
How did he get to be the deciding vote?

Of the 30 or so original no votes, what ego led this guy to believe he was the deciding one? Who does he think he is? Joe Lieberman?

This would be hysterical if he was a Republican. Even as a Democrat gone Bunning, it's still amusing. It just needs to go away soon.

So he lashes out at Steny Hoyer and Rahm Emanuel. Talk about getting caught red handed.

[Emanuel] is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive

When I read that, I thouhgt: So? I guess Rahm Emanuel is the right man for the job after all.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-08 01:57PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: How did he get to be the deciding vote?

Leaving Massa aside, the vote counts are always interesting. By my estimation where we currently stand is:

220 Original votes. Minus (-) 3 deaths/resignations - the Stupak Dozen - Cao = 204 votes.

About 10 of the Blue-Dogs who votes against the first bill might be persuadable = 214.

Then there is Kucinich - who if he is the deciding vote I hope will vote yes. That's = 215.

217 required for passage, with Massa resigned it's 216. So Pelsoi-Hoyer still need 1-2 votes, either from the remaining "blue dogs" or peeling away someone from the Stupak group. Tense...

It will be extremely sad if it fails because Wexler and Abercrombie quit.

by vecky 2010-03-08 06:27PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: How did he get to be the deciding vote?

I think it might be more fruitful to look at the 30 democratic no votes and go from there to see who can be persuaded.

Pelosi wouldn't have set the wheels in motion for a pre-break vote if the votes weren't there.

Yes, this is live or die for us, but there's no need to blanche now. Trust Pelosi.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-08 09:39PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: How did he get to be the deciding vote?

P.S.: Stpuak blinks first.

I am impressed in the leadership change in the White House these past few months on health care. Over the summer and into the fall, I fretted with what I perceived to be a leadership brownout. Obama kept his hands out of HCR and simply brokered the deals to allow safe passage. It was to avoid the mistakes of Clinton who was overly hands on. But what it allowed the democratic party to do was stray, and individual politicians to try and sever themselves from the risky effort. No more. Obama has made it abundantly clear that if HCR goes down, we all go down with it. So now Stupak wants to compromise, huh?

If this passes the House, it will be an amazing leadership feat.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-08 09:52PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: How did he get to be the deciding vote?

You're a lot more Optimistic than I am. I guess it's good that Stupak now acknowledges not wanting to "restrict abortion" any further than existing law, but I can't believe him. He didn't take the Ellsworth compromise in Oct afterall.

by vecky 2010-03-09 12:03AM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
The transition from real to Kabuki

I think when Obama gave the day long conference, the earth shifted, and democrats realized that Obama wouldn't let them escape the fate of HCR. He said it previosuly, but the fate of this bill and the fate of democrats are irrevocably intertwined.

At this time, I think it is just jockying for small concessions to save face and allowing the most vulnerable democrats in red districts to vote against it while still letting it pass, even though there is little political benfit to voting against it as a democrat in a red district.

I'm not even sure Kucinich will vote against it, even though he swore upside and down on Countdown tonight that he would.

If Pelosi is publically confident about having the votes, and scheduling a vote so soon, then chances are she really has the votes. We'll know in 19 days, that's for sure.

I think Nancy Pelosi and the House Leadership are the great hero of this. I also laud President Obama for not walking away from this and not backing down. Rahm begged him to scale back his plans and try to pass small increments.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-09 01:50AM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
Update: He's taking his story to Glenn Beck

That just shows you where this guy is coming from.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-03-08 04:21PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
RE: Update: He's taking his story to Glenn Beck

Well Glenn Beck got totally 0WN3D.

by vecky 2010-03-10 02:22AM | 0 recs

Diaries

Advertise Blogads


----------- myDD - skin -----------