A Word on Levota and the FBI
It's odd to see two spheres of my world brush up against each other, as reports are circulating that Paul LeVota is being investigated by the FBI. I see Mr. LeVota at political events from time to time and I see the FBI spokesperson every week at my FBI Citizens Academy. Because of my highly informed perspective, I am uniquely qualified to offer some incredibly confidential and amazingly insightful analysis.
Here goes: The FBI investigates a lot of things, including a lot of things that amount to nothing. Until more information is available, it's premature to engage in speculation about whether there is a problem, and even more premature to speculate about what the problem is.
Labels: FBI, Paul LeVota
posted by Dan at 4/01/2009 06:51:00 AM
31 Comments:
My fear is that damage Levota has done and will do to our chances in 2010. To have a "leader" under the cloud of a federal investigation is a death sentence to anything/anyone he touches. As a show of loyalty to the party, he needs to step down until either he is indicted or exonerated.
ahahahahahahaha! Nice work, anonymous.
Politicians and important people frequently see anonymous (or pseudonymous) commenters on the internet as secret agenda pushers. I suspect that's because that's the only reason they would post anon/pseudo on the internet.
For instance, your post. Which, rather than acknowledging anything Dan said, uses this space as a platform to prematurely and absurdly suggest the Levota resign because of, what... a newspaper article suggesting questions were asked? Seems like a pretty dumb way to run a party.
I'm half laughing and half pissed off at your comment. You can't possibly be dumb enough to believe the things you're writing. And assuming you aren't, that means you think the people reading here are dumb enough to believe it.
Dear Insiders:
Better trash talk secret agenda pushing, please!
An AP article that is running state-wide in newspapers all over our state today is not "anonymous trash talk by bloggers," Phil. I get your desire to defend your brother, but at some point you guys are going to have recognize the damage this is going to do to yourselves and our party if you try to keep "soldiering on." As someone who hopes this all passes over (and as a supporter of your brother in the past), go back and learn from the mistakes of Sheilds (whose career was also ended by the feds) and her arrogance and what that got her.
Just when I thought the Democrats couldn't screw up their opportunity in 2010 any more, this little gem from them comes gift-wrapped. Thank you Paul and the Democrats for all of your hard work getting our Republicans elected in 2010! Let's all raise a toast to even BIGGER republican majorities in Missouri next year!
Sophia is right, anonymous.
Your blogging is very transparent. It reveals an agenda to defame an elected official to promote a bought a paid for puppet to fill the gap.
Sounds very just like what the FBI is investigating.
This is a homegrown issue and the informant to the FBI holds office in Jackson County. Engaging in Ad Hominem attacks while trying to save your own ***.
You are attempting to lead the Feds around on a witch hunt so they can redeem themselves from the screw up the Shields and JaCo Legislators fiasco tells me exactly who you are.
If those bozos ever stop relying on bloggers like you for their leads, they will figure out you are part of the problem.
Ok, because you guys won't pick handles, I'll assign them to you.
Anony 10:09 - you're Anonymoron
Anony 10:43 - you're Anonysock. Given that you restated Anonymoron's original point in more hysterical terms, I'm going to assume you're the same poster trying to sound like a different poster to bolster your point.
Anony 10:49 - you're Anonyphil.
Now, in order.
Anonymoron,
You are a moron. I know, it's redundant. But still. Do you never read the comments here? Do you really think that Phil LeVota is the only person on the internet (other than Dan in his original post) that thinks demanding resignations based on the AP report is premature and absurd? Yes, I Phil LeVota have been commenting here for over a year pretending to be a female nobody. See how perfect the trick is?!! I, Phil LeVota, am actually a man of some significance! But by dutiful attention to my alternate persona, I have been able to wait until the day where it is necessary to defend my brother and then do so with the appearance of objectivity. AND I WOULD'VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT!!! IF NOT FOR YOU!!!
Moron.
Anonysock,
Shut the fuck up. Hysteria doesn't win elections.
Anonyphil,
I don't know if you're really Phil. I just know that anytime someone posts something kind of insidery and pro-LeVota thing on BLogCCP, the other commenters call that person Phil. So even if you're not Phil, I'm supporting a local internet tradition.
I agree with Dan that we don't have enough information about the FBI investigation to get excited or dismissive. I'm not sympathetic to claims that it's all a political hit job. Probably because, as far as I can tell, way too many Jackson County Democrats are concerned with their own fiefdoms and politics is just a way to maneuver patronage, not actually a tool to enact better policies for their constituents.
It could be a hit job. It could be true at the same time. I'm more concerned with the facts in Jeff City than I am with the motivations of the informants. As of now, we have little to no facts.
Finally, the FBI doesn't rely on anonymous commenters (calling anonymoron a blogger is incorrect and made it sound like you were accusing Dan of a misdeed) to initiate corruption investigations.
xxx-ooo
Sophia
League of Extraordinary Nobodies
Wow, somebody is very angry today. That level of anger is usually reserved for something affecting you personally, and not just general poltical blather. Did your brother just become the target of a federal investigation? Go get some porzac Phil.
Those Jackson County legislative aides are sure working hard today.
You are leading them right to your desks, idiots.
The FBI will soon confiscate you computers. There may still be time to erase your hard drives.
No wonder Sanders tried to cut off your access. Dan, the FBI will want to subpoena your computer, too.
Wow. Could you Dems be any better at jacking up? Thank you Paul and other Dems for all of your great leadership. You guys are the tops!
Dan, some days your comments section is WAY more entertaining than the original post.
Wow, somebody is very angry today.
Mostly, I'm amused by this pathetic display. With a dash of disgust that the local democratic party so closely resembles a clown show. Fighting your little shadow battles on the internet! Tough guys! All of ya!
I do not think the AP would have run the story if this was simply a case of the FBI "doing a lot of things." If the story was from The Star or Channel 5 I might believe that, but the AP is very conservative when it comes to reporting on FBI activities.
For the AP to run the with the story of an FBI inquiry, their internal rules require verification either on or off the record from the government. This has kept many of these investigations out of the press unless or until the Feds have struck paydirt. For the FBI to neither "confirm or deny," as we in the media know, is just doublespeak for "yes."
LeVota gave some direct responses to questions asked by the reporter. Consider that the anonolegislators had already made their statements to a reporter, who told him she intended to publish the allegations with or without his reply, LeVota knew this was beyond his control.
The published story confirms the origin and color of his reply.
The spoken legacy of "lawmakers" who take the law into their own hands, for political gain, is immeasurable and uncompromising.
History has worn a long path through Independence and the phrase "Go West young man" was repeated often in these gently rolling hills.
The article run by the AP is just ridiculous. While David Lieb has always been a respected member of the press corp in the capitol, it is obvious that he felt stung by being scooped by part time political gossip columnist, Steve Kraske. Therefore, he seems to have dug in just deep enough to find a disaffected Jackson County Democrat who was more than willing to fabricate an FBI investigation against Paul LeVota.
Come on, everyone knows that the extent of the Minority Leader's power in the House is to assign Democratic members to committees where no Democrat has passed a bill in what feels like decades.
The biggest sticks he wields is to sentence freshmen members of his caucus to Sinthia Davis' insane "Children and Fetuses Committee" and having the bully pulpit to raise hell on the floor against the Republican agenda of hurting children, elderly and people with disabilities.
The despicable thing is that a member of the Democratic Caucus would be so short-sighted as to fabricate an investigation into the House Minority Leader to advance his own political career.
I doubt anyone at the AP knows who Kraske is. You got the "part-time" assessment right.
The only thing that is despicable is Levota lining his pockets with cash at the democratic party's expense. This guy is an embarassment to us all.
Deleted comment - the comment was kind of foolish, but the name of the commenter was completely unnecessary. Keep it classy, KC.
go back and learn from the mistakes of Sheilds (whose career was also ended by the feds) and her arrogance and what that got her.
Nice eight year nap you had there, Rip Van Anonymous. The R's perfected the dark art of the political prosecution while you were sleeping. Google the name "Don Siegelman" if you don't believe me.
Don't let the fact that nothing came of the Shields matter get in the way of a good talking point.
Seriously - if we learned anything from that fiasco, we learned that we need to wait and see and not be reactionary asses running around with our locks alight looking for Democratic bodies to toss under the bus.
The Shields matter only strengthened my natural streak of cynicism and made me question investigations into political figures more, not less.
Oh - and concern trolling for "our party" is a dead giveaway of a rethug shill.
demanding resignations based on the AP report is premature and absurd
No kidding. I recall a little missive from Ron Fournier (google that one, too) to Karl Rove telling him to keep up the good work.
The AP is pretty much just the print version of Faux Noise these days.
Oh - and concern trolling for "our party" is a dead giveaway of a rethug shill.
Blue Girl,
In most contexts, I'd agree with you. But when it comes to Jackson County Dems, concern trolling each other is pretty common. Paul LeVota isn't a threat to republicans, he's a threat to the power of fellow democrats.
Sadly, we don't get any real reporting about the assorted Jackson County Democrat feuds. Just the occasional fist fight at public meetings and details simmering up in comment sections. I honestly don't know what makes any of these guys democrats, other than they want power and that's what the majority of voters are.
So I guess it's not surprising that they sound like republicans, since quite a few of them could be fairly accused of not really caring about advancing democratic policies. Still, they are "our" problem. And it doesn't help to pretend otherwise.
Thanks Sophia - I am still learning the intricacies of how the county party *ahem* works. I have had a more national and international focus to my politics because I am
a) originally from out-state and
2) spent my life bouncing billet-to-billet until I brought the kids here to my husbands home town so they could all three finish high school in one place. We like it, so we stayed. A decade on I realize I am still as ignorant on the aggregate as I ever was, I just have a little bit of knowledge now, and I am learning that it really is just enough to make me dangerous. :)
You need to come up with a "better" argument for Apul then trying to spin an FBI investigation as some sort of "jackson county feud." Saddly, we know what the voters will think of that argument next time Paul runs for something and the Republicans pound him over the head with the corruption/bribes article. If Paul REALLY cares about the democratic party, then he needs to step aside. Otherwise, he will ruin us in 2010 and beyond. If Paul is only concerned about himself, then hopefully the house dems will vote him out so that we are not hamstrung by the corruption tagline next cycle.
Blue Girl,
If you figure out how the intricacies of how the county party works, please fill me in. So little information is public, it's slightly more discernible than the elephant was to the blind men.
Anony (moron again?),
Speaking of blind men with elephants, how about you take the blindfold off?
You need to come up with a "better" argument for Apul then trying to spin an FBI investigation as some sort of "jackson county feud."
Is "Apul" Paul? Why the scare quotes around "better"? How myopic can you be that you think I'm motivated by a desire to defend LeVota, rather than just processing information in a reasonable manner?
Your analysis of 2010 is insulting and absurd. Oh noes! The republicans are attacking us with an old AP article! Nothing gets the public hot in the pants quite like COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS!
I'd really like to think your computer is owned by Axiom Strategies, but I've heard so much dumb shit out of the mouths of local Dems, I just don't know.
get a job Phil.
There is truth to the assertion that the Republicans can use this against democratic house candidates statewide in 2010 so long as Paul is the leader.
Why am I not surprised about Paul?
Damn, Dan. Commenters like yours are why I migrated to SoapBlox and now everyone has to register to comment.
Blue Girl -
I understand your perspective, but there are some intelligent and interesting commenters who choose to remain anonymous, and I would hate to lose them. As for the silly ones, like the people (or person) acting as though Sophia is somebody other than Sophia, or the ones who think that LeVota should resign in disgrace because of an FBI investigation - well, I have enough confidence that people can see how wildly illogical they are.
The fact that someone has posted that LeVota should step down does not mean that anyone with a lick of sense thinks that LeVota should step down - it merely means that someone is either trying to score cheap political points, or someone has absolutely zero judgment. Either fact is kind of amusing, don't you think?
Political conversation does not belong only to the intelligent and serious.
Will Beth run for state house after she is term limited out of City Council?
You should ask her.
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