| Last night's Senate debate in Grand Island gave Mike Johanns his first opportunity to defend himself from devastating new allegations that he used taxpayer funds in 2006 to travel across the country campaigning for Republican candidates.
The Lincoln Journal-Star reports on Johanns' response:
As U.S. secretary of agriculture, Johanns attended 38 events recommended by the White House Office of Political Affairs headed by Karl Rove, according to the committee report.
Most of the travel costs for Rove-generated events were paid with federal funds, the report stated.
Answering a question posed by a panelist.., Johanns said he believes it would be "a great idea" to ban the use of taxpayer funds by the White House for such activities.
In case it isn't clear, this still-erupting scandal has the potential to remake Nebraska's 2008 Senate race.
Johanns has just conceded that his actions on behalf of the Bush White House were unethical and should have been illegal. Still, he did nothing at all to stop this operation when he was in a position to do so, instead playing willing accomplice to Karl Rove's corrupt political agenda.
Adding insult to injury, Johanns then passed up the opportunity to do the right thing during last night's debate. An immediate apology was owed to the American taxpayer and to the people of Nebraska, but all Johanns offered was excuses.
Any trips that were political in nature were not paid for with Department of Agriculture tax funds, Johanns said....
Many of the trips cited in the report actually were official business as determined by that committee, Johanns campaign communications director Sarah Pompei stated in an e-mail following the debate.
These trips may not have been paid for with Dept. of Ag funds, but they were damn well paid for by the American taxpayer. As for the Johanns campaign's insulting excuse that "many" of these trips were for "official business," they should be downright ashamed of themselves.
Among the 38 Republican campaign events attended by Johanns on taxpayers' dime, 14 of those were political fundraisers without any purpose relating to his duties as Ag Secretary. At the direction of the Bush White House, Johanns was helping to raise money for Republican candidates, and you and I were picking up the tab.
Those public funds were going towards the most blatant and despicable partisan political purposes, and we had no say in the matter. That is beyond outrageous. It is utterly despicable. Johanns has not only betrayed his office but also the people it was his responsibility to serve.
Now is the time for accountability. Don't wait for it. Demand it! From Johanns, the media, and the people of Nebraska. The future of our state depends on us rising to this challenge, as does the outcome of this election. There's not a moment to lose. Make yourself heard today. |
