For Senators, the Season for Cash and Coal

By Mary Ann Akers And Paul Kane
Thursday, December 27, 2007

They weren't dreaming of a white Christmas last week in the Senate. No, as the legislative session came to a close, Senate leaders were dreaming of a green Christmas.

Rather than nice Christmas cards, they sent out fundraising pitches attacking one another in the never-ending search for campaign cash. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), unleashed a withering e-mail pitch from consultant James Carville comparing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to the Grinch. In Carville's turn as Dr. Seuss, McConnell didn't steal Christmas from all the little Whos in Whoville; instead he stole health insurance from 3 million "uninsured children who would benefit from the health care bill" he helped filibuster this fall. McConnell was also "anything but helpful to our soldiers in Iraq" by filibustering Democratic efforts to force a withdrawal timeline on President Bush.

"I've always told my daughters that it's Santa's job to figure out who's been naughty and who's been nice. But I thought that this year it would be fun for all of us who support the DSCC to help Santa out a little bit," Carville writes. "After all, he's got so much work to do figuring out what gifts to bring for the nice kids, wouldn't it be nice if we could make his job easier by identifying a few of the naughty ones? In fact, I've got one guy in mind who really should have a lump of coal coming his way."

The DSCC pitch ends with a link to an image of McConnell's body turned a Grinch-ish green, asking readers to sign a petition to send fake lumps of coal to McConnell. (Aides said the DSCC sent more than 10,000 e-lumps of coal to McConnell.)

Not to be outdone, McConnell sent his supporters a just-before-Christmas e-mail practically begging for campaign cash so he can take on the outta-staters who've put a political bull's-eye on his back. (Hmm, that sounds like you, James Carville, the Ragin' Cajun.)

"This year, zealots from across the country have targeted me for defeat. They resent my leadership position in the Senate and all that I've done for Kentucky," McConnell writes.

McConnell acknowledged the awkward timing of his appeal but wrote the missive with an image of him atop the all-caps note "DONATE NOW."

"I know many of you are getting ready to celebrate the holidays and a New Year. The end of the month is important in another way, as well. That's because once again, candidates for every Federal office will be reporting their end of quarter financial summaries to the Federal Election Commission," the senator wrote.

Democrats do not have a top-tier challenger to McConnell, who is up for reelection next fall and has started running campaign ads. Let's hope Carville and McConnell send each other Valentine's Day cards.

Now, That's the Holiday Spirit

Nobody will mistake Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for the Grinch this holiday season. When the senator found out last week that some National Guard trainees from his state had to pay their own way if they wanted to go home for Christmas, his office contacted the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry to begin a fundraising drive.

Within 48 hours, the chamber's members covered the $24,000 cost, and then some, bringing home 48 members of the 110th Medical Battalion of the Nebraska Army National Guard. These troops are training at Fort Lewis, Wash., for their upcoming deployment to Iraq. Nelson said he was astonished to learn that the base would be closing for several days over the holidays, requiring Guard trainees to not only leave the base but also foot the bill if they wanted to fly home to be with their loved ones. "This unique circumstance at Fort Lewis called for special action from special people, and I am so pleased Nebraskans have responded to favorably," Nelson tells us.

Scandal Watch: Filner Case Closed

Rep. Bob Filn er (D-Calif.) got a parting gift from the ethics committee on the last day of the House session: The panel closed its investigation into his alleged assault of an airline employee without dishing out any punishment.

Citing his Nov. 26 guilty plea in Loudoun County General District Court, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, as the panel is formally known, said on Dec. 19 that Filner "demonstrated poor judgment" and "is responsible for creating a situation" that led to the altercation with an employee at Dulles International Airport in mid-August. An investigative subcommittee considered a statement Filner made to the panel, as well as a letter of apology he wrote to the United Airlines employee, and then recommended no punishment.

Originally charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, Filner pleaded to misdemeanor trespassing and paid a $100 fine to the county court.

In prior statements Filner said he was tired after his plane was delayed before getting to Dulles and then, once they got to baggage claim, 100 passengers had to wait 90 minutes for their luggage. That prompted him to confront the United employee, who contended that the lawmaker pushed her and then entered an employees-only area and refused to leave.

Official Travel for Soldiers' Funerals

The Senate Rules and Administration Committee has issued new guidance that allows senators to use official funds to cover the costs of flying home to attend funeral services for soldiers killed overseas.

"We have as much responsibility to be present at these services as we do to debate on the floor how best to bring our troops home safely," Nebraska's Ben Nelson wrote earlier this year to Rules Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Before the new rule, travel to and from funerals for soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan wasn't considered official travel, meaning senators had to pay out of their own pockets to travel to these somber events or not attend. Now they can consider travel to funeral services for police and firefighters as well.

Happy Honeymoon, Senator!

No member of Congress is starting the new year in the same style as Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). The new kid on the block in the Senate -- who was appointed in the summer to replace the late Sen. Craig Thomas-- is tying the knot New Year's Day in Wyoming to longtime girlfriend Bobbi Brown. Barrasso is so gung-ho about trotting his new wife to Washington that he wanted to get her an official Senate spouse's lapel pin for Christmas. Alas, he was told he'd have to wait until he had his marriage license in hand. "So that gift is on hold until '08," Barrasso spokesman Greg Keeley says.