Jon Powers is getting hit from all angles now, with the Western New York GOP calling on him to publicly release financial documents relating to his War Kids Relief organization, and Jack Davis’s campaign revealed that back in 2004 Jon Poweres was cited for disorderly conduct.

The flurry of charges and countercharges began when the Davis campaign produced documents showing that Powers, a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, was cited by a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, police officer on Oct. 23, 2004, for disorderly conduct. In his citation, the officer accused Powers of directing obscene comments at him.

“People need to know this is the real Jon Powers,” Davis spokesman Luke Vaughn said. “He flagrantly disrespects a police officer, is found guilty of disorderly conduct and never tells anyone. After 10 years of scandal and embarrassing headlines, we don’t need more of the same — we deserve a congressman who will tell the truth.”
But Powers spokeswoman Victoria Dillon saw the incident differently. She said Powers was with college friends and fellow veterans in the area, and denied at the time and denies now that he ever used obscene language in addressing the officer. She also offered to produce witnesses to back up Powers.

“At a time when he’s under investigation and running from revelations of election fraud and bribery, the Davis campaign is practicing the lowest form of politics by distorting simple facts,” Dillon said. “Jon was written a ticket for jaywalking, never arrested and never showed any disrespect to law enforcement.”

But a spokeswoman for the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court said Powers changed his plea of not guilty to the original Class 4 misdemeanor charge to “no contest” in connection with a minor misdemeanor on Jan. 11, 2005, and that there was no mention of jaywalking in the final disposition of the case.

Of course, the Powers campaign is claiming that Powers was merely jaywalking — which makes as much sense as saying that a person who gets a speeding ticket but has it reduced to a parking violation never violated the speed limit.

As for the GOP’s call for Powers to release the financial documents about War Kids Relief, the Erie County Democratic Party predictably fought back accusing the Republicans of attacking Powers’ service. In defending Powers, Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan said, “I wonder how many people at that press conference put their lives on the line in Iraq.”

So, apparently, Jon Powers is supposed to be above scrutiny because he served in Iraq? What Lenihan is choosing to ignore is the fact that the questions surrounding Jon Powers and War Kids Relief have nothing to do with Powers’ military service in Iraq. This, in my opinion explains why the local Democratic committees rushed to endorse Powers, despite his lack of political qualifications and experience. They think that any criticism of Jon Powers can be easily deflected by playing the “Iraq Veteran” card.

And, I have to disagree with Lenihan’s implication that Republicans are attacking Powers over this issue due to “their desire to avoid facing Jon Powers in November.” I think if there’s anyone the Republican Party wants to face in November it’s Jon Powers. This issue probably won’t hurt Powers amongst Democrat voters, since Democrats tend to ignore scandals involving members of their own party. But, the important thing to remember is that it wasn’t the local Republican Party that brought this issue up.

UPDATE: The Buffalo Bean has obtained a scan of the citation.

UPDATE: Buffalo Pundit, complete with talking points from the Powers campaign, echoes the claim that the Republican Party fears going against Powers in November. I think it speaks for itself that if they’re any candidate the Republican wants to face it’s Jon Powers. Commonsense would tell any pundit or political insider that if you had to choose between a better known candidate with virtually unlimited resources (Davis) and a political newbie with no experience, less cash, and no name recognition (Powers), you’d choose facing the latter. 

But hey, if liberals had commonsense, they’d be Republicans.

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With the ongoing brouhaha over the anti-Jon Powers site, www.powersplatoon.com, (called The Real Jon Powers) put out by the Jack Davis campaign, I contacted Erick Mullen of Mullen & Company, the strategic communications firm retained by Davis’s congressional campaign, to answer a few questions about the site.

The interview was conducted via email. Prior to responding to my slate of questions, he has some words regarding Jon Powers and his attacks on Jack Davis. ”Jon Powers and his campaign have launched online videos attacking Davis, sent out a trumped up press release to gin interest - all negative campaign tactics,” he explained.   “He’s called Davis ‘Exxon Jack’ even though Powers’ own retirement fund is bulging with energy and oil company stocks.  He’s spent half his treasury already without saying one thing about himself, but instead going after a fellow veteran.” Mullen undoubtedly sees a difference between the attacks by the Powers campaign against Jack Davis, and their anti-Powers website. ”This website of ours draws no conclusions, infers no baseless charges, but simply lays out the press coverage and publicly available data on The Real Jon Powers.”

ERICK MULLEN:    Jon Powers has a record of flip flopping on core progressive values and gorging himself on special interest money, contradicting himself from his DFA statements condemning the same money.  www.powersplatoon.com is a place where people can read news accounts, data summaries and decide for themselves what is relevant or not.  It’s not nasty, or personal and it doesn’t call him names.

TBB: Do you believe the objections by some to powersplatoon.com are really due to the site’s design, or its content?
 
MULLEN:  Good question:  As far as I can tell, Powers hasn’t pushed back at all and in fact is nobody has disputed the facts presented there.  Many have spun it or made apologies, especially Harding in his outrageous defense of strip clubs [link], but nobody has contradicted what we’ve laid out for the voters:

Powers solicited support and money from pro-lifers who were led to believe he was like minded.  He then flipped on them when Rochester NOW.  Is that “Leadership by Example”? (his campaign slogan).

93% of Powers’ money has come from outside the congressional district, and 40% of it from DC PACs and lobbyists.  He condemned it in his DFA statement, but has flipped.  Leadership by Example?

He’s spent 68% of all his money this quarter, mostly on out of state consultants - hardly the “grassroots” campaign he claims.

This is a guy who claims to have made less than $700 in twelve months, according to the Clerk of the US House.  He’s living on $1.91 per day?  Really?

This boyscout mythology he’s selling just doesn’t pan out when we shine a light on it, and www.powersplatoon.com is an effort to get the dialogue started.

TBB: Another aspect of the site that has caused a stir is “The REAL War Kids Relief Story” which is “coming soon.” While I’m sure you can’t tell me what exactly will be revealed, can you tell me when we can expect to see that posted on the site?
 
MULLEN:  There are no “dirty tricks”, secrets or surprises here.  It’s all there for people to find.  WKR is the basis upon which Jon built a national profile and it therefore deserves a hard look.  It’s the horse he road in on, so to speak, and it’s time to look it in the mouth.

TBB: Is there anything else you’d like to add about The Real Jon Powers site that you feel people should know?
 
MULLEN:  Yes, people should do their own research, ask their own tough questions and then vote their conscience.   
 
TBB: Thank you for taking the time the answer these questions.

It should be noted that not all of my questions were answered. Mr. Mullen did not answer any questions regarding the site’s design or about the reactions to the site and allegations of some bloggers who support Jon Powers. Nevertheless, I appreciate the fact Mr. Mullen took the time to answer the questions he did.

UPDATE: The Albany Project’s Robert Harding responds to the interview.

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Well, I’ve been busy this weekend, but apparently a lot has been happening. For one thing, via Buffalo Pundit and 26th District I heard that Erick Mullen, the man behind the Davis campaign’s anti-Powers website, defended the site on The Batavian. Here’s what Mullen had to say:

Hi, it’s Erick. Look guys, have a sense of humor and focus on the facts:

Powers’ side wants to dispute the medium but they can’t and won’t dispute the facts presented on www.powersplatoon.com.

Fact: If you round the figures down, Powers has received 90% (93) of his funding from outside the district and a full 40% comes from PACs and lobbyists. 

Fact: he’s violated federal election law by paying himself rent. Even if you give the candy back to the store owner, walking out the door with it is shoplifting.

Fact: Rick Snowden has a leadership role on Powers’ finance committee - so says the invitation I have with his name on it.

Fact: Powers solicted the endorsement and support of NY Democrats for Life then switched to a pro-choice position. Rochester NOW dinged him for his duplicity.

Fact: Powers refuses to call for a withdrawl of troops from Iraq. Although they’ve begun pulling down all his YouTube videos, it’s still there.

Fact: Powers, on Harding’s show, equivocated on FISA. Just listen.

He’s blown half his money already without advertising and has a vote share in the teens. His burn rate this past quarter was 68% - simple malpractice.

When the fairy dust fades progressives will see that this guy is just like the rest, for better or for worse, and that’s fine, but the name-calling, the gnashing of teeth over the spots and the websites is better used against the GOP candidate who has millions of his own (well, his daddy’s) to spend.

All good points, and I’ve said before as well, it is quite revealing that the Powers-supporting bloggers have said next to nothing about the site’s content and focused pretty much 100% on gripes about the presentation… case in point from Buffalo Pundit:

Forget for a moment the content of the powersplatoon site. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that it’s all true. No doubt that Jack can make whatever political hay he wants of these things.

The fundamental problem I have with it is the way in which it’s presented - it is almost an exact replica of Powers’ own site, and uses as its url a term associated with Powers’ campaign.

It is, plain and simple, designed to deceive and trick the reader, and that’s what makes it a low blow.

Again, the whole issue of the presentation of powersplatoon.com is a red herring. If there was any legal issues with the site, I suspect something would have been done already… by the Powers campaign. But, they’ve been more vocal about Jack Davis and his fortune than about the allegedly illegal website. Still, I have no doubt that had the site been substantially different in its design the pro-Powers bloggers would simply find another reason to avoid addressing the content of the site.

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I first found out about the Jon Powers spoof website (put out by Jack Davis’s campaign) from this blog post at liberal blog community called the Daily Gotham. While Powers is the favored candidate of the nutroots for NY-26, Jack Davis is the most despised (probably because he’s a wealthy, successful businessman) so, the existence of the Powers spoof site was, to say the least, not well received, and Davis was excoriated for daring to criticize the anointed one, Jon Powers. 

The blogger accused Davis of copyright infringement (sounds familiar doesn’t it?) and calls him a scumbag for mimicking Powers’ website… it’s no surprise that there is no rebuttal to the accusations made against Powers, and they even chose not to link to the spoof site, or reveal its address. I, on the other hand, think the folks of NY-26 should see it and make up their own minds. 

Another blogger at the Daily Gotham picked up on the story, claiming, “the scam web site spreads disinformation and innuendo about Powers.” Apparently this confidence was all for show, since the blogger offered no rebuttals to the information on the spoof site, and refused to link to it, or give out the address.

Considering how certain they are about the so-called copyright infringement, one would think they’d be quick to expose the site to as many people as possible. Instead they swept it under the rug hoping no one would see what it says… but would be aware that it existed.

UPDATE: Buffalo Pundit weighs in,

First off, it’s not a parody site because it’s not funny. Seconly [sic], it’s not protected by the fair use doctrine because it’s not using mere excerpts of Powers’ work product, but has completely mimicked his site in an effort to confuse and trick the reader. Everything right down to the logo, the font, the layout, and even the portrait, originally shot by Clarence photographer Chuck Eckert.

Again, the legaility of the website is a red herring — and is something the Powers campaign can pursue if they choose to. If I were a blogger supporting Powers, I’d be more focused on debunking the anti-Powers material on the site, than building up a campaign to shame Jack Davis into taking the site down. Buffalo Pundit also chose not to link to the site or specifically address its content.

Meanwhile, I’ve now been accused of being a surrogate for the Davis campaign by The Albany Project.

Not only has Jack Davis paid for a site that quite overtly breaks the law, he’s also bought himself a Google Ad campaign to pimp it. The site (which most certainly violates Google Ad’s TOS) is being advertised on some of the biggest liberal blogs in the land including Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, MyDD and Crooks and Liars. That’s right, crazy Jack Davis whose surrogates (such as they are, I guess) have been grumbling about his online fundraising and calling him the “nutroots” candidate, is advertising his sleazy attack site on the biggest A-list blogs in the land with ads that ask “Do You Know Jon Powers?” The site (which I refuse to link) even promises to reveal the “REAL War Kids Relief Story.” Talk about no good deed going unpunished…

I may not be a supporter of Jon Powers, but I’m not a supporter of Jack Davis either. I’ve attacked both on this site, and think neither of them would be a good representative of NY-26 in the U.S. Congress.

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY: The Real Jon Powers

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