rssRep. Eric Massa Resigns
Friday, March 05, 2010 at 4:11 pm
- 7 Comments
The rapid implosion of Rep. Eric Massa’s (D-N.Y.) career will end with his resignation from Congress on Monday, less than a week after he announced that he had terminal cancer — and the Ethics Committee announced that he was under investigation.
“I am a deeply flawed and imperfect person,” said Massa in a statement. “There is no doubt in my mind that I did in fact, use language in the privacy of my own home and in my inner office that, after 24 years in the Navy, might make a Chief Petty Officer feel uncomfortable. In fact, there is no doubt that this Ethics issue is my fault and mine alone. But in the incredibly toxic atmosphere that is Washington D.C., with the destruction of our elected leaders having become a blood sport, especially in talk radio and on the internet, there is also no doubt that an Ethics investigation would tear my family and my staff apart.”
The resignation opens up a door for Democrats, who now need only 216 “aye” votes in the House to pass a health care reform bill. Massa, who wanted a single-payer reform bill, had voted against the House bill last November.
The full statement on Massa’s website:
Two days ago as I sat reading my new annual CAT scan, having been told that the anomalies in the films may or may not be scar tissue, I decided to finally take the advice that my doctors have repeatedly given me, and that is to take care of my family and myself before my profession. After I decided not to run again I was told, for the first time, that a member of my staff believed I had made statements that made him feel “uncomfortable.” I was told that a report had been filed with the Congressional Ethics Committee. At no point prior to this had any member of the Ethics Committee communicated with me directly – if fact I first read it on the internet.
I own this reality. There is no doubt in my mind that I did in fact, use language in the privacy of my own home and in my inner office that, after 24 years in the Navy, might make a Chief Petty Officer feel uncomfortable. In fact, there is no doubt that this Ethics issue is my fault and mine alone. But in the incredibly toxic atmosphere that is Washington D.C., with the destruction of our elected leaders having become a blood sport, especially in talk radio and on the internet, there is also no doubt that an Ethics investigation would tear my family and my staff apart. Some would say that this is what happens when you stand apart from political parties, which I have done. Others will say that this is what happens to a non politician when they go to Washington DC. I want to make something perfectly clear. My difficulties are of my own making. Period. I am also aware that blogs and radio will have a field day with this in today’s destructive and unforgiving political environment. In that investigators would be free to ask anything about me going back to my birth, I simply cannot rise to that level of perfection. God knows that I am a deeply flawed and imperfect person.
During long car rides, in the early hours of the evening, late at night and always in private, I know that my own language failed to meet the standards that I set for all around me and myself. I fell short and I believe now, as I have always believed, that it is not enough to simply talk the talk, but rather I must take action to hold myself accountable.
Therefore, effective at 5 PM on Monday the 8th of March I will resign my position as the Federal Representative of New York’s 29th Congressional District in the 111th Congress. I do so with a profound sense of failure and a deep apology to all those whom, for the past year, I tried to represent as our Nation struggles with problems far greater than anyone can possibly imagine. I hope that my family, constituents, and fellow Members of Congress can accept this apology as being both genuine and heartfelt and I wish for them and all Americans only the best. I will take all actions possible to ensure that my personal health is secured in that I know that mine is a far more fragile lifeline than most. For the millions of fellow cancer survivors with whom I share this experience, they, more than anyone else, will understand the honesty and openness in this statement.
I ask that members of the press respect the privacy of my family, my staff, and me at this time.
-Congressman Eric Massa
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7 Comments
Comment posted March 5, 2010 @ 9:28 pm
I'm beyond confused. What exactly is he accused of doing? Is he even
Comment posted March 5, 2010 @ 11:45 pm
It sounds like he made homo-phobic remarks? I wonder how Republicans are going to be able to spin this one given that Congressman Massa was essentially a Replublican. He voted against healthcare and he seems to hate gay people.
Comment posted March 6, 2010 @ 1:56 am
He didn't vote for it because he wanted single payer, not what the bill ended up. I don't think he could be considered “almost a republican” if he wanted single payer.
Comment posted March 6, 2010 @ 3:46 am
Well, how does voting against it help a single payer system? Voting against it only helps the Republicans.
Comment posted March 7, 2010 @ 2:33 am
Why assume that Massa said anything homophobic? When I heard he was stepping down over sexual harassment allegations, my first thought was that he propositioned the aide.
Sexual harassment is about creating a hostile work environment. In Massa's case, that could encompass anything from the homophobic to the homoerotic. We just don't know. In fact, we don't even know if Massa even talked about men having sex with men. A boss can sexually harass a male employee with inappropriate talk about hetero sex, too.
Comment posted March 7, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
THE DAVID AXELROD TEAR JERKER
[I’M ALL BROKE UP]
Now, we just got thru reading a gag me with a spoon Axelrod Tear Jerker, written by Mark Liebovich, March 6, 2010, the, (http://www.WashingtonTimes.Com.), Entitled, Message Maven Finds Fingers Pointing at Him, and the him is Chief Strategist David Axelrod, first let’s get to the worse of it the real feel sorry of the boy hook, now this is the time to break out those handkerchiefs, and Tissues, quote; [Mr. Axelrod is tired, but he says that is nothing new. I have dealt with a lot of ‘real stuff in my life, he said, referring to his daughter’s long struggle with epilepsy, his father’s suicide and his wife’s bout with breast cancer. The disapprobation of some folks in Washington doesn’t seem very meaningful. His friends still worry. I think he’s getting close to a burnout kind of thing.], unquote, just give me the medicine and spare me the sugar, give me a break, try living pay-check to pay-check with all those problems, tell that to the Black guy in [L.A.] that took the life of his entire family and then his own, I don’t want to hear it, I’m all broke up.
[AKPD]
This is the guy that until [1984] was a newspaper reporter, who now looks at the press as scoop-hungry news hounds operating in a void looking for that one big story to make them a star reporter, writing the Atypical Washington Junk, as apposed to Chicago Garbage, to Co-partnered to form the Message-Media political consulting firm [AKPD] / David [A]xelrod, John [K]upper, David [P]louffe, and John [D]el Cecato, and upon leaving the firm to join the Media Messiah Imperial President as the First among the disciples instead of walking in front of the Messiah riding a Democratic Ass, riding into Jerusalem, it roses petals in Washington, D.C., [District of Clowns], [PETER THE ROCK], devoted to the Messiahs, beyond a hired mercenary a true believer, loyal to the end, [he drank the grape juice], taking with him from [AKPD], a long list of corporate clients to finance the Messiahs Campaigne, know as the a sharp political strategist, sounding board, guardian angel, right hand dispenser of wisdom, to quote David himself, quote [I love the guy] not said once but often. Look, its no sense our giving you a run down on all this read it for yourself, it’s a grade [D] Movie script, if you looked on Netflix, it wouldn’t ever make the [2] Two category.
[AT THE FEET OF THE MESSIAH]
It’s the [21st] Century, and none of the Democratic [Socialist] not all are in this category, the top dogs are in the Executive, followed by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. The [Capitalist] Democratic are the Reagan, Blue Dog Democratic, the Centrists Democratic, these haven’t drank the Kool-Aid, and see the will of the People as their gospel and not the will of the Media Messiah Imperial President, and many in the Senate who walked in and will be carried out feet first have see’em come and will see’em go. But that being again said it is the [21st] Century, and this Century will not be molded by the Messiah or his Imperial Court, it is going to be created by the Dreamers, Thinkers, Workers, and [NetCitizens], of the [21st] Century, the new leaders of this Century;
* Dr. G. Westerwelle, the Foreign Minister of Germany, [MR. EUROPE], of the [21st] Century.
* Dr. Ron Paul, the Representative from the Republic of Texas, [14th] Congressional District of the Republic of Texas.
* [PM] Prime Minster of Japan Yukio Hatoyama of the [LDP] Liberal Democratic Party
The simple fact of the matter is no one is buying the Sermons from the Mount offered up by the Messiah or his Moonie massagers, and in fact are totally rejecting and turning a deaf ear to it. Between May [1st] 2010 & May [1st] 2011, the time from the Inauguration, of the Media Messiah Imperial President will seem like the Golden Days. So, what should David Axelrod do now, leave the inner circle along with Hillary Diane Rodham-Clinton and aid in the writing of a tell all about their kneeling at the foot of the Messiah [AT THE FEET OF THE MESSIAH] after the [2010] elections, and their submitting of there resignations.
HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN
Comment posted August 30, 2010 @ 7:26 am
It sounds like he made homo-phobic remarks? I wonder how Republicans are going to be able to spin this one given that Congressman Massa was essentially a Replublican. He voted against healthcare and he seems to hate gay people.
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