Like many candidates, Tom Davis+óGé¼Gäós campaign website has a list of organizations that supposedly have given him support. While I was reading through the list, I was surprised to see that The Washington Post was listed as a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team.+óGé¼-¥ I thought I had to have missed something. Almost immediately, however, I began to think that there was something fishy going on. The Washington Post is not only my local paper, but it is circulated throughout the nation and has a positive reputation. Therefore, it didn+óGé¼Gäót make any sense that I had missed an article about the Post endorsing Davis.
It turns out that the text that is displayed on Davis+óGé¼Gäós website is from an article published on October 25, 2004 and even mentions Ken Longmeyer as Davis+óGé¼Gäós opponent. Now I could be living in some parallel universe, but the fact that Andrew Hurst isn+óGé¼Gäót listed as the Democratic challenger should be a dead give away that The Washington Post is not necessarily a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team+óGé¼-¥ during 2006. Tom Davis, however, makes sure that you have to follow a link and do a fair amount of reading before you see Longmeyer+óGé¼Gäós name as the opposing candidate. The average voter, however, might be deceived by the fact that Davis+óGé¼Gäós site does not make any attempt to inform the reader that he is not currently endorsed by the Washington Post. And that's just the beginning.
After I discovered that the Washington Post hadn+óGé¼Gäót declared itself a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team+óGé¼-¥ for this election, I began to wonder how accurate the other +óGé¼+ôsupporters+óGé¼-¥ were. It turns out that not a single one of the organizations on Davis+óGé¼Gäós list of team members has declared itself a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team+óGé¼-¥ for the 2006 election cycle. (This is according to his website, which I accessed on the morning of September 10, 2006)
This deception can be illustrated by the first organization listed as a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team,+óGé¼-¥ which is the National Defense PAC. Through spending the time to closely read the article, you will notice that this endorsement was during the 2002 election. The date, however, is very easy to miss if you are casually browsing through Davis+óGé¼Gäós site. I suppose that is the point, however. Davis doesn+óGé¼Gäót want to draw attention to the fact that he is still trying to benefit from an honor he received in 2002. The deception in this case is further emphasized by a report from OpenSecrets.org, which informs us that the National Defense PAC has only donated $1,000 to a political candidate this election cycle +óGé¼GÇ£and that money went to Democrat Ike Skelton (MO). Apparently the National Defense PAC has started giving money to candidates, but hasn+óGé¼Gäót found the time to support Tom Davis. In order to appear as though he has a significant amount of support, however, Davis still lists the PAC as a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team.+óGé¼-¥
The next organization listed as a member of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team+óGé¼-¥ is the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Now this would be a particularly good endorsement to receive because there are several businesses that make their home in Virginia+óGé¼Gäós 11th Congressional district. If you read the letter published on Davis+óGé¼Gäós website, however, you will notice that it discusses business statistics from 1999-2000. That would lead one to believe that the endorsement was for a previous election. Since it doesn+óGé¼Gäót give any other obvious indication as to which election the letter applied to, I wanted to do a little more research. A quick Google search found that as of last February, the person who signed the letter is no longer with the NFIB. Based upon that evidence, I believe it is safe to say that the letter signed by Jack Faris doesn+óGé¼Gäót apply to the 2006 election.
An in depth reading will also illustrate that the other three members of +óGé¼+ôThe Davis Team,+óGé¼-¥ The National Treasury Employees Union, the SBSC, and the Potomac News, were also supporters during 2004 +óGé¼GÇ£ not 2006.
If Tom Davis wants to be reelected, he should take the proper steps to ensure that his website is not causing voters to believe his 2006 election bid is currently endorsed by these organizations. If in the future they decide to give Davis an endorsement, then he can feel free to draw attention to those supporters. Until then, however, he should clearly mark which endorsements were received during previous general elections.
As for the Potomac News, well maybe you and I should be writing for it instead of their editorial board! :) Have you sent some of your stuff to the editors? I think you should, it's excellent work.
Tom Davis should come clean, and play clean.
Here is my email to WAPO on August 28th. I think they've done nothing about it. Add your voice!
Dear Mr. Hiatt:I am writing to follow up on your article on Tom Davis.
I see Congressman Davis has updated his webpage. His biography, news, and issues have been updated to reflect flattering events. His endorsement page, however, claims an endorsement by the Washington Post.
http://www.tomdavis....I recognize his undated quotes from the 2004 endorsement from the Post -- before his ties to Jack Abramoff and Adam Kidan became better known, and his trip to Italy paid for by Robert Pence, and the Schiavo debacle.
Nevertheless, after seeing the endorsement of Joe Lieberman in the Post, suggesting that it is responsibility of Democrats to bridge the divide over the Iraq War, I would guess Davis can be confident that as long as he doesn't get indicted over the ICG Government incident, he probably will have the Post endorsement. However, I find it unethical that he would claim the endorsement in advance.
I hope you agree, and call him on it.
Thank you for checking this out, AM. This is just the latest in Davis lies and corrupution