Emanuel on Sweeney
Emanuel just told reporters a few minutes ago on a conference call that U.S. Rep. John Sweeney really, really ought to appear before a New York Assembly committee investigating his role in organizing a $27,000 Lake Placid ski weekend for members of Congress that was attended mostly by lobbyists, local officials, and executives from the New York Power Authority.
Ted Blazer, the Chief Executive of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which organized the trip, has testified that Sweeney was in charge of picking the guests. Sweeney has countered that he had nothing to do with the invitations, for which he said Blazer's organization was responsible.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has asked Sweeney to testify and address the discrepancy. Emanuel, who desperately hopes to replace Sweeney with Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, said that the congressman owes it to New York voters to answer Brodsky's questions.
"You look at the news today, we got Iraq, raising energy prices, the economy," said Emanuel . "We are all busy people here, what are we doing drafting invite lists for a ski trip?"
And what are such busy people doing, for that matter, concerning themselves with proceedings in the New York State Assembly?
Jason Horowitz
Like as if the Republican Congressional Group wouldn't do the same exact thing if it were Hillary Clinton who used tax payer funded monies to invite all of family, friends and staffers to an event that is supposed to be for congressional leaders.
Which by the way, 4 members of congress have attended the event from outside NY since 1998.
If it had been Hillary who organized doing invites instead of Sweeney, this would be all over the national press, Faux News and CNN both.