May 9th, 2008
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (SI Advance) — Vito Fossella’s well-deserved shame at being arrested for driving while intoxicated last week evolved rapidly in the interim into abject disgrace.
Because of that moral descent, and the distractions and ugly controversy all of it brings, he should resign from his seat in the House of Representatives.
And he should do so immediately.
Far too much damage has been done to his personal reputation and credibility at this point for him to recover and be an effective public servant.
And there is too much potential for pointless and endlessly embarrassing digressions into this scandal if he chooses to stay in public life.
We wince at the thought of his wife and children and other family members having to endure needless weeks and months of gossip and speculation were Mr. Fossella to foolishly try to hang on. The circumstances have pushed this far beyond the question of his political survival.
Yesterday, in a written statement, the married father of three admitted not only having an extramarital affair with a divorced Virginia woman, but also fathering a child by her.
Continue Reading…
May 4th, 2008
Sally Jones and Thomas Good, members of the Fossella Five*, have released the following statement on the arrest of Congressman Vito Fossella for driving while intoxicated:
While we would never advocate placing a human being in a cage and calling that rehabilitation, we are aware that this is precisely what the great state of Virginia may do to Vito Fossella should he be convicted of driving while intoxicated.
There is one possibility for salvaging this regrettable state of affairs: both the congressman’s self described “error in judgment” and the Old Dominion’s punitive approach to treating alcohol abuse. We pledge that should Vito Fossella indeed be incarcerated for drunken driving, we will visit him in jail. We would do so in order to comfort the congressman in his hour of need and because this might be our only opportunity to meet with our representative — previously Mr. Fossella has been unavailable to meet with his constituents. We would gladly put time aside to meet with our fellow Staten Islander to discuss both his present difficulties and his positions on the Iraq War, health care, the Patriot Act, and immigration. We hope to see something positive come from this unfortunate situation and we want to support our congressman - we know what it is like to be incarcerated as we were arrested in the congressman’s office when we attempted to speak with him, a little over a year ago.
[*The Fossella Five were arrested in Rep. Vito Fossella’s Staten Island office on March 23, 2007, for reading the names of the (US) war dead aloud and demanding a meeting with their representative so they might discuss the position he holds on continuing the U.S. occupation of Iraq. ]
May 2nd, 2008
Vito Fossella’s DWI Mug Shot
May 1st, 2008
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE:
Vito Fossella (Staten Island Advance Photo)
Thursday May 01, 2008, 2:33 PM
Rep. Vito Fossella was arrested last night in Alexandria, Va. and charged with driving while intoxicated, the Advance has learned.
Fossella, who is facing re-election this year, is set to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, according to a published report.
Fossella chief of staff Thomas Quaadman and spokesman Craig Donner did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment. Nor did campaign spokeswoman Georgea Kaye.
No other details are available.
–Contributed by Tom Wrobleski
May 1st, 2008
From NEXT LEFT NOTES:
Steve Harrison squares off with Fossella supporters - and a cardboard Vito
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)
NEW YORK — Republican congressman Vito Fossella, long derided by progressives as ‘Bush’s rubber stamp’ is running for re-election. According to watchdog group Truth 13 Fossella is low on funds and his campaign is vulnerable. On April 21 billionaire oil baron David H. Koch hosted a fundraiser to help Fossella’s faltering campaign. The guest of honor at Koch’s upper east side home was another unpopular republican - Vice President Dick Cheney.
Citing Cheney’s support of torture and Koch’s record of legal difficulties - Koch Industries is responsible for more than 300 oil spills in five states and was accused of fraudulent reporting by a 1989 U.S. Senate Committee on Investigations - an array of activists held a protest outside the fundraiser. Members of the Raging Grannies, CodePINK, Peace Action, the World Can’t Wait and Movement for a Democratic Society were shunted by police to a location a block and a half away from the fundraiser but made the most of their opportunity to dissent.
Among those present at the protest was Fossella’s congressional challenger, Democrat Steve Harrison. Harrison was “confronted” by street theatre group the “Filthy Rich for Fossella” who argued in favor of greed and torture. Harrison responded with a call to end the politics of oil and avarice - and a call to defend both the Constitution and the environment.
“Vito Fauxsella”, aka John Lawrence of Peace Action, also made an appearance. Fauxsella told the crowd that “what makes America beautiful” is that “we can spend your money in wise ways” - to make “the absurd, the immoral, seem normal and acceptable.”
Shortly after 10:30 A.M. the demonstrators jeered as Cheney’s motorcade - a fleet of black SUVs - passed by. The “Filthy Rich” cheered Cheney and urged the crowd to “embrace Dick Cheney and his Big Oil money.”
View Photos/Videos From The Action…
“Vito Fauxsella” addresses his constituents: The Filthy Rich
|