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  • Home / Articles / City Hall Daily / City Hall Daily /  Detailing Harassment, Massa Claims Democratic Conspiracy Forced Exit
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    Monday, March 8,2010

    Detailing Harassment, Massa Claims Democratic Conspiracy Forced Exit

    Resigning congressman swings widely on last live radio show

    By Chris Bragg

    In his final weekly radio show on Sunday morning, Rep. Eric Massa for the first time detailed the events he believes led to the sexual harassment complaint against him that prompted his resignation from Congress, announced on Friday, but effective Monday afternoon. Massa, a Democrat, also accused House Democratic leadership of conspiring to remove him from office ahead of the reconciliation votes on health care, given his vote against the legislation when it went before the House last November.

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    “I was set up for this from the very, very beginning,” he said, on what Massa insisted would be the last broadcast of the Sunday morning show on WKPQ 105.3 FM in Hornell. “You think that somehow they didn’t come after me to get rid of me because my vote is the deciding vote in the health care bill? Then, ladies and gentlemen, you live today in a world that is so innocent as to not understand what’s going on in Washington, D.C.”

    According to Massa, the sexual harassment complaint stemmed from an incident during a wedding on New Year’s Eve last year. Sometime soon after midnight, Massa said, a drunken male staffer made a lurid comment to Massa about dancing with one of the bridesmaids at the reception.

    “A staff member made an intonation to me that maybe I should be chasing after the bridesmaid. His points were clear and his words were far more colorful than that,” Massa said. “And I grabbed the staff member sitting next to me and said, “Pal, what I really ought to be doing is fracking you.’ And then [I] tussled the guy’s hair, and left.”

    Massa said that another staff member—disturbed by Massa’s statement—reported it to the House Ethics Committee. Massa said the staffer to whom he directed the comment never was involved with the complaint.

    “That staff member never said to me he felt uncomfortable,” Massa said. “He never came to me, he never said a word to me. In fact, he never went to anybody.”

    Massa said he learned that a complaint had been filed against him Feb. 8 but that he believed it was only over a minor campaign finance issue. Massa said he only learned of the sexual harassment complaint after he announced he would not run for re-election on Wednesday over what he says is a fatal recurrence of cancer.

    As for the charge that House Democrats set him up, Massa said he only came to belief after reading two articles on Sunday morning before his broadcast: An Associated Press article in which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer discussed the ethics investigation, and a Roll Call article about how the recent departure of several Democrats from the House would help pass health care legislation. Massa said he believes he was the swing vote that would decide the fate of the bill—and that Hoyer’s decision to disclose details of the investigation proves Democratic leadership was out to get him.

    With Massas resignation, Democrats now need only 216 votes in the House to pass the bill.

    Massa also described a profanity-filled conversation he had with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel after he voted against the president’s health care legislation last year. Massa called on Emanuel to resign for his own use of profane language during the phone call.

    “Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn,” Massa added. “He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive.”
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    Massa's story about Rahm Emanual confronting him in the Congressional showers and threatening him to support Obamacare is believable, given the kind of slimy after-hours back room shenanigans that the Democrats have been known for these past few months. The White House is trying to run rough shod over the Constitution, our system of government, and ultimately the American public...in an effort to push their radical agenda at a time when we can least afford it. Rahm should be glad it wasn't me he was pointing his finger at in the shower...I would have broke it for him. We need more reps in Congress to stand up to this Chicago thug mentality that's coming from the Oval Office, because it's threatening our very way of life. It's time to derail the Obama crazy train before he sends us all over the edge of a cliff.

     

     
    massa is a typical liberal nutwad. no wonder this country is hurting.

     

     
    Mr Massa did not HAVE to resign. I don't doubt for a nanosecond that the dems were threatening and harassing the poor soul but the only way I can see that they could successfully force him to resign was to blackmail him. They obviously have/had something on the guy and were going to use it if he didn't get out of their way. He should have showed more guts and stood up to the creeps.

     

     
    If the gentleman from NY state is an elected official, how is it he is forced out by others representing other voters of America. He has an independent voice, as all elected congressman; they are to fullfill the voters wishes as to how the government gets involved with our lives.

     

     
    Be wary of voting for Teri Davis Newman. She sounds like another Bush/McConnell/Palin Republican. For one, she should know that Massa voted for the previous bill because it had a public option (Massa advocates single payer). The senate bill doesn't have a public option, so Massa was going to vote against it. Your potential congressman should know and understand those details before selling her prefabricated, talking-points opinion to you. Also, she doesn't understand that this isn't being rammed down our throats. It already passed the House and the Senate (the latter with a supermajority). This is now just about reconciling the bills, which Bush did twice for his tax cuts, once for his medicare part d giveaway, which congress has done to pass SCHIP and COBRA. If you live in her district, remember this: at a time when our country was teetering on the edge of a cliff, with the greatest recession since our last Depression, with health care costs increasing as much as 40-50%/year, republicans shirked their responsibilities to govern and walked away from the negotiating table with the only care, as our lives were falling apart, being "how can we regain power?" Never forget how they abandoned the American people during this brutal period. They have child-like minds and Newman's rant confirms that. One last thing, Newman. The reason illegal aliens aren't turned away at emergency rooms is the same reason you wouldn't want an illegal walking up and down your street with viral meningitis and tuberculosis. They are treated because not doing so would be a public health crisis to all -- yes, even you, in your isolated, suburban bubble.

     

    No sale, TexasCrow... It IS being rammed... by Reps who are voting AGAINST their constituents wishes... We will see the results of their insubordination in November. This is going to be the FIRST time I will contribute to the campaigns of persons out of my district. ANYONE who opposes this Admin & its anti-biz agenda will get my support. Your position on illegals & healthcare to prevent a health-care crisis: PURE BULL EXHAUST, pal... NO SALE - Will look for the CREDIT MEMO in November.

     

     
     
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