Ex-con James Traficant to run for Ohio US House seat

Boston Herald via AP ^ | May 3, 2010 | ap

[GQuagmire]

WARREN, Ohio — James A. Traficant Jr., who served nearly two decades in Congress and seven years in prison for corruption, filed petitions Monday to run as an independent in his northeast Ohio home turf.

Trumbull County elections board director Kelly Pallante said Traficant came to the board’s offices around 9:30 a.m. to file the paperwork, which will be reviewed by a July 15 deadline.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I'll cast 400 of my ACORN absentee ballots for him!

[Betis70]

Would he even be allowed to vote for himself?

[theDentist]

A perfect reflection of a DemocRAT Politician.... serve your terms and get back into the game, under any party possible.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Claire McCaskill can loan you some. She had plenty of extras.

[Gen. Burkhalter]

This might be a good thing. Trafficant would most likely siphon off votes from the Democrat incumbent (Ryan) allowing a GOP candidate to win in this strongly Democrat district.

[CORedneck]

I like to see him win. He provided comic relief but also told things the way there were which p!$$sed off all the other congressmen ! He put things in perspective !

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Claire McCaskill can loan you some. She had plenty of extras.

She and William Lacy Clay.

[Drango]

Fits in with his former colleagues.

[Gen. Burkhalter]

BTW. I did not know that convicted felons were permitted to serve in Congress.

Yes I know there are a lot of crooks already there. But you know what I mean.

[VRWCmember]

Is that a ferret on his head?

[porter_knorr]

that was my first thought

[oh8eleven]

I did not know that convicted felons were permitted to serve in Congress.
Impeached federal judges too.

[Bernard Marx]

Impeached federal judge Alcee Hastings got himself elected to Congress so a little time in the cooler shouldn't be a problem for Trafficant. They're all a bunch of crooks anyhow except some haven't been to jail yet.

I found him amusing, too, especially that dead muskrat he wears as a hairpiece. He had a way of skewering his liberal colleagues in his 1-minute speeches.

[San Jacinto]

James A. Traficant Jr., who served nearly two decades in Congress and seven years in prison

He should be very ashamed of that two decades in Congress- the other 7 year part, I can get over.

[Gen. Burkhalter]

Well, still there is a difference between an impeached official and a convicted felon.

[SeaHawkFan]

The costitutional qualifications make no mention of felons. On that basis, they can serve if elected.

[reagan_fanatic]

I’ll bet he has a lock on the gaudy toupee vote.

[Osage Orange]

Can't vote.....but they can serve!

That is just perfect..!!

We are so screwed up.......!!

[MEGoody]

A perfect reflection of a DemocRAT Politician.... serve your terms and get back into the game, under any party possible.

The only reason he was in jail in the first place is that his fellow Dems turned on him when he wouldn't toe the party line. Not that that makes him a "good guy." He's sort of like the Dems that wanted to vote against the health care bill because it wasn't liberal enough for them.