Sorting Through the Villafuerte Hype

How I would solve this

1. Give Voorhis his job back. He was acquitted of the original charge, has no doubt learned his lesson about misuse of law enforcement data, and should be given a chance to move on from the passion of the end of a losing campaign.

2. Strict memo to ALL parties who have access to the NCIC or other confidential databases that you cannot misuse the information for political purposes, even if it's the middle of October and you're down by 20 points. The Pols are absolutely right that the original offense was on the part of Beauprez's campaign, and all Republican use of this against Villafuerte now is total hypocrisy.

3. Confirm Stephanie Villafuerte as the next US Attorney for Colorado.

4. Move on, Wadhams. Beauprez would still have lost and everybody knows it.

Yo quiero gobierno medio!

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by: JeffcoBlue @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 17:38:49 PM UTC

Issue that is bigger than D v. R politics...

I think beyond the political piece of this is the fundamental question we need to ask: If a nominee for US Attorney (regardless of party affiliation) purposely lied to the FBI in the course of an investigation, is that person still qualified to hold that office?

If the answer is no, that she is not qualified, then this issue needs to be investigated and dealt with.  If the answer is yes, then these are just political jabs.  Assuming she did ask the DA's office to collect the material, I think 90% or more of people would lie about it to protect themselves and those around them.  But 90% of the people are not going to be the top federal prosecutor in the state.   Personally, I answer no to that question and believe that she needs to answer these accusation in a straight-forward manner.  

This, 'I will answer questions after I am confirmed' stuff is the biggest load of crap.  How convenient for her...

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by: jmatt12 @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 23:36:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Who has suggested that she lied to the FBI?!!

Not even that dingbat Crummy has implied that SV lied to the FBI, has she?  Instead, Crummy likes to say that the FBI failed to ask the right questions and follow up on them.  You know, cuz Crummy knows much more about investigation than the FBI.

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 23:41:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well- Boyles

has claimed she lied.

And he's always right and fair.

"Why do Republicans get to be stupid and win while whenever we're stupid, we're just stupid?"  sufimarie Feb 2010

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by: BICora @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 02:10:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes, but why did she lie

or is her position that she wasn't lying and it is a definitional nuance that opponents are exploiting?

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by: Libertad @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 06:00:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nice drivebye

But why are you still posting now that the master has written me as an upgrade and rendered you obsolete?

OBAMA RULES!!!!!!

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by: Libertad 2.0 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 08:10:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That was a total drive by I attempted, thanks for calling me on it

ps Obama's daily tracking poll rose from - 15 to - 12 this week.  I expected a much higher bump with the AFPAK decision.

Don't you think 40% strongly disapprove is a a signal?

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by: Libertad @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 14:58:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It isn't hard to see the lie...

She denies that she called the DA's office about Ramo.  The phone records and the note by Kimbrough suggest otherwise.  That would be a lie.  It isn't too difficult.

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by: jmatt12 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 08:22:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

You've whiffed completely.

Did the FBI ask her that question?  If not, and it seems not, she could not have lied about it.  In which case, your baseless allegations that she lied to the FBI are over the top.

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 13:38:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Your faux outrage is over the top

Here is the text from Bartels first story:

FBI interview summaries describe Stephanie Villafuerte as saying she had "no conversations" with anyone at the DA's office about the illegal immigrant, Carlos Estrada-Medina.

But the FBI apparently never asked Villafuerte, the former chief deputy DA who was then working for Bill Ritter's campaign, why she left a phone message for DA spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough that Kimbrough noted was about Estrada-Medina.

If she called Kimbrough about Ramo (like Kimbrough's note suggests), that would be lying to the FBI.

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by: jmatt12 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 15:21:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Could it be that she left a message, but had no conversation?

If I called somebody and left a message about an issue, but never actually spoke to the person I called, I would honestly say that I had no conversation about that issue.  Has Kimbrough said she had a conversation with Villafuerte about Ramo?

History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.  (Mark Twain)

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by: PERA hopeful @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 17:24:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Possible...

Maybe we could find out if she actually answered some questions about it.  That would be quite the Clinton-esque definitional defense.  

I agree with Gilpin Guy in wondering why the party, Obama and Ritter are so hell bent on getting this appointment through when it is clear that even in the best case scenario, this looks bad to the pubic.  Makes me think that there is something else at play here, like a political bargain made in the past that Obama or Ritter needs to make good on, even when it goes against their own self-interest.

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by: jmatt12 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 19:08:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Unfortunately

the stonewalling does make it a bigger deal than it should be. See Tiger Woods. Sure would have been nice if there was any record of alleged communication over a security threat. Regardless of what is or isn't fair,  best case scenario now would be for Stephanie Villafuerte to do the I've-become-too-much-of-distaction song and dance and withdraw.  

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by: BlueCat @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 17:41:12 PM UTC

I agree

And the stonewalling does deserve to be considered important - we want a U.S. Attorney that does not lie when questioned on issues like this.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 19:39:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Would it help

if the lie was to protect a friend?  I've always assumed, with no direct evidence, that when the ad ran, Villafuerte, or someone else in Ritter's campaign, contacted the DA's office to try to find out more info on Ramo.  I think it is safe to assume that at that point the Ritter campaign did not know that story would eventually become "ICE agent unlawfully accesses fed database for political purposes."  Once that became the story line, a full disclosure of a Ritter campaign request would not only damage the Ritter campaign staff member, but also be a potential career ending problem for someone in the DA's office.  My assumption is that even if Villafuerte or someone else in the campaign staff wanted to "come clean" it is not going to happen because of the negative consequences for a friend in the DA's office.

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by: Early Worm @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 20:40:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Would it help

if the lie was to protect a friend?

In a word, no.

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by: RedGreen @ Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 22:33:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Put it this way

Nixon lied to protect friends and those that worked for him. Was Watergate ok?

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 01:41:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

David, accepting your strawman

requires that I believe someone is lying.

Do you have proof?

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 01:52:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have no idea if she lied

My point is we do need to determine if she did. And if she did, I think that makes her unqualified to be a U.S. Attorney.

On the flip side, if she did not lie, then she appears to be well qualified and should be confirmed.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 03:46:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

but would it matter

if the DA's office said something like...
yes we were asked to review the files on Ramo and ascertain whoinhell he was...and when we couldn't do it from our files, we accessed the NCIC and that's when we determined that someone in the Beuprez campaign must have accessed the database illegally...etc and so on..."

"Why do Republicans get to be stupid and win while whenever we're stupid, we're just stupid?"  sufimarie Feb 2010

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by: BICora @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 02:15:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't really know why the Dems. are scrambling

to save this nomination.

Villafuerte had a job before this job and will have a job after this job.  Throw her under the bus and find someone else.  The Repubs. will dance with joy and shout about how great they are and oppose the next one but there are a lot of lawyers in the land and it shouldn't be difficult to find someone just as good.  The Dems. are spending political capital to push through a nomination that smacks of cronyism and looking the other way.  They should cut their losses and look for someone else.  Standing on principle in these kinds of situations usually turns out badly I don't care how innocent the person is.  She isn't worth the delay in appointing a good district attorney or jeopardizing Ritter's reelection.

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by: Gilpin Guy @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 03:44:14 AM UTC

Agree completely

Whatever the truth of this matter may be, this is not a fight worth fighting nor a nominee worth fighting for.  She was not the best choice of the three USA finalists, and it seems a waste of time, effort, and capital to push on this, particularly when other capable (and more capable) candidates are readily available.

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by: spaceman65 @ Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 18:36:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorting Hype

"Had it not been for Voorhis' concerted effort to funnel the Ramo information to Beauprez's campaign, it never would have aired. Voorhis accessed this information for an improper, political purpose, and most likely violated federal law in doing so. "

What a load of carp - Voorhis was acquitted in Federal Court of accessing that database improperly.  He was charged and found innocent.

Had he not accessed the database, few in Denver would know of Ritter's plea bargains for illegals.

"most likely violated federal law". Guess again.  Most likely he brought truth to light - Mr. Nitze doesn't like it because prosecutors are used to being on the other side of the lens.

As far as doing what is best for the state, maybe Ms. Villafuerte should pull out of contention, and allow another attorney without all of the Ritter baggage to step up so we can move forward with the process.

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by: atypicaloldgoat @ Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 23:15:08 PM UTC

What a load of carp

Fun fact: in Romanian the word for the carp fish is actually "crap." So my in-laws frequently offer me crap for dinner, and it's considered a compliment.

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

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by: sxp151 @ Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 23:24:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]