For people auditioning to become one of the foremost lawmakers in the country and, really, among the most powerful people on the planet, these fellas aren’t inspiring a lot of confidence in their organizational skills or legal acumen.
Four of the five GOP candidates in the May 4 U.S. Senate primary in Indiana failed to file their personal financial disclosure statements by the required deadline this month.
Marlin Stutzman is the only one who met the deadline. Dan Coats “relied on faulty advice.” Don Bates claimed “some ambiguity in the deadline.” John Hostettler was waiting on someone to send him a packet. Richard Behney didn’t provide any information.
If one of these guys becomes Senator, that person will, no doubt, contribute to a legal system where the little people get hamstrung when they blow a deadline.
I have no sympathy for this. When third party candidates miss deadlines, we get removed from the ballot and/or fined heavily. They should suffer the same fate.
Agree with Mike on this one. Failure to handle basic filing requirements is inexcusable whether candidates personal failure (buck stops here and all that) or incompetant assistants and without any allowance for belief as to whether should or should not be required–the law is the law–follow it or change it.
Let this be a big topic as to ability of candidate to do the work needed to be of service rather than just be a candidate.
Of course, you are all right. And if any of you have ever failed to file your taxes or pay a utility bill on time, you should not be allowed to earn a wage or enjoy electricity in your home. Let’s be very frank here, folks. Filing on time with the FEC is in no way comparable to where these candidates not only stand on the gravely important issues of the day, but on where their VOTING RECORDS HAVE MADE VERY CLEAR WHAT KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE THEY WILL BE AND IF THEY WILL TRULY UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION, ONCE SWORN INTO OFFICE. Rash statements are at the root of a great deal of the failure in this once-great nation – common sense filters on, everyone. PLEASE.
Well, except that the Republicans and Democrats instituted these laws with it very much in mind as a process of weeding out. Not paying the utility bill on time has its ramification, as does failing to file a tax return, as should the campaign finance law. If it’s so superfluous, maybe the laws should be repealed, then. If these guys had said that they were making a statement, fine. Alas.
If they can’t fill out a form, they aren’t likely to read the bill, or show up every day rather than play golf, or uphold the constitution- because if you didn’t read the rules on filing, i.e.: it wasn’t important enough to be self-informed on for the job you’re applying for, what really are the odds they are going to be well versed in the Constitution, i.e.: do the job you couldn’t be bothered to find out how to apply for?
This once-great nation was taken down a peg by the ‘reform’ laws written by Republicans and Democrats. No sympathy whatsoever. The common sense filter is ON.
Again, agreed with Mike–expecting a candidate to follow simple instructions and requirements –and failure to do so–maybe one very good way to measure their general attitude about how to handle the business of the people. While not trying to go overboard on issue a portion of our problem with evaluating performance is we become accustom to overlooking “minor” points of behavior as long as the person “votes the right way” (read on matters we agree with). I do not know any of these candidates except from PR but certaintly concerned at an attitude where they believe the rules do not apply to them. So agree common sense is a legitimate filter.
While this isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of life on earth or even of our political issues, failure to file on time does reveal a troubling carelessness. If these laws are enforced vigorously against 3rd party candidates, then they should be enforced just as vigorously against Democrats and Republicans.
The Dems have their own problem in Minnesota, guys. It turns out Dan Powers, who filed official paperwork back in 2009, doesn’t want to file his Personal Financial Disclosure despite loaning his campaign $10,000!
Yet Dan Powers got the party endorsement to be on the primary ballot back in April – well after that 30-day filing deadline had passed.
So, the problems aren’t confined to Indiana, or Republicans.