Pete Olson Blames Lampson for Virginia Voter Fraud Investigation

In his latest fit of silliness, Pete Olson has laid the blame for being investigated for fraud in Virginia squarely at the feet of Nick Lampson. From an article in today’s Fort Bend Now:

“Olson called the allegation a ‘smear’ orchestrated by his opponent, incumbent Nick Lampson (D-Stafford), through a Democratic political action committee, the Lone Star Project.”

And later in the article:

“Olson also said that although the allegations came from the Lone Star Project, the Lampson campaign was behind the effort. He claimed to have seen ‘a document from Lampson’s campaign’ showing the allegations originated with Lampson. Olson did not provide a copy of that document to reporters at the press conference.”

And finally, this:

“’I now see him for what he is – a classic politician that cares more about getting re-elected than representing the values of the people he represents.’”

Now here’s my take.

I wish to God it was true. I wish to God that we fair-minded Democrats had as much gall, and as much go-for-the-throat instincts as our Republican counterparts do. The fact is, Olson’s position, ethics-wise, calls on him to accuse Lampson’s campaign for acts that are more closely associated with his own party’s operatives. The fact is, Olson is now accusing Lampson of behaving like a Republican.

I know Nick Lampson, and there is something you get about him: Nick Lampson only behaves like a Republican when he casts his vote with them.

And he does that sometimes.

That is not to say that the Lampson campaign has not glommed on to this ethics windfall that allows them to further compare Pete Olson to former Congressman Tom DeLay. They have. It took them about a week, but they finally started talking about Matt Angle’s Virginia criminal complaint against Pete Olson.

“Did Pete Olson commit a felony? All signs point to yes but the criminal investigation that was opened in Fairfax County this week will decide.

Prosecutors were quick to move on a felony complaint that was filed after evidence was discovered showing Pete Olson (with the same addresses and signature of candidate Olson) voted and maintained voter registration in Connecticut and Virginia. Voter fraud is a felony in both states.”

And so on.

The DCCC also chimed in with a hit piece that I have seen played during prime time. It’s actually one of their best hit pieces, tying Pete Olson to McCain’s recent comments on voter fraud and then to Tom DeLay:



Then Olson had his press conference.

And then, the Lampson campaign answered with a video response:



On October 3rd, a millennium ago in terms of political campaigns, Burnt Orange Report, citing a non-partisan polling organization Cook Political Report, rated the CD 22 race as a “toss up.”

My guess is that Pete Olson hopes that that is still the case.

My guess is that it isn’t.