Progressive Democrat Issue 94: NY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BEATS HIS WIFE

Awhile back I wrote about a Pennsylvania Republican Congressman, Don Sherwood, who tried to strangle his mistress when the mistress escaped, locked herself in Sherwood's bathroom and called 911 for help. This very public example of assault and battery on Sherwood's part did not prevent Bush from eagerly campaiging on Sherwood's behalf, thus showing that Republican morality apparently includes beating women.

To further bolster this proof that Republicans consider beating women moral, police reports are now leaking out that New York Republican Congressman and public drunkard John Sweeny, not only beat his first wife, but now beats his second wife. This is from Michael Bouldin of Daily Gotham:

The Albany Times-Union reported late yesterday that a newly obtained police report shows that police responded to a 9/11 call issuing from the residence of republican Congressman John Sweeney (read the report here). The call was made by Sweeney's present wife while in a state of intoxication; the reason given was that he was 'knocking her around'. This is the Congressman's second marriage; the first ended amid allegations of similar incidents.

Of course, as we noted some time ago, wife beating isn't the only pathology Sweeney seems intent to make a subject of dinner table conversation: there's also the drinking and the extremism and his ranking among the twenty most corrupt Members of Congress.

Notably, the Times-Union has been trying to get this report since the violence happened in December; however, the state police refused to release them, referring all inquiries 'to headquarters'. The state police reports to republican governor George Pataki. You do the math.

THIS is Republican values at work right here. Corruption and beating women. Sweeney and Sherwood are both well loved by Bush and the Republican Congressional leadership and very few Republican politicians have even criticized either of them for beating women. One exception is that the Republican candidate for Congress in the NY-21 district has endorsed Sweeney's Democratic opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand, showing that at least some Republicans still have values. By contrast, NY Governor Pataki seems to have helped COVER UP the police reports, thus putting him in the same category as Hastert and Reynolds who covered up for the sexual predator, Republican Congressman Foley, for six years. Not only do Republicans tolerate sexual predators and wife beaters, but they actively cover up for them!

You can fight Republican abuse of women by supporting Chris Carney (Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, served multiple tours overseas and was activated for operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle and he has served as Senior Terrorism and Intelligence Advisor at the Pentagon) against Sherwood and supporting Kirsten Gillibrand (Special Counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during Clinton's Presidency) against Sweeney. Both races are, despite the abusiveness of the Republican candidates.