Who Tried To Bribe Rep. Smith? - Stop protecting him, Congressman. By Timothy Noah: "Rep. Nick Smith R-Mich., says that sometime late Nov. 21 or early in the morning Nov. 22, somebody on the House floor threatened to redirect campaign funds away from his son Brad, who is running to succeed him, if he didn't support the Medicare prescription bill.
"This according to the Associated Press. Robert Novak further reports, 'On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, [Rep.] Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.
"Speaking through Chief of Staff Kurt Schmautz, Smith assured Chatterbox that Novak's account is 'basically accurate.' ... "
- posted by geoff @ #