TPMDC
Massa To Resign Monday
Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY)
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Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) announced today that he will resign, effective Monday at 5 p.m.
Massa, a freshman legislator, announced this week that he would not seek re-election, due to a cancer recurrence scare. The House ethics panel is also investigating Massa, reportedly for allegations of sexual harassment.
In a statement, Massa acknowledged the allegations for the first time.
"After I decided not to run again I was told, for the first time, that a member of my staff believed I had made statements that made him feel 'uncomfortable,'" he said.
He went on to blame his language for the incident.
"I own this reality. There is no doubt in my mind that I did in fact, use language in the privacy of my own home and in my inner office that, after 24 years in the Navy, might make a Chief Petty Officer feel uncomfortable," he continued. "In fact, there is no doubt that this Ethics issue is my fault and mine alone."
"I know that my own language failed to meet the standards that I set for all around me and myself. I fell short and I believe now, as I have always believed, that it is not enough to simply talk the talk, but rather I must take action to hold myself accountable," he said.
He did, however, blame the atmosphere in D.C. for his decision to resign over it.
"But in the incredibly toxic atmosphere that is Washington D.C., with the destruction of our elected leaders having become a blood sport, especially in talk radio and on the internet, there is also no doubt that an Ethics investigation would tear my family and my staff apart," he said.
Massa denied the allegations to TPMDC on Wednesday.
"I made my statement. The allegations are totally false. I'm a salty old sailor. That's that," he said. On a conference call announcing his retirement, he also referred to his "salty language" as reason for the allegations.
If Massa does resign, the House will only need 216 votes -- rather than 217 -- to pass health care reform. Massa voted no on the reform bill last year.
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Rich in NJ
March 5, 2010 3:37 PM
How many votes does Pelosi need to pass HCR?
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FreeRider
March 5, 2010 3:40 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
216 now that he's quitting and he was a "no" vote first time.
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Rich in NJ
March 5, 2010 3:53 PM in reply to FreeRider
So it's a positive development. Thanks.
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dtOZONE
March 5, 2010 7:28 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
Other than the fact some teabagger will probably win his seat.
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DownriverDem
March 8, 2010 11:05 AM in reply to dtOZONE
A tea bagger? What is it they really want anyway?
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FreeRider
March 5, 2010 3:40 PM
If he wasn't going to change his vote, then good! We're back to needing 216.
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Maritza
March 5, 2010 3:41 PM in reply to FreeRider
Maybe he was going to change his vote but who knows. He would have been a headache for the Demorats if he had stayed if those allegations were true.
Now Pelosi needs 216 votes.
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dustbunny44
March 5, 2010 3:45 PM
Isn't this God's retribution for voting "no" on HCR?
You know wingnut spin-cyclers would be hoisting this up the salutable flagpole if it were their argument.
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rbeats
March 5, 2010 3:52 PM in reply to dustbunny44
If there was a God there would be no need to a reform an industry that makes money from the misfortune of humans.
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hollywood
March 5, 2010 4:10 PM in reply to rbeats
If there was a god he would live in the hearts of those fighting to save other human beings from suffering and bankruptcy.
If there was a devil he would be a republican fighting to make money off others misery.
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Darrius
March 5, 2010 4:47 PM in reply to hollywood
There is no doubt that there is a God. The question is just who, or just what, God is.
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rbeats
March 5, 2010 5:07 PM in reply to Darrius
LOL
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midnight rambler
March 5, 2010 5:27 PM in reply to Darrius
There is no doubt that there is a Flying Spaghetti Monster. The question is just how it flies, and what kind of sauce it's covered in.
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lousgirl84
March 5, 2010 5:41 PM in reply to Darrius
LOL. No doubt. I've got lots of doubt.
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lousgirl84
March 5, 2010 7:57 PM in reply to Darrius
LOL. No doubt. I've got lots of doubt.
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we r all husseins
March 7, 2010 2:39 PM in reply to hollywood
Touche'. And very true.
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Michael A
March 5, 2010 3:45 PM
What is it about the party in power in congress that all this crap always happens to them. Rangel gets nailed for getting pay offs. This guy gets nailed for sexual harassment. Sounds to me like its a hell of alot more than "salty language" by the way. Why does this happen all the time?
Un freaking believable. Dems are going to blow their foot off and we will wind up with looney toons like bachmann running the show. God help us all.
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calchala
March 5, 2010 3:47 PM in reply to Michael A
It's okay we could say we're better than Ensign who's still in the Senate.
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Maritza
March 5, 2010 3:50 PM in reply to calchala
Also, Sanford is STILL the governmor of South Carolina.
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barbara63
March 5, 2010 4:07 PM in reply to Maritza
Also, I don't think anyone tried to cover this up. The Republicans got in big trouble with Foley because it seemed like many of the party bigwigs new what was going on and didn't do anything about it. When the allegations against Massa were reported to him, Steny Hoyer threatened to blow the whistle if Massa didn't report the allegations to the ethics committee.
So, it seems as though yes this kind of stuff may happen to the party that's in power, but what the party in power does or doesn't do about it is equally if not more important. And the Dems seem to be at least skimming the swamp, which is a lot more than you can say that the Republicans did when they were in charge.
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again
March 5, 2010 3:55 PM
If he is resigning, the 'sexual harassment' is probably pretty severe.
Good for the hcr count, but massa was fighting the good fight against the war(s).
And upstate loses someone who really fought for them.
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Maritza
March 5, 2010 3:58 PM in reply to again
True
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Eric Jaffa
March 5, 2010 4:40 PM in reply to again
Not necessarily.
Maybe he just used expressions which offended a staffer who overheard them, but didn't want to stick around to defend that since he's not running for re-election for medical reasons, anyway.
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Rockridge
March 5, 2010 4:03 PM
Wes Clark, pick your candidates better next time. Sheesh!
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bluesplashy
March 5, 2010 4:05 PM
I think some women congress persons need to step up to the plate. We won't have real equal rights until we get some sex and/or money scandels of our own. Come on ladies - let er rip!
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we r all husseins
March 7, 2010 2:42 PM in reply to bluesplashy
LOL!
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again
March 5, 2010 4:27 PM
I still don't understand - was this about language that many of us (not all) who grew up in lower to middle class Italian families hear regularly?
Or was it that he propositioned the staffer?
Or is there something bigger that he is trying to avoid by stepping down?
Or is he just being smeared?
I know a lot of people who donated to him in the last year.
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Eric Jaffa
March 5, 2010 4:41 PM in reply to again
Yeah, I'd like to know exactly what the accusation is, too.
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ariseatex
March 5, 2010 5:27 PM in reply to again
Given his statements, the most likely scenario is that was overheard using the term "f----t". It would fit both with the "sailor salty language" defense and the accusation of sexually-based harassment coming from a male staffer
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mrut
March 5, 2010 9:00 PM in reply to ariseatex
I doubt that mere use or even overuse of the "F-word" would result in this.
Plenty of politicians of both parties use "salty" language; it's not nice, but it's common (see R. Emanuel, D. Cheney). It does NOT result in resignations.
It's unfortunate that he characterizes himself as "a salty old sailor." Somehow the phrase does not help his case.
At least he had the decency to apologize and resign.
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MSNY
March 5, 2010 5:02 PM
He should just say it was satire, and blame the (suddenly) PC crazed GOP....
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Brainpicnic
March 5, 2010 5:07 PM
Weakling.
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An Outhouse
March 5, 2010 5:09 PM
I live in Western NY and liked Massa. Whatever is going on is unfortunate. At least the NY Times isn't writing articles that he's lazy but give them time.
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GOPinNYC
March 6, 2010 7:39 PM
One less no vote isn't really any help. You guys have two different blocks in the house who will vote no if the Senate bill is the version used. I believe those two blocks are twenty votes.
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