Remember Michael Aaron Lay? He's Pat McHenry's former roomie and staffer who committed voter fraud in the 2004 primary McHenry only won by 86, no, 85 votes.

In August Lay got a "deferred prosecution." If he pays a fine, does 100 hours of community service and stays out of trouble, he'll never be charged. Nice lawyering, if you can afford it. Apparently, Lay didn't have to pay the bill. McHenry's PAC did.

It looks like our Pat is not so conservative when it comes to the interpretation of "political action."

A summation of the whole bragging, pandering, lameass debacle.

Use this (and thoreau's post) to write a letter to the editor to at least one newspaper serving NC's 10th District. Unless you're on-line (and many in the 10th are not), you probably have no idea what Pat's been up to lately. We can write and link and blog and comment, but unless we get into the local press, Republicans who might bge quite happy with Daniel Johnson won't even know McHenry needs to be replaced. Scroll to the bottom of the post for links to most 10th District newspapers that have websites.

I guess they thought the testimony would be too emotionally painful for their banking donor buddies. At least, one has to draw that conclusion when Republicans on the House Consumer Credit Subcommittee are so threatened they arrange for witnesses to be stonewalled and bullied.

But, in their efforts to keep these stories out of circulation, House Republicans kinda blew it. No wonder none of 'em are returning reporter's phone calls.

Last week Roger Clemens provided our Patty one more opportunity to make an ass out of himself. And finally, a local reporter figured it out. And took him down.

Kudos to Derick Moss of the Gaston Gazette. . . Never heard of him? That's because you've been reading the news. For decent coverage of your US congressman, at least in the 10th, you need to turn to the sports section.