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WINNING RETURN: Democrat Party clinches the Sires' Stakes Fillies' Championship at Alexandra Park.

Democrat Party climaxed an extraordinary comeback from serious injury when she won the $150,000 Sires' Stakes Fillies' Championship at Alexandra Park in New Zealand record time.

In a survival-of-the-fittest final, when the searing pace never let up, it was left to the one filly who had shown incredible bravery off the track to run down Mark Purdon and Supersonic Miss in an unbelievable 2:37.1 for the 2200 metres.

That Democrat Party could even make the race, let alone break the record of 2:38.6 set by Delightful Lana at the last Auckland meeting, was testament to the skills of not only trainer Barry Purdon but also the team around him.

The future of the American Ideal filly looked decidedly shaky after she broke a cannon bone just two days before the Harness Jewels at Cambridge at the end of May.

Purdon's wife Katrina recalls it took five of them to get her back to her box after she damaged the leg in training.

And the prognosis was extremely guarded for Southland owners John and Katrina Price after an operation when four screws were used to piece the leg back together.

"The vet said if you had to break a bone the cannon bone was a good one to do," Katrina Price said.

"But she was sore for a very long time and had to be boxed for at least three months."

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Democrat Party completes comeback by winning Sires Stakes Fillies Championship

WASHINGTON (CNN) -

The first man out the gate in the 2016 race for the White House is already facing scrutiny over payments his PAC made to his wife and daughter.

A political action committee headed by Former Sen. Jim Webb, the Democrat who launched a presidential exploratory committee last month, has paid more than $90,000 to his wife and daughter since late 2006 -- with close to half of that amount doled out in 2014 alone, according to FEC filings. The information was first reported by Business Insider.

A Webb spokesperson defended the expenses in an email to CNN, explaining that payments to Webb's wife and daughter increased in 2014 to a total of $37,000 to revamp Webb's personal website and create his 2016 exploratory committee page before he announced his plans to fundraise for a prospective presidential bid.

"Adding up numbers across several years for a sensational headline doesn't tell the story," the spokesperson said. "The activities of the PAC increased in 2014 when Jim Webb decided to re-enter the political discussions of our country."

The spokesperson added that the payments were "well within the law" and "much lower" than typical compensation.

Webb's daughter, Amy Webb Hogan, drew most of the disbursements, charging her father's PAC $24,000 in 2014 for "administrative consulting services," which included administering, managing and designing the PAC's website, Webb's personal site and creating the Webb2016 website.

Webb Hogan is the CEO of Webbmedia Group, a digital strategy firm based in Baltimore, though the payments from the PAC went directly to her.

Sen. Webb's wife, Hong Le Webb, made $13,800 in 2014 for "website services," which included "vetting design consultants, negotiating contracts and content management," Webb's spokesperson said.

She also received more than $1,000 in travel reimbursements from the PAC.

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Democrat may run for president in 2016

New Democrat MP Sylvain Chicoine is seeking $175,000 in a defamation lawsuit filed against former employee Fabiola Ferro, who in the fall filed a court claim alleging that the politician had a sexist and misogynist attitude towards her. | PC

New Democrat MP Sylvain Chicoine is seeking $175,000 in a defamation lawsuit filed against former employee Fabiola Ferro, who in the fall filed a court claim alleging that the politician had a sexist and misogynist attitude towards her.

In acountersuitfiled against Ferro in Ontario Superior Court on Monday,Chicoine is seeking $175,000 for legal costs and alleged defamation of his professional reputation.

Chicoinerepresents the Quebec riding ofChteauguay-Saint-Constant and works as the NDPdeputy critic for veterans affairs.

In a lawsuit filed on Nov. 7. Ferro is seeking $194,000 in damages from Chicoine, who she claims failed to deal with harassment by another staffer and fired her without cause.

The former employee alleged thatChicoine showed favouritism towards another staffer,David Cimon, who she alleges was harassing her, threatening her, and unfairly criticizingher work.

CBC News on Tuesday spoke withChicoine's lawyer, Alexander HerrickDuggan from the Montreal law firm of Duggan Avocats, who said his clientrejects the accusations against him.

"He [Chicoine] bent over backwards to help and accommodate the plaintiff, Ms. Ferro, who then maliciously attacked and defamed him in an abusive and meritless lawsuit."

Duggan said Chicoine's statement of defence and counterclaim show he is "the victim of a politically motivated smear campaign and abusive lawsuit by a former employee."

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Sylvain Chicoine, NDP MP, Countersues Ex-Staffer For 'Smear Campaign'

NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) -

Candidates in next year's governor's race have already begun making their pitch with 10 months to go. Most have already set up websites, and the lone Democrat is trying to gain name recognition in New Orleans.

"I do think we have a series of candidates who can raise millions of dollars each and have a base of voters already," said Tulane political analyst Mike Sherman.

Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Sen. David Vitter, and State Rep. John Bel Edwards of Amite are all trying to build voter support.

"The only two I'm familiar with are Dardenne and Vitter," said New Orleans voter Andy Mayeaux.

"You can pick the guy to beat based on two things - who has most funds, and name recognition. David Vitter has been elected statewide, has significant funds and statewide name recognition," said Sherman.

To become better known, Bel Edwards bought expensive billboards in New Orleans.

"Before you can share a message, you have to let them know who you are, and that starts with name recognition," said Sherman.

Also being mentioned as a possible fifth candidate is Angola prison warden Burl Cain, who has a Facebook page to get his message out.

"I think one of the biggest issues is Common Core, which i'm not real crazy about," said Mayeaux.

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Candidates for governor already fighting for votes

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of La., right, with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., left, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, following a House GOP caucus meeting. Scalise acknowledged that he once addressed a gathering of white supremacists. Scalise served in the Louisiana Legislature when he appeared at a 2002 convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization. Now he is the third-highest ranked House Republican in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON The Houses third-ranking Republican leader said Tuesday he regrets speaking 12 years ago to a white supremacist group and condemns the views of such groups.House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana said that as a state legislator in 2002, he spoke to many groups about a major tax issue.

One of the many groups that I spoke to regarding this critical legislation was a group whose views I wholeheartedly condemn, Scalise said in a statement. It was a mistake I regret, and I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold.

Republican leaders defended Scalise, while Democratic groups criticized him.

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said Scalise made an error in judgment, and he was right to acknowledge it was wrong and inappropriate. Boehner said Scalise has my full confidence as our Whip.

Scalise acknowledged at a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization. Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke founded the group, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee criticized Scalise in an earlier statement on Tuesday, saying he chose to cheerlead for a group of KKK members and neo-Nazis at a white supremacist rally, and questioned why the Republican leadership had remained silent.

In an interview Monday with The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and NOLA.com, Scalise said he had little staffing as a state legislator, and didnt always know details of groups he was invited to address. I didnt know who all of these groups were, and I detest any kind of hate group, Scalise told the newspaper.

His statement Tuesday did not deal with the issue of weak staffing and sketchy knowledge of his audiences in 2002. However, Scalise, who is Catholic, said these groups hold views that are vehemently opposed to my own personal faith, and I reject that kind of hateful bigotry.

Scalise won a key endorsement Monday from Rep. Cedric Richmond, who will be Louisianas only Democrat and only black in Congress when the new Congress convenes next week. Richmond told NOLA.com: I dont think Steve Scalise has a racist bone in his body. He said he has worked closely with Scalise and I am not going to let them use Steve as a scapegoat to score political points when I know him and know his family.

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Republican leader regrets talk to white supremacists