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Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.) / AP

BY: Elizabeth Harrington May 11, 2017 3:00 pm

A Democratic lawmaker from California referred to Middle America as "Podunk, USA," during a committee meeting last week, several sources inside the meeting told the Washington Free Beacon.

Remarks by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.) during a closed-door Energy and Commerce Committee meeting with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai raised eyebrows from those present.

The moment occurred when Eshoo pushed back against Pai when he was discussing expanding broadband access to rural areas.

Pai saidthat eliminating Title II net neutrality rules would benefit places he has traveled to, such as Parsons, Kan., Elverson, Pa., and Cadillac, Mich.

Sources inside the meeting told the Free Beacon that Eshoo was frustrated with Pai's comments. She wished out loud that Pai would stop talking about "Podunk, USA" and instead be more concerned about the venture capitalists on Sand Hill Road in her district near Palo Alto, according to the sources.

Many in the room reacted negatively to Eshoo's remarks, sources said. A member who represents a flyover state did not appreciate the term "Podunk," which means a small, unimportant town, and said districts in Middle America are just as important as those in Silicon Valley.

Eshoo's office declined to comment.

Democrats have been criticized for beingout of touch and representing only the interests of coastal elites since suffering significant losses in the 2016 elections. House Democrats opted to reelect Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco as their leader rather than Tim Ryan, who represents Youngstown, Ohio.

The FCC's plan to reverse Title II net neutrality rules, which would end the Obama administration policy of treating Internet service providers as utilities, has become a hotly contested issue, withChairman Pai receivingdeath threats.

Pai believes net neutrality subjected Internet providersto unnecessary regulatory burdens. He has made expanding broadband access to rural areas a top priority of his chairmanship.

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Democrat Refers to Middle America as 'Podunk, USA' - Washington Free Beacon

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SALEM, Ore. - Nearly a month after the Democratic Party of Oregon filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend., a Democratic lawmaker has introduced legislation that would close what the party calls the "Buehler loophole" in state laws governing required public disclosure of payments to elected officials by those who do business with the state.

The party issued this news release on the measure:

Legislation introduced Wednesday by Rep. Dan Rayfield would close the Buehler Loophole in state ethics laws and require additional reporting and transparency from public officials. Rayfields bill, HB 3457, follows an ethics complaint filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) against Rep. Knute Buehler for failing to disclose years of payments from companies that do business with the State of Oregon.

Rep. Buehler has received royalties, served as a paid consultant, paid speaker and presenter, and paid researcher for multiple health care-related businesses, including Stryker Corporation, a medical device company that is a contractor with the State of Oregon. Stryker has also been fined for violating anti-corruption and anti-kickback laws after an investigation of its activities in five countries by the Security and Exchange Commission.

Public officials are supposed act on behalf of the public, not the people who pay them, said Jeanne Atkins, Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon. Transparency in financial reporting is essential for the integrity of our system. We applaud Rep. Rayfields commitment to close the Buehler Loophole and bring these payments from the shadows into the light.

Currently, public officials are required to disclose income greater than $1,000 from businesses, organizations, or individuals that have legislative interests before the State of Oregon. But current law does not require public officials to report income paid to a business owned or run by a public official, even if the payor entity has business before the state.

This loophole would be closed by HB3457, which would require public officials to report sources of income to businesses they own or run if that income is 10% or more of that business's total income.

The DPO filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Buehler on April 12 for failing to report income from Stryker Corporation on his 2014, 2015 and 2016 Statements of Economic Interest. Rep. Buehler admits that as a doctor and state legislator he continues to accept consulting payments from Stryker but has countered that he does not have to report that income because the money was moved through a company he owns. The Bend Bulletin recently reported that company is registered at Rep. Buehlers home address.

The payments from Stryker only came to light because a federal transparency law requires medical device companies to report their payments to doctors in the U.S., including Rep. Buehler, who is a surgeon in Bend. The reports show the company paid Rep. Buehler personally, to the tune of $67,500 between 2013 and 2015payments Buehler did not disclose in Oregon. Stryker currently has a $150,000 contract with the Oregon Department of Corrections and could be expected to have an interest in health care and other legislative policy on which Rep. Buehler could have a vote.

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has not yet ruled on whether Buehler violated state ethics laws in failing to report these and other payments since 2013. Rep. Rayfield took action Wednesday to clarify any ambiguity in reporting requirements.

Whether payments are received by a lawmaker or by companies they have an interest in, they should be reported. If the law isnt 100% clear on that, the Legislature should make it clear so there is no excuse for hiding payments from any entity in any form, Atkins said. This legislation is necessary to better understand the financial ties and potential conflicts of interest of our public officials as well as the types of entities they are affiliated with.

In 2013, Stryker paid the Securities and Exchange Commission more than $13.2 million for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. And in November of 2014, Stryker agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits by US patients who had surgeries to revise problematic Stryker hip replacements.

Buehler issued this statement Thursday about the allegations:

Rather than improving schools, fixing roads or balancing the budget, Democrats continue to peddle bogus, politically motivated claims that have no basis in fact and do nothing to improve the lives of Oregonians. It's sad."

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Democrat intros bill to fix so-called 'Buehler loophole' - KTVZ

The numbers proved ugly for Northwest Missouri Democrats. In the 16 counties in this corner of the state, the average victory margin for President Donald Trump in November stood at 74 percent, with the average majority for Gov. Eric Greitens at 64 percent.

Area Democrats cant build a time machine to revisit those outcomes, but they hope a new effort will mobilize the party for future elections.

Northwest Democrat Days will be held in St. Joseph Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3.

The event grew from postmortems of past election cycles by local Democratic groups and a belief that the party has not been effective in spreading its message.

I think a lot of things that the Democrat Party stands for are good for rural, Northwest Missouri and North Missouri in general, David Peppard, a St. Joseph attorney helping organize the event, said.

Why would we sit around and not go out and let people know what we stand for and what we can do to make government more responsive for people in this area? Wed be crazy not to try to push that along.

The event also hopes to revive the tradition of the Pony Express Democrat Days, an annual gathering begun by Dwane and Dorothy Wylie in 1977. It was held for 20 years.

Unlike the regular Labor Day barbecues held by area Democrats in St. Joseph, with speeches by office seekers and a rallying of forces before fall elections, this event will have afternoon workshops about campaigning for office and grassroots organizing.

Sessions will be led by state lawmakers, by representatives of the state party, by activist group organizers and by past candidates for office.

The June 2 banquet, which will be held at the Green Acres Building, 3500 N. Village Drive, will have as its featured speakers Stephen Webber, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, and Cydney Mayfield, chair of the Missouri Democratic Rural Caucus.

The following night, a Saturday, the event shifts to Callison Hall, 1220 S. 10th St., where Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway and state Sen. Scott Sifton of St. Louis County will speak.

Peppard said that the timing seems right for hosting Democrat Days, in the aftermath of national events like the Womens March and the March for Science and local endeavors like Our Revolution and the Persisterhood.

I think there is a high level of enthusiasm and were lucky to have our event kind of following that wave, he said.

Organizers hope to attract Democrats from throughout the northwestern part of the state. Those groups taking part in establishing the event are the United Democratic Club of Northwest Missouri, the Buchanan County Womens Democratic Club and the Northwest Missouri Central Labor Council.

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Democratic event hopes to revitalize party in region - News-Press Now

The House Ethics Committee and its subordinate Office of Congressional Ethics may be slow-walkinga decision on whether to open aninvestigation into whether two Democrats, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jackie Speier, both of California, disclosedclassified information when criticizing President Donald Trump.

The concern that the two House ethics agencies are unusuallytardy to advance their consideration of the matter strikes a large contrast withhow quickly they moved on a House Republican last month arguably over a smaller matter.

I fear Democrats are manipulating the process for partisan gain.

On March 22, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) spoke to the media about a discovery he made about incidental intelligence-gathering that affected President Donald Trumps transition team. Nunes said that not only the intel was gathered, but that federal officials unmasked Americans in their spying. Unmasking U.S.identities can only be done for specific, valid purposes andhas a high bar for approval.

It was a major news revelationthat enragedliberal pundits and Democratic lawmakers.

The discovery such intelligence had been collected, and unmasking was done, was a huge blow to Trumpscritics, who blasted the president for his March 4 tweets claiming that former President Barack Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, traveled to the White House to brief Trump on what he found. He then gave a press conference outside the West Wing.

Liberal commentatorsand Democrats erupted after the revelations disrupted their narrative that Trump was unhinged to suggest the previous administration had been involved in surveillance of his team. Keith Olbermann, the oddball former MSNBC commentator now at GQ.com, went so far as to sayNunes should turn himself into the FBI, in one of the more unhinged reactions.

It was only a few weeks later, on April 6, that Nunes recused himself from the House Intelligence Committees work on Russia because the House Ethics Committee decided to investigate a complaint thatNunes may have confirmed the existence of classified information in a press conference. The GOP-led committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), a moderate Republican, moved with unusual speed, and may have even decided to not wait for a recommendation from the Office of Congressional Ethics.

In total, about 15 days passed between Nunes press conference and an official opening of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Nunes protested and said the charges were baseless. Nunes has said repeatedly that he did not break any rules on classified information in making his public statements. He remains chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

One of the complainants against Nunes was MoveOn.org, the famously left-wing organization, which has been trying to dog Trump. The complaintcentered on Nunes response when askedif the information he had seen was related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Officials are not supposed to discuss FISA data. Nunes said he didnt know. That was neither a confirmation or a denial.

On the other hand, citing public remarks by Schiff and Speier, the right-leaning watchdog organization Judicial Watch filed a complaint (using hand delivery) to the Office of Congressional Ethics on April 13. That was four weeks ago.

The Office of Congressional Ethics is evenly balanced between Republicans and Democrats. Its board can recommend action, which would lead to a full-on investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

But because the process is confidential, it is hard to know if a case is proceeding.

Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, is so far willing to cut the office and the larger committee some slack.

I expect we will be hearing something soon, said Fitton, speaking to LifeZette on Thursday. I dont think the issue can be avoided, thats for sure.

At least one House Republican official is not happy with the pace. The Democrats in the office and on the House committee are simply not interested in looking into public comments by Schiff and Speier about classified information, the source told LifeZette, requesting anonymity.

Schiff and Speiers dilemma is far worse than that of Nunes, the source said.

Schiff, who loves talking to TV cameras, is accused of telling the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution on March 21 about a conversation that Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had with the Russian ambassador. By talking about it, Judicial Watch claims, Schiff brokerules confirming classified data.

Speiers disclosure was more explicit. Judicial Watch cited an April 3 report by the Daily Caller, in which Speier said we do know the contents and context of the conversation between Flynn and the Russian ambassador. That is a textbook confirmation.

Both disclosures are said to be worse than what Nunes did, according to the House Republican source. But why Brooks, the House Ethics Committee and the office are hesitant to move with as much speed and vigor is anyones guess.

Republicans are also curious as to when Nunes case will be closed.

Fitton said if the ethics office and the House Ethics Committee dont act on Schiff and Speier, they will be seen as just another Establishment apparatus being used to get at Trump. There is also concern that Democrats are more keenly taking advantage ofthe process than the Republican majority.

I fear Democrats are manipulating the process for partisan gain, said Fitton.

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House Ethics Officials Move Slowly on Democrat Disclosures - LifeZette

Still searching for their first major electoral victory against President Trump, Democrats are pinning their hopes on a cowboy poet to channel the energy of the grass roots into winning a Montana seat that Republicans have held for two decades.

After losing a Kansas race, being forced into a runoff in Georgia and all but ignoring a South Carolina special election, Democrats need a marquee win somewhere to show that anti-Trump anger can translate into votes at the ballot box.

Enter Rob Quist, a 69-year-old guitar-toting political newcomer who is the Democratic nominee for the May 25 showdown with Republican Greg Gianforte for Montanas lone U.S. House seat.

Montanas special, maybe offers a little bit of an opportunity for [Democrats], because it is not as red as the Kansas 4th Congressional District. But nonetheless, Donald Trump won Montana by over 20 points, said Geoffrey Skelley, of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Four Republican-held seats in the U.S. House opened up this year after their occupants took jobs in the Trump administration. Each of them was in fairly red territory, but Democrats predicted that an anti-Trump surge would energize their base and give them chances to fill those vacancies.

However, a Republican has already won the Kansas election and is expected to win the South Carolina race, leaving the Montana and Georgia contests as Democrats best bets.

Republicans are not taking anything for granted.

Donald Trump Jr., the presidents son, campaigned with Mr. Gianforte on Thursday for the second time in a less than a month. Vice President Mike Pence is slated to campaign on Friday with the Republican businessman, who lost his bid for governor last year.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a political action committee dedicated to defending House Republicans, has emptied $2 million into the race, funding attack ads casting Mr. Quist as more Nancy Pelosi than Montana. The National Republican Campaign Committee rolled out a television ad Thursday raising questions about the singer-songwriters financial history.

Rob Quist hired us to build a dance floor at his house, a man named Kraig says in the ad. After we completed the job, he stiffed us.

Tina Olechowski, a Quist spokeswoman, said the attacks show that the Democrat is gaining ground in the race.

The momentum is behind Rob Quist, with Montanans across the state supporting Rob as an independent voice who will protect Montanas public lands, fight for affordable health care and support tax cuts for small businesses and working families, not millionaires, Ms. Olechowski said.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has invested $600,000 into pro-Quist television ad buys and get-out-the-vote efforts, and populist Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont is slated to campaign with the Democrat this month.

Tightening polls

A Gravis poll shows that Mr. Quist has cut Mr. Gianfortes lead to 8 percentage points in a district that Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke won by 15 points in November. Mr. Zinke stepped down to become Mr. Trumps interior secretary.

Our grass-roots momentum is unstoppable, the Quist campaign said in one of a series of fundraising emails this week. Thats why D.C. Republicans are scrambling to stop us theyre terrified that were going to win this seat. So folks, lets deal them a defeat that they wont forget.

Mr. Sanders and other liberal activists are hoping national Democratic power brokers dont shortchange the race. They criticized the party for not putting more effort into the Kansas race last month, when Democrat James Thompson came within 7 percentage points of defeating Republican Ron Estes. Mr. Trump carried the district by 27 points in November.

Mr. Skelley said Georgia, where Democrat Jon Ossoff narrowly missed winning the race outright last month, is still the partys best shot but that their battles are all uphill. Democrats now are struggling to find a balance between keeping activists bullish while tempering expectations.

Most of the special elections are taking place in districts that Democrats would need absolutely everything and then some to go their way to actually win, Mr. Skelley said.

The special election in Montana will be the first since the House narrowly voted last week to repeal and replace Obamacare, which has added to the liberal outrage against Mr. Trump and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill.

The New York Times reported last week that Mr. Gianforte has sent mixed messages about the health care bill, telling donors in a private phone call that he was thankful for its approval in the House, while his aides said he would not have voted for the bill because he did not know what was in it.

Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, blasted out a fundraising email this week reminding voters that the last time Democrats held Montanas lone seat in the House was 20 years ago.

But in a couple of weeks, we have a chance to flip that seat from red to blue and elect someone who will represent Montana values in Congress standing up for working people, protecting affordable health care and Medicare, and demanding equality and fair treatment for all, Mr. Perez said.

Christy Setzer, a Democratic strategist, said both parties could walk away from the special election season with bragging rights.

In this case, everyone has reason for optimism: Republicans can take heart that Democrats havent yet outright won a new seat; Democrats can feel good about overperforming by double digits in deep-red states, Ms. Setzer said. These seats are the Everest of uphill climbs seats that Republicans won by 20 points which means that Democrats could go winless in special election season and still take back the House next year.

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Rob Quist, Montana candidate, gives Democrats hope for House seat - Washington Times