Fossella represents Lobbyists not Staten Island

In a rather lengthy article about Ruppert Murdoch and News Corp his media empire, the New York Times (you can also read it here) starts dropping names and none other than our own Rep. Vito Fossella appears in a quid pro quo arrangement on behalf of Murdoch. The deal ultimately results in financial contributions to Fossella from News Corps PAC and lobbyists.

But the News Corporation turned to Republican allies to put pressure on Nielsen. Senator Conrad Burns, a Montana Republican who was chairman of the Commerce Committee's communications subcommittee, and Representative Vito J. Fossella, a New York Republican, introduced legislation that threatened Nielsen with government oversight.

One day after the bill was introduced, The New York Post ran an opinion article co-written by Mr. Fossella expressing outrage over plans for a museum at ground zero in Lower Manhattan. A news report in the paper that day raised the same concerns. Mr. Ginsberg said "the notion that Rupert had anything to do with that is laughable."

Political contributions flowed to nearly all the legislation's supporters. In 2005, the year the legislation was introduced, records show that the bill's 29 sponsors and co-sponsors together received at least $144,650 in donations from the News Corporation's political action committees and lobbyists.

Does Rep. Vito Fossella operate like this on a daily basis? Does he legislate to the highest bidder? It is time to Veto Fossella and send someone to Washington who is not corrupted by the system.