The temperamental ex-Republican congressman and sometime Soup Nazi Michael Forbes (see "A New Democrat" by Tucker Carlson in the Aug. 2 WEEKLY STANDARD) appeared on CNN's Crossfire last week claiming that his old staff hadn't quit en masse because he suddenly became a Democrat. Instead, "Republican bullies attacked my staff and pressured them to leave. It was unbelievable. . . . It's one thing to come after Mike Forbes, but to come after my staff and bully them and require them to quit . . . was really unconscionable." When fellow guest Rep. Ray LaHood chimed in that Forbes's old staff hadn't needed any prompting to abandon Forbes, he spluttered, "Oh that's baloney" and then went even further: "Many of [my old staff] called my office and called me in tears. I have a single mom with two kids who just bought a house -- who happens to be a registered Democrat -- and she got calls over the weekend and she was in tears. And she didn't know what to do."
A dozen former staffers issued a statement shortly after Forbes made his remarks, calling his allegations "an unequivocal lie. . . . At no time did anyone in Republican House Leadership ever, repeat ever, threaten or bully the former staff either individually or collectively to leave employment in his office. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Republican House Leadership, specifically Congressman Tom Davis and his staff at the National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican National Chairman Jim Nicholson, Republican Congressman John Sweeney and Brookhaven Republican Town Chairman John Bivona as well as dozens of other Republican officials have been more than generous with their support of us."
As for the sobbing mother who called Forbes for advice? According to the Forbes dozen, she neither cried, nor called, nor is a registered Democrat.