CNS Party Officials Dispatch Almone To Help Struggling Candidates

Popular POG governor is helping with fundraising for vulnerable candidates

MAVOCKE, CEA--With several Conservative gubernatorial candidates trailing in the polls and struggling to raise funds for their campaigns, top officials in the CNS Party are asking popular POG Governor Donna Almone to help out her vulnerable colleagues.

On GNN's The Capitol Report with James Madine, Almone confirmed that she will be campaigning and fundraising for her conservative counterparts in other states. The governor did not say if top party officials had asked her to help, but a party official, who spoke to GNN on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Almone's help was requested.

"They basically asked her to go campaign in all these states for these candidates that are struggling to raise money and are struggling in the polls," the official said.

Almone said she was choosing to campaign on behalf of her colleagues because she wants to keep them in office.

"I feel strongly about each one of my Conservative colleagues. I believe they are providing the necessary leadership for our country, and we need every one of them in office," she told Madine.

GNN confirmed that the POG Governor will embark on a lengthy national tour. Her first stop will be in Gallaghan, Ceona next week, where she will stump for incumbent Governor Don Parkins, who is trailing his Nationalist opponent, Christine Gabler, in the polls. Next, Almone will appear at a private fundraiser later this month in Grassadella City for Grassadella City mayor Sid Hoffa, who is locked in a three-way race with incumbent Jim McCaren (NAT) and D-R challenger Isaac Hjelms.

Almone will also appear at campaign events in Deschire, Harvannah, New Portsmouth, and Wilkonshire. It's unclear which, if any, events will be open to the press.

Embattled Aide Will Leave Gorbachy Campaign

Derrick Shaffey has been asked to leave the Gorbachy campaign

TREETON, MON--An aide to Senator Hanna Gorbachy, who admitted last week to sending offensive and defamatory e-mails using campaign computers has been asked to leave the senator's re-election campaign, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

"Senator Gorbachy asked Mr. [Derrick] Shaffey to resign his position effective immediately," Jorna Morgan, a campaign spokeswoman, said. "Mr. Shaffey indicated he was willing to do that."

Shaffey admitted last week to sending e-mails containing disparaging remarks about Gorbachy's opponent, Representative Rill Stevens (CNS), who is openly gay. The e-mails, sent to another campaign staffer, contained homophobic comments and ridiculing remarks about Stevens and gays and lesbians in general.

Gorbachy immediately condemned Shaffey's behavior, but the senator did not immediately dismiss him from the campaign. Instead he was put on an indefinite suspension without pay until Gorbachy and senior advisors decided what action to take.

The Stevens campaign released a statement attacking Shaffey's actions, calling them "offensive, disgusting, and purely hateful." Representative Stevens also called on Senator Gorbachy to remove Mr. Shaffey from her campaign.

"I don't think there's any way Senator Gorbachy can sincerely say she supports the gay/lesbian community if she keeps Mr. Shaffey on the pay-roll," Stevens told GNN News.

Contacted by GNN Sunday, the Stevens campaign commended Senator Gorbachy for firing Shaffey, but questioned why it took so long.

"We're glad that Senator Gorbachy made the right decision to fire Mr. Shaffey," spokeswoman Mary Konns said. "What we're wondering is why it took so long for the senator to make that decision."

The Gorbachy campaign defended their process, telling GNN that the decision was not made immediately because Mr. Shaffey held a key position in the campaign, and senior advisors had to rearrange staff assignments to cover his position.

"The reason it took so long was purely because of personnel issues, not because there was any doubt about the inappropriate nature of [Shaffey's] actions," Dan Condon, a Gorbachy senior aide told GNN.

Senator Gorbachy will be holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon to personally address the issue. GNN will have live coverage.

Sellious Slams Voldrew Over Taxes

Former secretary of education says liberal bank mogul 'doesn't understand middle class'

MAVOCKE, CEA--Conservative House candidate Megan Sellious slammed her NAT opponent, former banker and wealthy investor Bernie Voldrew, over taxes.

Calling him a "wealthy banker who made millions off the mortgage crisis," Sellious attacked Voldrew for supporting higher taxes on the middle class and for higher taxes on corporations.

"It was Bernie Voldrew who supported higher taxes on Ceona's middle class families. It was Bernie Voldrew who supported higher taxes for small businesses. And it was Bernie Voldrew who supported higher taxes on large corporations. These are not the values of Ceonans," Sellious said at a speech in Mavocke.

Sellious also attacked Voldrew for his "almost socialist-like policies."

Voldrew did support a tax increase on some middle class tax-payers, but only for upper-middle class citizens, those making between $70,000 and $98,000 per year, his campaign said. When it comes to raising taxes on corporations and small businesses, that claim is "preposterous," according to campaign spokeswoman Vicki Mayfield.

"Bernie Voldrew has only proposed raising taxes on big, corrupt corporations like oil companies, because he believes those corporations owe the Grassadellan people," Mayfield said. "As for small businesses, it's just not true. Bernie has never supported raising taxes on small businesses."

Sellious and Voldrew are running in what could be one of the nation's closest races this December. A recent poll showed Sellious, the former Secretary of Education, with 50% to Voldrew's 48%, a statistical dead-heat.

Voldrew has tried to tie Sellious to the Byelle Administration's policies, while Sellious has attempted to make Voldrew look like a wealthy banking executive who is out of touch with Ceonans. Both candidates have made social issues a primary piece of the campaign, with Voldrew attacking Sellious for her conservative views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and embryonic stem-cell research. Sellious, for her part, has tried to paint Voldrew as an ultra-liberal weak on national security and against traditional family values.

The race is only likely to get uglier as December 4th nears. Both candidates have significant amounts of money to work with. As of October 1st, Voldrew had raised $14.1 million, although he loaned his campaign $2.5 million. Sellious doesn't have as much money, only $11.6 million, though she has more independent groups acting on her behalf, evening out Voldrew's money advantage.

Gorbachy Campaign Worker Bashes Gays, Stevens In E-Mails

Senator's staff member sends anti-gay emails, mocks Stevens' sexual orientation

TREETON, MON--Senator Hanna Gorbachy (NAT), who is facing re-election this December, is apologizing after one of her staff members sent anti-gay e-mails, including messages that mocked Gorbachy's opponent, CNS Congressman Rill Stevens, who happens to be openly gay.

Derrick Shaffey, a key operative in Gorbachy's re-election campaign and a full-time aid to the senator, admitted to sending the e-mails after they were leaked to local media. In its Thursday edition, The Oaksdale Press newspaper published excerpts of the e-mails, but newspaper officials said some portions had to be edited because they were too explicit for publication.

In one e-mail to a fellow nationalist colleague, Shaffey writes that gays "don't deserve the attention they've been given in this campaign," and that "gays are too stupid to figure out that politicians don't really care about them." In that same e-mail, Shaffey calls Stevens a "tiny-brained faggot," and suggests if Stevens would "cross-dress" he could "do better with women [voters]."

Shaffey, a 25-year-old recent college graduate of Owens-Park State University and the youngest member of Gorbachy's full-time staff, initially denied sending the e-mails, until he was confronted by members of the media with exact transcripts. He then acknowledged he sent them, but said they had been taken out of context.

"It was really all just...kind of a joke," Shaffey said. "I think it's really being taken out of context by the media."

Out of context or not, the Gorbachy campaign did not hesitate to take action. Senator Gorbachy jointly appeared with Shaffey at a special press conference Friday morning, openly condemning his remarks.

"I have to say that I am appalled, utterly appalled, disgusted, disappointed, and ashamed of Derrick's behavior," she said. "This is in no way an acceptable kind of behavior for my campaign."

Shaffey also spoke personally, issuing an apology to Representative Stevens and the public.

"My actions were wrong. It was dumb, it was stupid. I should never have sent those e-mails, and I just want to say I'm sorry to Congressman Stevens, to the people of Monomi, and to Senator Gorbachy," he said.

When asked about Shaffey's future with the campaign, the senator did not say whether he will be dimissed. Mr. Shaffey has been put on indefinite suspension, however, the senator said.

The Stevens campaign did not immediately comment to reporters. However, the campaign did release a written statement later in the afternoon, in which Representative Stevens called Mr. Shaffey's comments "despicable, deplorable, and completely and utterly offensive."

"Mr. Shaffey's words are not only offensive to me, they are offensive to every member of our society who identifies with the gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/trans-gendered movement," Stevens wrote. "And to hear these hateful, bigotted words is extremely hurtful and demeaning."

Stevens also called for Shaffey's immediate departure from the campaign.

"If Senator Gorbachy truly cares about running a clean and respectful campaign, she will do what's right and immediately force Mr. Shaffey to leave the campaign. This kind of bigotry and hate-speech should not be tolerated in this campaign."

Senator Gorbachy's campaign will make an announcement regarding Mr. Shaffey's future with the campaign sometime over the weekend, a campaign spokeswoman said.

Some Gays Refuse To Support Stevens In Monomi House Race

First openly-gay congressman not winning over all homosexual voters

TREETON, MON--Congressman Rill Stevens (CNS), the first-openly gay member of Congress, has drawn admiration from some in the gay community over the last three decades he's been in public office.

But now he's drawing ire from many of his fellow homosexuals. Stevens is vying for the Senate, running against incumbent Sen. Hanna Gorbachy (NAT). But today, a group of Monomi homosexuals announced they are supporting Gorbachy, even though Stevens shares their sexual orientation.

"We cannot support Congressman Stevens because, while he is gay, he does not support equal rights for gay Grassadellans," Eric Cannon, President of Pride Alliance, the nation's largest pro-homosexual-rights group, said.

Stevens has been open about his sexual preference since 1992, when he first came out publicly. Since then, he has actively stood up for homosexual rights in the National Assembly; introducing dozens of bills, including hate-crime, anti-discrimination, and property rights legislation.

But Stevens has come under fire from gay-rights groups because, while he is gay, he opposes legalizing gay marriage. He does support civil unions and legal rights for gay couples, however.

In an interview back in July 2008, Stevens told GNN's Marie Watson he opposes legalizing gay marriage "for a number of reasons, but primarily because the Grassadellan people, collectively, do not support it."

Stevens' campaign expanded on those remarks yesterday.

"Congressman Stevens opposes gay marriage because the majority of Grassadellans don't support legalizing it. The latest poll, back in August 2008, shows 58% of Grassadellans opposed to legalizing gay marriage, and Congressman Stevens does not believe he should go against the people on this issue," Mary Stegen, campaign spokeswoman, said.

Critics say Stevens is opposed simply because of political reasons. He is a member of the conservative party, which officially opposes same-sex marriage, and he represents a conservative congressional district that covers the northern suburbs of Treeton.

"I think the real reason Rill Stevens is opposed to gay marriage is because his party doesn't support it and if he did support it, he would be going against the party," Political Scientist Todd Atham, of the University of Monomi told GNN.

Stevens denies party pressure is the reason he opposes the issue. His campaign also points out that while he has not supported same-sex marriage, he has consistently advocated for homosexuals.

"Congressman Stevens has always stood up for the gay and lesbian community in Monomi and across the country. They are his brothers and sisters. He will always stand up for them," Stegen said.

Gorbachy's campaign did not comment on Stevens' record, but welcomed the endorsement from the Pride Alliance.

"Senator Gorbachy has consistently fought for gay and lesbians in our state and whole-heartedly supports same-sex marriage and equality," spokeswoman Marra Thomson said.

Stevens himself has been mum lately on the issue. When questioned by reporters last week, he refused comment.

Earlier this year, in May, Stevens celebrated his 19th anniversary with his life-partner, Jay Goldberg. The two reside at their home in Monoatchu, Monomi.