Kate Mulgrew Participates in TV Political Ads Congressman is her brother-in-law
Source: Yahoo News
Congressman Takes on Primary Fight By M.R. KROPKO Associated Press Writer YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) - James Traficant Jr. has had 16 colorful years in the U.S. House, often railing against the government with scathing speeches punctuated by his signature ``Beam me up!'' line.
His unruly gray hair and affinity for polyester or plaid make him one of the most recognizable figures on Capitol Hill. He has a tendency to side with Republicans. He beat the charges in a 1983 corruption trial, though he expects to be indicted again soon. But the gruff former sheriff and longtime Democrat isn't just fighting the government or prosecutors these days. For the first time, Traficant faces a primary battle, against opponents who say eastern Ohio is finally ready for a change from Traficant's blustery style and the accusations of mob ties and improper behavior that follow him around. ``Our battle is getting someone who is representing us in Washington, and not fighting his personal battles with FBI and IRS,'' said Robert Hagan, a state senator who is running against Traficant in Tuesday's primary. The other candidates are Mahoning County Auditor George Tablack and schoolteacher Christopher Doutt, a political novice. All must overcome Traficant's unique image. He invokes ``Beam me up!'' - a line borrowed from TV's ``Star Trek'' - to show his disgust at something in government he finds particularly outrageous. The tax code was one target. Colleagues admire his way with words, giving him standing ovations after particularly impassioned speeches. Any derision of him as a showboater is not for attribution.
Though differing with the GOP on labor and trade, Traficant votes with the Republicans more than half the time and is a reliable anti-abortion vote. He represents the rustiest spot in Ohio's rust belt, the Mahoning Valley, an area that has long suffered from two major problems: empty steel mills and mob influence. Youngstown lost more than 20,000 steel jobs starting in the late 1970s and never fully recovered. In 1963, the Saturday Evening Post dubbed the city ``Crime Town USA'' after a series of mob-related bombings. As recently as 1996, mobsters shot and wounded the county prosecutor-elect. Traficant, 58, seems to thrive on controversy. In 1983, he beat federal charges of taking bribes from mobsters. Though he wasn't an attorney, Traficant defended himself and successfully argued that he took $163,000 in mob money only to use as evidence. The self-defense helped create a wave of popularity that carried him to election to Congress in 1984. More recently, Traficant said he expects to be indicted again as the result of a new probe that has netted more than 50 convictions, including a former aide. ``You're talking to the only American that embarrassed the Justice Department in a RICO (organized crime) case without being an attorney,'' Traficant recently told reporters. ``There's been a hell of a long grudge. And right now, I'll tell you what, I've got a grudge, too.''
Traficant shook up the primary campaign by announcing Jan. 28 that he had turned over telephone, rent and payroll records to investigators related to the ongoing corruption probe. Traficant gets annoyed when his opponents tell voters he could end up on trial again. ``I've taken about enough from a bunch of candidates that have no record, no performance and who only denigrate and demean a congressman who the world is watching,'' Traficant said in a recent debate. ``I've got a hell of a record, and the mob hates Jim Traficant.'' Hagan has perhaps been the most vociferous challenger in terms of linking Traficant to organized crime and imploring voters to dump him. Hagan airs television ads featuring his sister-in-law, ``Star Trek: Voyager'' actress Kate Mulgrew. Picking up on Traficant's ``Beam me up'' speeches, she asks voters to ``beam him out.'' ``The Traficant mystique has been realized as a mistake by the people in this district,'' Hagan said. ``People are starting to realize he has to fight to stay out of jail.''