George Bush’s political guru Karl Rove and former Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson have a long history together. So it’s no surprise that he’s now rushing to her aid. This morning it was reported that Rove is once again spending special interest cash through American Crossroads to prop up the former Congresswoman’s campaign with positive ads. Karl Rove almost never runs positive ads, but this one aims to boost Wilson's scandal-plagued image with voters. Wilson was previously named one of the most corrupt politicians in Washington for her role in a Justice Department scandal that centered on Karl Rove and the Bush White House. The National Journal noted that the group’s positive ads “stand in contrast to the negative spots it has been running everywhere else.”

“The last time Karl Rove and Heather Wilson teamed up they found themselves knee deep in a corruption scandal that resulted in Wilson being named one of the most corrupt in Washington,” said Matt Canter, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Karl Rove is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in special interest cash because he’s hell bent on getting Wilson back to Congress so they can pick up where they left off. But New Mexico voters know that Wilson’s corrupt, self-serving political agenda is the last thing they need."

Wilson’s ties to Rove are well documented and their relationship resulted in Wilson being named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by a non-partisan watchdog group. Together, the two were implicated in a long running Justice Department scandal that stemmed from the politically motivated firings of several US Attorneys. Rove alleged that Wilson asked the White House to fire a New Mexico prosecutor who was moving too slowly in a case against New Mexico Democrats. All the while, Wilson was a reliable vote for Rove’s Republican agenda, voting for tax giveaways for oil companies and millionaires, and against minimum wage increases, all while voting to raise her own pay.

Wilson also sat on the board of one of Rove’s groups, Crossroads GPS, which is closely aligned with American Crossroads.

“Heather Wilson’s misplaced priorities puts millionaires, Big Oil, and her own politics ahead of New Mexico and the middle class. All the slick campaign ads in the world can’t erase her scandal-plagued past and her disastrous voting record,” added Canter.

BACKGROUND:

Wilson Named One Of The Most Corrupt Members Of Congress For Her Role In The US Attorney Scandal. In 2007, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) named Wilson to its annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. They put her on the list because of her involvement in the US Attorney Scandal. According to former New Mexico US Attorney David Iglesias, Wilson contacted him on October 16, 2006, to pressure him to take action on a political corruption case, which she was using as political fodder against her opponent Patricia Madrid. [CREW Release, 9/18/07; AP, 4/19/07]

Wilson Voted Against Raising The Minimum Wage Six Times. In 2006 and 2007, Wilson voted six times against minimum wage increases or to kill Democratic attempts to even be allowed to offer a minimum wage increase. [CQ Floor Votes; HR 2206, Vote 333, 5/10/07; CQ House Action Reports, No. 110-3, 3/20/07; HR 1591, Vote 186, 3/23/07; Leadership Document, “Democrats are Fighting for a New Direction: A Pay Raise for Millions of Americans,” 7/19/06; HR2389, Vote 382, 7/19/06; HR2990, Vote#364, 7/12/06; HR4411, Vote 360, 7/11/06; HR5672, Vote 319, 6/27/06]
Albuquerque Tribune Editorial Called On Wilson To Support Minimum Wage Increase While Allowing Her Own Pay To Go Up. In July 2006, the editorial board of the Albuquerque Tribune criticized Wilson for allowing a congressional pay raise to take effect while not supporting a meaningful increase in the minimum wage. They wrote, “The minimum wage has been stagnant at a mere $5.15 per hour for nearly 10 years now. That’s just shy of $11,000 per year and well below the poverty line for a family of three. For more than half of that time, Republicans - including Wilson, Bush and Sen. Pete Domenici of Albuquerque - have controlled the federal government. During the same period in which the minimum wage has been stuck below the poverty level, Congress has managed to give its own members more than $30,000 in wage raises, to the current $165,200 per year. That salary is scheduled, based on cost-of-living arguments that apparently affect only federal legislators, to automatically rise to $168,500. Domenici and Wilson supported the raise. Wilson voted for it last week, while the state’s other congressional Republican representative, Steve Pearce of Hobbs, continued his admirable practice of voting against congressional pay raises for himself and his colleagues…So why have Domenici and Wilson - often quick to support tax cuts for the wealthy, including repeal of the estate tax - been essentially AWOL on an issue that has gained substantial support among local lawmakers, despite its controversial nature and opposition by businesses? [Albuquerque Tribune, Editorial, 7/4/06]

Wilson Voted Six Times To Allow Congressional Pay Raises. In the House, Wilson voted six times to allow her own salary to increase. [CQ Floor Votes, 6/13/06; H RES 865, Vote #261, 6/13/06; CQ Floor Votes, 6/28/05; HR 342, Vote #327, 6/28/05; CQ Floor Votes, 9/14/04; H Res 770, Vote #451, 9/14/04; CQ Floor Votes, 9/04/03; H. Res. 351, Vote #463, 9/4/03; CQ Floor Votes, 7/18/02; H. Res. 488, Vote #322, 7/18/02; CQ Floor Votes, 7/25/01; H Res. 206, Vote #267, 7/25/01]

Wilson Repeatedly Voted for Handouts to Big Oil. During her career in Congress, Wilson voted at least 13 times to protect tax breaks and give subsidies for oil companies. [Vote 78, 2/27/08; Vote 80, 2/27/08; Vote 1140, 12/06/07; Vote 511, 6/19/07; Vote 232, 6/07/06; Vote 208, 5/25/06; Vote 40, 1/18/07; Vote 445, 7/28/05; Vote 320, 8/02/01; Vote 320, 8/02/01; Vote 630, 11/18/03; Vote 132, 4/21/05; Vote 528, 10/21/99]

Wilson Consistently Supported Bush-Era Tax Cuts That Overwhelmingly Benefited Millionaires. In 2001, Wilson supported President Bush’s first round of tax cuts. In 2003, Wilson supported another round of tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy. In 2004, Wilson supported President Bush’s budget that permanently locked in multitrillion-dollar tax breaks that mostly benefit the nation’s wealthiest. In 2005, Wilson backed a Republican bill that extended capital gains and dividend tax breaks for the rich. And in 2006 Wilson backed another Republican tax break package that the Washington Post dubbed a “windfall for the rich, and a hole in the federal budget.” [HR 1836, Vote 149, 5/26/01; HR 2, Vote 225, 5/23/03; Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 5/28/03;; H Con Res 393, Vote 92, 3/25/04; Vote 621, 12/8/05; Chicago Tribune, 12/9/05; HR4297, Vote 135, 5/10/06; Washington Post, 5/11/06]
2006 Study: 99% of New Mexicans Taxpayers Are Net Losers Under the Bush Tax Cuts. According to a study conducted by Citizens for Tax Justice, 99% of New Mexican taxpayers were net losers under the Bush tax cuts. For the wealthiest one percent of New Mexico residents, who have an average income of $720,500, the tax breaks outweigh the added debt burden accumulated from 2001 through 2006 by an average of $14,450 per family member. They have received an average tax break of $50,630 per family member, which exceeds their added debt burden of $36,179 by $14,750. In contrast, the added debt burden accumulated from 2001 through 2006 outweighs the tax breaks for the other 99 percent of New Mexico residents by an average of $7,589 per person. They have received a tax break of $2,305, but their added debt burden is $9,894 per person. [Citizens for Tax Justice, “99% of New Mexicans Are Net Losers Under Bush Tax and Spending Policies,” June 2006]

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