Cheney Buddy and Lobbyist Holds Fundraiser for Rob Wittman

Bob was active in the Bush campaign serving on the Bush Committee in Michigan. He is a friend and former colleague and classmate of Vice President Dick Cheney and is well connected with the Bush-Cheney administration.

He is an active lobbyist and is on Capitol Hill everyday lobbying for many issues that require appropriations. In addition, he has an excellent relationship with all key members of both the House and Senate. Bob represents a number of clients, including two national associations and clients from Florida, Michigan, California, Indiana and Massachusetts.

Here's an item on Davis which appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times on May 31, 1989:

Amid daily reports on House ethics committee investigation developments, Rep. Robert W. Davis (R-Mich.) revealed Tuesday that he hired a woman with whom he now lives for his committee staff, but he said he had not violated House rules.

Davis, who is separated from his third wife and has filed for divorce, acknowledged recommending that Brook Ball, 27, be hired for the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee staff.

Davis, 56, is the ranking Republican on the panel.

[...]

Davis described Ball as "well-qualified" for the job.

Before joining the committee staff, Ball worked for five years at the Pentagon, the last three "in a legislative capacity that involved extensive interaction with Capitol Hill," Ruge's memo said.

Interesting, eh?  Now, here's another article from the Sun-Times from June 1, 1989:

We're always on the lookout for good news, as you know, and we have for you this morning an item to brighten the day and warm the hearts of all taxpaying believers in the American Dream:

It is still perfectly OK, you will be thrilled to know in these often unromantic times, for a member of Congress to stash his live-in girlfriend on the payroll of his committee staff.

We have on this the word of Rep. Robert W. Davis, an obscure and unrelievedly undistinguished Republican from Michigan who has found a spot on the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee staff for one Ms. Brook Ball.

Davis, 56, who is divorcing his third wife, says he checked with the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and determined that it is not against House rules for him to put Brook Ball, 27, and her $28,000 salary, on the taxpayers' tab.

Of course, it isn't. Is anything?

Good question.  The article concludes, "Like kidnapping and bank robbery, it's not against House rules. And House rules are, of course, the only measure that matters."

Now, here's an AP bio of Davis from October 1992:

Davis was a moderate-to-conservative Republican who was always very conscious of the fact that he represented a traditionally Democratic district. His liberal voting record on economics reflected the views in his northern Michigan district, which included all the Upper Peninsula and northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The U.P., as it was called, was populated by many outdoorsmen and individualists who felt ignored "down below" and resented the resorters who came north. Davis worked in the House to bring federal dollars to the district. He served on the Armed Services Committee, where he looked after the interests of the Air Force bases in his district. He also served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. The American Conservative Union gave Davis' 1989 voting record 54 points out of 100; the liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave him 40 points.

Finally, here's a fun AP story about Davis' wife prior to his current one:

A photograph of Rep. Robert W. Davis' wife in a classic pin-up pose made front pages in newspapers throughout his Michigan district Thursday, and one editor said constituents registered ""a gigantic yawn'' while a woman reader cheered, 'Flaunt it.'"

On Capitol Hill, the couple's friends took the picture in stride.

"They've all been positive and kidding," Davis said. "They kind of take these things with a grain of salt. We don't get as excited about them as the media."

Marty Davis, a trim 36-year-old blonde who has worked as a television and radio news anchorwoman, said she sent the photograph to Washington Dossier magazine, which chronicles the capital's social scene, to let people know, "Yes, there are some (congressional wives) that look pretty good, there are some that have brains."

Well, it sure sounds like this could be a fun party on November 25!  But more seriously, does it make you a bit uneasy that a Congressman-turned-lobbyist like this already has gained such access to a possible future Congressman, Rob Wittman?  Maybe 1st district voters (and reporters) might want to look into this a bit more before they vote December 11.

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