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True to form, Traficant remains his own biggest fan
TweetTrue to form, Traficant remains his own biggest fan
On Sunday, any number of churches in the Mahoning Valley would have seen more than 1,000 congregants pass through their doors, more than 80,000 people went to the Canfield Fair (7,000 to the George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. concert), several thousand people went to a car show at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds and hundreds of thousands spent the day with friends and family. And yet, some would have us believe that the 1,200 people who turned out to greet a disgraced, crooked congressman as a returning hero are the voice of the Valley.
To be sure, the crowd that greeted James A. Traficant Jr. at his welcoming party at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman was impressive. And it was enthusiastic. They were largely true believers in the Traficant legend. And they have every right to be what they are. What they aren’t is the voice of the Mahoning Valley, at least not the Mahoning Valley today.
Selective memory
They remember what they want to remember about Jim Traficant, for instance that as sheriff he stood up to evil banks that were trying to throw people into the street. They forget that Traficant never put a face on that alleged assault on struggling families, because most of the properties in question were vacant. And when push came to shove with a mild mannered Common Pleas Court judge, Sheriff Traficant quickly back peddled.
They remember him as a tough, law-and-order sheriff, but forget that some of his undisciplined deputies, especially members of the auxiliary force, behaved in ways that not only made headlines, but attracted embarrassing and expensive lawsuits.
After his remarkable acquittal the first time he faced federal bribery charges, Traficant famously warned area mobsters to get out of town because he was coming after them. How many mob bosses did he arrest? None. It took federal agents — the same agents Traficant accuses of being part of a grand conspiracy against him — to break the back of organized crime in Traficant’s backyard. Those who claim he wasn’t crooked can only conclude that he must have been inept.
But Jim Traficant has a powerful personality, and he’s always been good at making people think he’s either a savior or a victim. And he’s never been above making comparisons from which an honest man would shrink.
A prison stretch
Consider his willingness Sunday to invoke the name of Nelson Mandela, the fearless opponent of apartheid in South Africa. He quoted Mandela as saying, “If you want to know the true nature of a country, you must go through its prisons.”
“I know America. I’ve seen the other side of it, and I don’t like it,” Traficant declared to cheers.
Reality check: Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, most of that time in the infamous Robben Island Maximum Security Prison, where he withstood extremely harsh conditions. He was allowed one visitor and one letter every six months, and the prison didn’t even have a medical staff.
Traficant, on the other hand, did most his time in a medical facility where he was presumably treated for an unspecified condition. He corresponded freely, worked out in the gym and pursued hobbies such as painting. To most eyes, he came out of prison looking better than he did going in,
None of that stopped Traficant from shamelessly implying that he had learned the same lessons as Mandela.
The remark provided a perfect snapshot of Traficant. In his mind, it’s always about him. It always has been, and we don’t suspect that will ever change. What has changed is fewer people are interested in tying their future to such a discredited self-serving relic of the past.
Comments
"What has changed is fewer people are interested in tying their future to such a discredited self-serving relic of the past."
That one sentence embodies everything that needs to be said about the future of our region.
Just curious.... If Trafficant hadn't been a widely known political figure, would people still react to him as a 'dirt-bag'? Yes, because he's an ex-con, those crummy "you are beneath me" persons society enjoys kicking more after they served their time. Most ex-cons only have Mom and Dad to embrace them on their release date; others have nobody but their old associations.
Let Trafficant be. He, like other ex-cons, must re-build his life -- and find a way to re-claim some dignity. Let's take a wait and see stance; let's see how he re-orders his new life and see how he decides to contribute to society.
Then you can crucify him, if you still feel like doing so.
It is tacit support of Traficant every time we write about him. Wise men don't need to prove their point. The Akron Beacon Journal had a small blurb on him on Monday on Page B3. Nothing more.
The kindest thing Mr. Traficant could do for the Mahoning Valley is to leave or at the very least be silent. I ws born and raised in this valley, and it pains me greatly to need to explain to friends not of this region, that Traficant really does not speak for me or for that matter the majority of the decent people who live here.
Jim, you have had your ballyhoo reception, you are walking about a semi-free man. You are in reasonable good physical health, and have a very vocal but minority following; so why don't you just revel in your past imfamy and leave the rest of the honest folks in this area alone. Your silence would be appreciated and respected far more than your egomaniacal blustering.
What did Traficant ever do to the Vindy? Speak the truth about the future of print media?
You are, of course, wrong about Traficant. You always have been, and probably will continue to be until the paper disappears. Jim Traficant IS the Mahoning Valley, and that is something to be very proud of. Like the men and women of steel who built this community, Jim is fearless, honest, hard-working and will fight like a junk-yard dog to protect and promote his community, family and country, even if it means the sacrifice of his personal freedom. That's the stuff national heroes and true public servants are made of, and we have precious few of them around today. None are so blind as they who refuse to see.
Attis - I live in the Mahoning Valley. As does many of my friends and family. And let me tell you, he is not the Mahoning Valley. What do junk yard dogs do? They scare people away. In that regard, Traficant did a great job. He scared business from considering coming here. Therefore, he scared many to leave the Valley. That is Jim Traficant.
My father worked in the mills. As did many hard working men. They didnt steal, they didnt seek fame for fame's sake. They taught their children to work hard and to invest in the future. Jim never did that.
There is a new Youngstown emerging. And he had nothing to do with it. Lets move on, and forget about him.
You must not have listened to the speech Sunday evening.
Jimbo didn't just talk "about himself" ... he also talked about Nnamdi Okolo and Richard Detore ... two men who refused to lie about despite a terrible cost to themselves and their families.
Here's one of them testifying to Congress ... be sure to read the commentary in the right-hand panel that expands when you click "more info":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK0L4G...
Jim's interview today in Youngstown with Greta, will be aired Friday night ... see if he "talks about himself" more than he talks about victims of abusive government.
So, I guess the money for the Covelli Center, the Federal Court houses, the Playhouse (yes, that money came from him too), his effort to settle strikes in the region, and his standing up for conservative values in Congress means nothing, huh? Yes, I guess the new saying for the Mahoning Valley is "What Have You Done for Me Lately". Sorry Vindicator, you are wrong on this, and if you pulled your head out of Tim Ryan's behind you might actually realize that Traficant was effective around here on different levels.
I'm sorry, I do not recall the Vindicator leading the charge against organized crime in the Mahoning Valley either, though you certainly had the ability to. In case you have forgotten already, they were in the business of knocking off prosecutors and public officials who did not play ball with them. Maybe Traficant had the same interests you had: staying alive. Sure, it is easy to look back and Monday morning quarterback, but you lacked the fortitude to look into things too. After all, you ARE the press, and you look into everything else without getting asked. I don't believe for one second the Vindicator staff was clueless to who the major players were, because let's face it: EVERYONE knew. Or maybe you were clueless, you wrote this garbage opinion piece.
Traficant was right about intrusive and overextending government. Hell, take a good look around you today. Is there anything the government DOESN'T have an interest in? No one wants to talk about that though, that Traficant was right about those things. If you looked into his policies in Congress, maybe you would realize why people support him today. Maybe that is also why Tim Ryan is not as popular as he used to be.
Eliot, it is time to convert history into cash . What do you think about a Jim Traficant museum and art gallery ?
And by the way, the Vindicator endorsed Jim Traficant on a number of occasions, so they have no room to talk here.
Why do his supporters always block out the envelopes of money he demanded of his own staff, the taxes he didn't pay, and the political clout he traded for gravel and contractor muscle on his horse farm?
I don't know, why don't you ask Charlie Rangel, he is still holding his seat and hasn't paid his taxes. Makes Traficant look like a saint compared to all the money he has horded from the Feds.