Tully Makes Case For Dumping Burton

Star political columnist Matt Tully used U.S. Rep. Dan Burton's own record against him to make the case for replacing him with emergency room physician and former Marion Co. Coroner Dr. John McGoff. The multiple examples provided in his column speak for themselves. As Tully points out in his column, it is very unusual for him to endorse one candidate over another candidate in any race, but he makes an exception for this race. Here are some facts about Burton's record which Tully believes should lead voters of the 5th District to turn Burton out of office:

• 1989: Burton sues a local grocery store for $250,000 after his wife pricks her finger on a shelf. He loses the case. 1994: Burton fires a bullet into a "head-like" object, believed to be a pumpkin or watermelon, in his backyard in a much-ridiculed attempt to prove a White House aide was slain. 1995: Burton goes after President Bill Clinton's cat, using his congressional influence to investigate how the White House dealt with Socks' fan mail. 1995: Burton fights new restrictions on lawmakers taking part in golf outings with lobbyists.
• 1997: A lobbyist for Pakistan accuses Burton of demanding campaign contributions in return for access. 1998: While leading his bungled investigation into Clinton White House fundraising, Burton releases carefully edited transcripts of a Clinton ally's conversations. The transcripts distort the overall tone of the conversations and lead even Burton's fellow Republicans to criticize him. "I'm embarrassed for you," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tells Burton at the time. 1998: A congressional expert calls the Burton investigation, "A prime example of investigation as farce." 1998: Burton calls Clinton, who was impeached after an affair with an intern, a "scumbag." Months later, Burton is forced to acknowledge fathering a child out of wedlock.
• 2003: Burton and two aides take an expense-paid trip to Guam; he later pushes pro-Guam initiatives. 2007: Burton skips a hearing on the treatment of injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 2007: A report finds Burton spends $702 a month in taxpayer funds for a Cadillac DeVille. Another report finds he has paid his daughter $143,900 from campaign funds in recent years.
• January 2007: Burton skips a week of House votes to play golf with celebrities in sunny California. January 2007: Burton, who has long been a fan of trips paid for by outside organizations, casts the only vote against stricter ethics rules. The measure passes by a vote of 430-1. 2008: Reports show Burton sharply increased spending on taxpayer-funded mailings to constituents as his re-election campaign heated up.