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Sign Of The Times: Lawmaker Won't Say Whether He Lives At C Street
These are tough times for C St.
The usually low-profile Capitol Hill-based Christian dorm and bible study group has been at the center of a media frenzy after three separate Republicans with ties to C St admitted to extra-marital affairs in recent weeks. And now, things have gotten so bad that one Christian lawmaker is treating the issue like a state secret, refusing even to say whether he lives there.
A North Carolina paper asked a spokesman for Rep. Heath Shuler, a North Carolina Democrat, whether the congressman lives in the house -- which is associated with the secretive Christian group The Fellowship -- and got the following reply:
"Sorry about this one, but because of privacy issues, we're not giving out any information about the congressman's living arrangements.
The Christian magazine Worldmag.com had reported that Shuler does currently live there, along with Sens. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn, and Reps. Zach Wamp, Mike Doyle, and Bart Stupak.
Given the number of adulterers tied to C Street -- and the growing sense that place functions as a forum for lawmakers to confess their hanky-panky to peers who'll help them cover it up -- it's hard to blame Shuler for wanting to keep people in the dark on the issue.
But when conservative Christian members of Congress won't even admit to being associated with a bible fellowship, you know things have reached quite a pass.
Late Update: Now another lawmaker is distancing himself from C Street. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) says he just "rent[s] a room" at the house, but doesn't know what goes on there. "I do not belong to any such group. I don't know what you are talking about. ... I have no affiliation," he adds.
| TOPICS: C Street, Chip Pickering, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Sex
Josh
Zachary
... not the Christian thing to do... sounds like the Apostle Peter when he turned away... except, of course, roosters could not live long enough to ever crow with all the hot air coming from that residence... they would die of heat exhaustion first...
July 23, 2009 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Rep. Schuler is concerned that "bible fellowship" does not really describe the organization.
Consider Webster's definition of a cult:
1a. a system of religious worship or ritual
1b. a quasi-religious group, often living in a colony, with a charismatic leader who indoctrinates members with unorthodox or extremist views, practices or beliefs
Quasi-religious? Check.
Charismatic leader? Check.
Extremist views like they have been chosen by God to rule the country? Check.
July 23, 2009 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well their Walk With God is quite special. It's a sin just to even report on this stuff Zach.
July 23, 2009 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Zachary Roth I'm glad you covered this story. Plus Shuler refuses to answer whether he has joined this group which is even more absurb! pls do a follow up and see if you can get to answer whether he has joined this group!
July 23, 2009 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Shuler, not Schuler. UT Vol great, Redskin disappointment.
July 23, 2009 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Congressional Recess is coming. Don't forget to sign up for the Fellowship's Vacation Bible School.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/c-street-vacation-bible-school/
July 23, 2009 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do they have a course on begetting?
July 23, 2009 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. It's called:
When the Cock Crows: Boinking without Begetting
July 23, 2009 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Surely the Democratic caucus can get along without this clown. He's apparently another in the tradition of Congressmen who played one too many plays with his helmet off.
July 23, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's definitely one of the dumbest Dems in the House, and his BlueCross Dog status belies a dirt-poor district that would benefit from greater access to healthcare.
Could a better Dem win in NC-11? Possibly. But not much better: the social and cultural gulf between Asheville and the rural west is too great. Remember, it was held by an eight-term GOPper with a primo Appropriations subcommittee chair until 2006, when Shuler won as part of the mid-term landslide.
July 23, 2009 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shuler is my congressman, and I have met with him as a constituent. He impresses me. Very well informed about policy proposals and the details of impending legislation. Clear about his principles and focused on the impact of proposed legislation.
He supported the energy/climate bill in the face of a searing local lobbying effort against, noting that he was elected to be a "leader" and to vote his view of what is best for the nation and our district.
July 23, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess that is why he won't say if he is favor of the public option on health care reform or on "Don't Ask or Tell", he is my congressman who now is hiding about his fellowship with an organization that holds to secrecy or loyalty of the The Family rather the constitution and his people back in WNC.
July 23, 2009 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember when desperate parents and relatives were hiring P.I. firms to intervene and "kidnap" their brainwashed children back from the "Moonie" Cult, the "Hail-Bob" cult, Jim Jones Cult, the Hari-Krishner's..? Will we see desperate political wives and political parties intervening, hiring P.I. firms to kidnap their "strayed" husbands back from this "C-Street" cult...?
July 23, 2009 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe some concerned constituents should kick in some bucks to hire the PI / deprogrammer. If nothing else, the resulting legal brouhaha would bring loads of unwanted attention.
July 23, 2009 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." I wonder who said that and to whom?
July 23, 2009 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rep. Stupak's assertion that he "just rents a room" could be problematic for C Street and problematic for himself.
As a tax-exempt church, C Street has to do something other than rent rooms to keep that status. C Street "sources' have repeatedly said that with rooms comes meals and prayers. That makes it a church. And that justifies the $600 under market rent, in a market where such accommodation would cost at least $1300 a month.
As for Stupak, he has just opened himself up to questions about why he is accepting under-market rent, which, if not reported, is an illegal gift.
July 23, 2009 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait until it's discovered that Mark Foley spent some time at the dorm, with his close "friend" Zach.
July 23, 2009 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Foley was a short alley walk away.
July 23, 2009 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Foley actually troubled himself to buy a house, albeit on D Street aka "Congressional Row."
July 23, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Much more discrete than having to deal with the C Street host family and volunteer staff. Actually, I am pretty certain the Queen of Sugar Can did not keep company with the Fellowship crowd.
July 23, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rick Santorum, while Senator, was associated with C Street.
While he was a Senator, Rick ran a non-profit organization called the Operation Good Neighbor Foundation. OGNF accepted a lot of money from political patrons and corporations.
In 2005, OGNF gave a $10,000 charitable contribution to HANDS (Helping Americans Needing Disaster Services), a MS-based Katrina relief charity that was started by Rep. Chip Pickering's wife, Leisa.
July 23, 2009 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK Volunteer fans (full disclosure, I went there for a year) did Heath live in the athletic dorm while he was a star quarterback?
July 23, 2009 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does the fact that a black SUV with Congressional NC-11 tags and a Orange Tennessee window sticker is parked at C Street every night violate his privacy?
July 23, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well isn't that nice.
Does that vehicle park on the street in front (if so, does he have the required DC reciprocity sticker for Zone 6?) or in the alley in back (private parking spot?)...
July 23, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't know why some enterprising video crew doesn't just set up a camera near the front door and record everyone who goes in and out!
Have Americans lost their go-getiveness?
July 23, 2009 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
On one side of the street, the Library of Congress Police would take exception. That's federal property.
On the other side of the street, the Capitol Police would take exception (because Members of Congress live there, don't you know). That's DC property, but the Capitol Police have jurisidction.
July 23, 2009 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe that the Capitol Grounds technically stop at the north curb of C Street. Overnight public parking is allowed on that side of the street after 6:30 PM and on weekends.
July 23, 2009 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
But if a camera crew were to show up at that address, it would be the LOC Police or USCP who would show up. MPD would certainly defer to them even though it is DC city property.
July 23, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't seem to recall USCP or MPD doing much of anything when the press was camped out in front of Mark Foley's place for days on end.
July 23, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems that there is not too much to record these days. No Senate prayer breakfast or other notable activity.
July 23, 2009 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The US Capitol Police take exception at very little with regard to parking violations or RPP stickers. This is even more the case with regard to any vehicle with state-issued Congressional license plates and a Congressional "red tag" on the dashboard. In fact, DC law exempts such vehicles from ticketing.
July 23, 2009 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
DC law also exempts any illegally parked vehicles associated with a chruch it would seem. At least on Sunday.
So Congress tags + in a church = golden.
Seriously, I've seen D Dot parking enforcers prowling around that area. Do they just pass by the Congressional cars?
July 23, 2009 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. The red tag which is technically to be used only for access to Capitol Parking facilities equals a free pass, even when used by someone other than a Member of Congress. And, in actually, it is DPW that tickets, not DDOT.
July 23, 2009 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Then No wonder then NC-11's Suburban would park on C Street instead of at one of the Congressional lots a block away.
-Won't ever get ticketed
-Doesn't have to worry about ROSA
-Doesn't need to obtain the obnoxious $200 or so 6 month reciprocity sticker from the DPW
-Doesn't care about the already limited parking options for DC Zone 6 neighbors
Still humours me to see those "Clergy" license plates in use that were issued during Barry's tenure.
July 23, 2009 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can top that. A former Congressman who sold his residence in his home state after being defeated in 2006 (and again in 2008) has yet to register his vehicle in DC and relies on the belt and suspenders approach of a DDOT visitor pass and red tag from the 109th Congress.
July 23, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is the visitor pass current or expired?
If its current, geez, what a hassle and what a cheapskate. I bet an intern gets sent regularly on that 'mission.'
But it's possible because MPD 1D1 seems to be back to the pen-and-ink ledger book accounting system for visitor passes. I guess their computer broke down again?
July 23, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, it is the laminated DDOT pass distributed to each residence as part of the stadium-related (performance) parking restrictions that were put into effect last year.
July 23, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those stadium passes are no longer good for anything.
So the fella lives on or east of 13th Street? Geez.
July 23, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Different stadium. Nationals not RFK.
July 23, 2009 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way church-related parking is not exempt, it has just been the City's policy to look the other way since the Barry Administration. There was a crackdown of double-parking near Thomas Circle some time ago and the issue bubbles up from time to time at other churches.
July 23, 2009 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did any of the alleged double-parkers try the "bitch set me up" defense?
July 23, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome.
July 23, 2009 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Other interesting factoids:
Who owns the neighboring property at 137 C Street? Why, none other than the National Association of Evangelicals' National Prayer Center, brought to you by, among others, its director, Ken Wilde, pastor of Capital Christian Center in Boise, Idaho (and Ted Haggard)
http://www.lightonthehill.tv
How about 139 C Street SE? That's the fine folks at the Traditional Values Coalition and the Right Rev. Louis Sheldon.
July 23, 2009 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's also a pretty significant block of fundamentalist religious 'business' and 'residential' property that stretches along First Street, NE between Constitution to East Capitol.
July 23, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rob Schenck and his Faith and Action comes to mind as does Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice and a nearby residence used by its director, Jay Sekulow.
July 23, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Sen. Brownback's condo.
He's in a 4 unit building where
In one unit... DeLay's ARMPAC used to operate (ARMPAC they moved to D Street, eventually selling that place to Jim Ryun at an off price)
In another unit... tracks back to Dr. James Leininger, conservative Texas of the culture wars, textbook content control, etc
In another unit... a former officer and disciple of James Dobson
Reference - http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2006/12/iowans_wonder_who_is_sam_brown.php#comment-1822505
July 23, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I should not neglect Lou Engle's Justice House of Prayer on 3rd Street, where 70 "interns" get the privilege of paying $1500 to participate in the program for three months and living on a 90-acre farm in Bowie that is owned by Christian Hope Ministries (Hope Christian Church).
July 23, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Thompson-Marquard Hall Young Womens Christian Home (ladies only!) is just on the other side of Constitution on First. TMH's rent ($900/month) really should be the benchmark for a 'rent a room' in DC. Not the $600 they pay at C.
Really, it is as if they are trying to encircle the Capitol Complex.
July 23, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, yes, "virgin village," where Congressional pages reportedly used to undress without first putting down the blinds.
July 23, 2009 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lest temptation strike, Brownback obviously did not want to be too far away from his former residence and confessors at C Street. It also is interesting that none of the press accounts have noted that C Street is a stone's throw from RNC headquarters. Coincidence? I think not.
July 23, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shared alley access, and lots of back doors, in fact. One would theoretically never even have to hit the city street to move around between the RNC, the RNC's resraurant, C Street and the other organizational concerns on that square.
Any idea if any of the lots and squares have any religious meaning? That is square 0733.
Maybe Mark 7:33
July 23, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
What about the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statemanship (Hospitality House) and his Coral Ridge Ministry outpost at 430 New Jersey Avenue SE. Remember, please pray for their July intern barbecue with Rep. Pence and luncheon with Rep. McIntyre.
July 23, 2009 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
The 1996-2008 Statesman awards went to predictable candidates.
Kaye Coles James was somewhat of a surprise (non-Congress), but she was an instructor at Regent University prior to heading federal government HR under George W, so not really a stretch. Can you be a 'statesman' if you're a politically appointed executive?
July 23, 2009 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
You jocks will know what I'm talking about. But, remember those immature days back in high school, when you would keep score on how many girls you were able to successfully hit on? Don't you just know these guys were establishing the CCS (Christian Cheaters Society)inside those brick walls, bragging about their conquist!
July 23, 2009 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wondering what the reportage would be if it were learned that Representative Ellison and other undisclosed congressmen were living and studying Koran at a secret mosque, with charismatic Islamic leaders. Or if Lieberman and others were secretively living with and studying Kabballah with other Jewish leaders. IOKIYACC(christian conservative)
July 24, 2009 8:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
GTFooh, Yeah I understand your point. We did keep score, but big difference: we were not elected officials.
Everyone please keep in mind two things. One, Shuler has not been embroiled in a sexual scandal like the other men. Two, remember what Colson said in his article, the Fellowship PURPOSELY sought (conservative) Democrats to cover it's ass, though Christian Republicans are the primary players. As I read in the article there were other Dems living in the house....just to sleep and pray but not to participate in the self-righteous, extreme sexual teachings. I wouldn't be surprised if Democratic Leadership pulls this young jock aside and cracks him in the head and tells him to get away from this insane, self-absorbed group...FAST.
To date, only the GOP has members in this
C-Street group that have had sexual scandals.
July 24, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, I was hanging around outside the C-Street House the other day hoping to spot some loose women coming and going but the cops came along and chased me before I could score.
July 24, 2009 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink