Buried in a terribly sad story over at the North Carolina Conservative are some interesting local tidbits.

Florida police are saying that Jason Robert Drake,* a man with North Carolina ties, left shot two republican political consultants, Ralph Gonzalez and David Abrami, and then himself last week. What they're not saying is why. After first calling it a lover's triangle, they're now saying:

Drake was found carrying a firearm and backpack full of ammunition. Deputies said in a short statement witnesses had mentioned "a number of potential motives."

NCC editor Judson Cox has done some digging and come up with a convoluted story that involves another murder in Pennsylvania, several video and still male-on-male porn sites, and a call-boy service in Virginia. Go read for yourself but I'd advise you not to follow the some of the links in the articles I link to unless you don't mind male nudity and more at your computer.

What caught my eye in the locally-oriented NCC article was the last paragraph and I'll quote it here:

Sources tell The North Carolina Conservative that Drake volunteered on several Republican campaigns in western North Carolina, and was an associate of Congressman Patrick McHenry. Gonzalez is also believed to have been associated with McHenry in the past. Since being elected, McHenry has attempted to insure that all elected officials in his district are his supporters and cronies. This has caused a very nasty political war of attrition in the 10th District. Sources say that Drake worked on these campaigns as a surrogate of McHenry.

Pat Go Bye Bye readers will recall that I wrote of the McHenry connection last Friday. I have two off-the-record sources tying Gonzales to McHenry (and one wacky dude.) At the time I didn't have the information that Drake had worked and/or had family in Rutherford County. (I've since read where he was coming there to be buried but can no longer find the link.)

For those of you who didn't follow those links for the Florida Gonzalez/Abrami/Drake murder/suicide story's details, I'll just sum up the political end of things for you:

Gonzales (as Georgia Republican Party Executive Director) has close ties to Ralph Reed and the dirty tricks that defeated Senator Max Cleland in Georgia. Never forget they employed the confederate flag wedge issue hysteria. Never forget that Ralph Reed took over the Georgian Republican Party using Abramoff-forced Choctaw "donations."

And never forget that Abramoff knows all these guys. (Ever wonder why McHenry defends Charles Taylor so often and vehemently?)

Ralph Gonzalez also worked as now-Representative Tom Feeney's campaign manager who created a smear site against his Democratic opponent, Clint Curtis. Gonzalez was also Feeney's campaign manager when he ran for Florida state house to become it's speaker. He stayed on as a strategist and spokesman. There the ethics scandal involving influencing software purchases. He's tied to another indicted legislator, former Rep. Sheri McInvale.

Drake's history is less obtainable on the internet unless you follow blogs to porn sites which I do not have any interest in doing. Since he's from Rutherford County it's not hard to believe NCC's story that he worked on local campaigns.

All of this will give you some taste of what we're dealing with here. Even if the call boy Republican client list/gay porn movie actor/homosexual lovers triangles stories turn out to be completely fallacious, we're steal dealing with some ugly customers. And they're friends of Pat McHenry's.

Now, we know why, even though he's never bought or sold property (except for twice when he used a power of attorney), McHenry still perpetuates the myth that he's a real estate small businessman. He really really doesn't want anyone to know what he's been doing all these years. He wouldn't have won the primary if people knew. And he wouldn't get reelected.

[One thing adding to the confusion: The police call him Robert Jason Drake, his ex-wife calls him Jason Robert Drake. I went with the woman.]

NOTE: This text has slight variations from the original due to new information, which I explain in the comment thread. -DQ