The Politico profiles the GOP culture of corruption:
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner took his job last year with a pledge to cleanse his party’s scandal-stained reputation on Capitol Hill. In recent weeks, Boehner has been getting an unpleasant education in how hard that turns out to be.
When Reps. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) and Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) became the subjects of FBI raids, Boehner pushed them to give up their committee assignments. But party operatives said Doolittle and Renzi are not facing pressure to resign from the House for now — in part because the House GOP campaign committee does not want the expense of competing to keep their seats in a special election.
And Boehner is coming under fire from his own members over the decision to replace Doolittle on the House Appropriations Committee with Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.). Calvert himself is facing ethics scrutiny over a land deal in his Southern California district.
The Calvert decision underscores the complexity of Boehner’s task, as he tries simultaneously to clean house and keep peace within his own caucus. The California delegation was insistent that the coveted Appropriations seat go to one of their own, following long-standing custom. But the move has upset other GOP members and some conservative bloggers, who fear that Calvert’s alleged problems will feed the party’s reputation for corruption.
“If only John Boehner the Republican leader would act like John Boehner the leadership candidate, the Republican Conference would be in a much stronger position,” said a House Republican aide who works for a lawmaker upset with Boehner’s move. “Decisions like the Calvert appointment cripple our party’s ability to be associated with reform, and until our leadership changes direction, they are leading this conference even further into the political abyss.”
If the GOP ever wants my support, when it is exposed that one of their own is corrupt, they will begin to turn on them with the same ruthlessness they reserve for people named Clinton. As it is, I see no reason to support the Republicans in 2008 until they have rooted out all the slime. besides, Democratic rule hasn’t been that bad. We are going on 5 months in and I still have not had my forced abortion.
Edmund Dantes
But the Democratic House Members are starting to piss me off by making noise they might just back off the ethics reforms.
I’m calling my representative to make sure she knows where I stand. I’d hope any and all that are interested in real reform will do likewise for their representative, D or R.
It’s been nice having real oversight and investigations though, and a legislative body that remembers it’s a co-equal branch that is supposed to oppose and reign in the worst impulses of the executive.
David
You haven’t? Are they going in reverse alphabetical order or something?
Dreggas
Well thanks to our “friends” on the retarded right you are approaching the cutoff time anyway so no abortion for you…this time.
Pb
Now that’s interesting, considering how the Allbritton family (of Riggs Bank fame, money laundering for Pinochet) funds them. Their CEO was also a board member of Riggs Bank, runs Allbritton Communications, and is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation. GOP corruption? Look no further!
Rusty Shackleford
You haven’t had your forced abortion yet? Did you forget to send in your coupon?
Tlaloc
“If the GOP ever wants my support, when it is exposed that one of their own is corrupt, they will begin to turn on them with the same ruthlessness they reserve for people named Clinton.”
If we could get that, and the same thing but substituting “Democrats” and “Bush” then I’d be a happy little squiggy.
Why the hell does Jefferson still have a job? I know the republicans helped squash the FBI raid but the dems haven’t exactly gone out of their way to ditch the jerk.
What should have happened- after the republicans tried to stop the search of his office Pelosi should have held a press conference with which ever FBI agent was heading the investigation. She should have held up the warrant and said “In the course of their investigation these fine agents determined that they needed to search the offices of my colleague Rep. Jefferson. They presented their case to a Judge, who subsequently agreed and signed a legal warrant. We want to thank the FBI for their dilligence in following the rule of law in this matter and we intend to cooperate completely. Naturally we hope that these suspicions prove baseless but the rule of law *will* be followed.”
By doing so they would have highlighted the domestic warrantless wiretapping scandal and put a noticable difference between themselves and the GOP.
JWeidner
They’re coming to get you, Barbara…I mean – John!
John D.
Because he was re-elected, unfortunately. I’d like him gone, but tossing him out is a precedent I do *not* want to see set. For starters, any real reformers that come along will simply be evicted by the current crop to protect their perks.
If he gets convicted, cool. Throw the bum out. Until then, work harder denying him his re-election chances. Make him a pariah in the House. Null all of him committee seats. But respect the will of the people in his district.
John S.
In case you missed it, Pelosi stripped Jefferson of his committee assignment:
Which really renders your next comment somewhat moot:
The Democratic response to Jefferson as shown in the above article shows a noticeable difference between how they and Republicans treat their wayward members. Any insinuation otherwise I think is willful ignorance on your part.
Bubblegum Tate
Patience, John, patience. There’s an order that must be followed: First, they give you The Gay, then you get an abortion.
HelenaMontana
speaking of abortions, Jerry Falwell has been hospitalized, unconscious in “grave” condition. Coworker of mine says, can’t have been a heart attack–he didn’t have one.
ThymeZone
For men, it’s called a digital prostate exam.
And we don’t mean “digital” as in “computer,” either.
Zifnab
Wow. Link that up. The only thing I’m seeing is when he went into the hospital back in ’05
grumpy realist
When I read that article about Falwell and how they don’t know what caused him to collapse, the immediate thought that came to mind was “Hand of God”?
After all, if the shoe were on the other foot, I’m sure that’s what be hearing from his side of the aisle. Fair’s fair, bucko. Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander.
Zombie Santa Claus
The Rapture is upon us! Repent, you sinful motherfuckers!
Andrew
It’s because Falwell wasn’t drinking Robertson’s Jesus! Flavored(tm) Protein Shakes.
RSA
Well, yeah. My first thought was, “What is God trying to tell us?”
Zombie Santa Claus
Those’ll just enable Robertson to ascend in the Rapture without actually having to die first. He’ll be gone the same instant as Falwell.
Zombie Santa Claus
That’s how the Democrats give you a bad case of “teh gays.”
No wonder those bastards support universal health care! They want to make all men gay, and give every woman an abortion, so that Americans will all sing Kumbaya when Osama seizes the White House and proclaims sharia law. The evil machinations of the vast left-wing conspiracy are all coming together, now!
Andrew
Unfortunately not.
RIH, Falwell.
Zombie Santa Claus
The sad thing is, BIRDZILLA could write this, believe it, and still make it sound 10 times funnier than I did.
I wish I had 1/10th the writing skill of that shitkicker. Not sure if it’s genius or divine madness or what, but he’s got the Shakespeare knack.
Zombie Santa Claus
Did he actually die?
Zombie Santa Claus
Holy shit, he IS dead!
Well, they say you’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead. So I’ll shut up about it now.
PeterJ
Forced abortion at 73. That’s really late-term…
Jimmmmm
I may burn in heck for this, but cue Nelson Muntz: Ha-haaaa!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070515/ap_on_re_us/jerry_falwell
Dreggas
I feel somewhat…giddy…over Falwell being dead, the first thought that went through my mind was “One down…” I know it’s wrong but…but….
Zombie Santa Claus
The first thought that went through my head was that here’s the blow that finally, eventually killed him.
Also, I thought about the first time I saw him on TV. It was sometime in the late 80s. He was defending Jesse Helms, and trade with South Africa. I think I’ll leave my reaction out of the story. One mustn’t speak ill of the dead. (Although I’ve already broken my promise not to keep saying that over and over again.)
Jimmmmm
Dreg:
I hear ya. In deference to the nicer folk among Falwell’s pigeons, I’ll be sure to walk quietly, so I don’t disturb the late rev in his new home.
Jimmmmm
One last thought on Falwell.
I really, really miss Yahoo’s news message boards, the last untrammeled patch of id in America.
If Yahoo hadn’t shuttered their message boards last Dec, we’d be hundreds deep in “I are azzraping his corpse now” posts.
Guess I lament the passing of Yahoo’s message boards more than I do that of the Rev. Is it too late for me to repent?
28 Percent
Well that’s bureaucracy for you. The democRat party’s Culture of Death is stymied by its own slavish devotion to failed ideologies like managed health care. Thank God the country can see your true intentions without suffering too much harm from them.
SteveMD2
Those who are opposed to solving the nations health care insurance crisis should required to sign away for their lifetimes and that of their immediate family any health insurance at all. Then they will understand.
As for Falwell saying “i shudder to think where the country would be if the moral majority hadn’t evolved” – I can tell you where we would be. Another, even worse moralist (that is what Bin L is about) m0(#2& F!!@&*% would have his head on a pike at the site of the world trade center, Afghanistan would be free of the moral group known as the Taliban, 3400 of our dead soldiers would be alive. Iran would not be the big winner in the middle east and wouldn’t have elected a maniac as their president, a terrorist group would not have been democratically elected as the Palestinian govt., and the money we’ve wasted in Iraq could have provided every college age student in America $10,000 per year for 4 years for college.
Oh, by the way, we wouldn’t have the National Intelligence Estimate telling us that the Iraq war has “brought an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 new Muslims into the Jihadist movement. And of course, we wouldn’t have the monster Bush and his gang of idiots and criminals in the white house. And maybe we could have prevented things like $3/gal gas and the CEO of exxon receiving a $400,000,000 retirement bonus.
Never forget that the republican party is now dominated by the super-rich who would steal our nation to satisfy their endless greed, send our soldiers to die in Iraq to steal the Iraqi’s oil, and meanwhile support exactly the same sort of religious mentality in christianity that in another religion led gave3 us 9/11. For the republican right wing, religion is nothing but a tool to blind our religious folks into not understanding that the repub party’s leadership God is named Greed, and their God’s cousin is named hate. They are little different then hitler, who used hatred against Jewish people to consolidate his power, and by the way, sent all the gays he could find to the concentration camps and death as well. For the Jews, hitlers gang kept records. For the gays, they didn’t even bother to do that.
Jake
The man became a gibbering train-wreck during Foley Follies and he still hasn’t regained his composure.
BTW, forced abortions are so last Samhain. We’re on to door-to-door Bible burnings now. DREs in leather bars begin next week. Please remember to wear lose clothing.
Brian
I actually think the libertarians have the best perspective on “corruption.” It’s inevitable and fundamentally unstoppable in an overly centralized economy where too much depends on government funding or approval. Maybe if we didn’t have such a gigantic, hulking imperial megastructure, there wouldn’t be as many “opportunities” for get-rich-quick schemes? Not to claim that local (or State) governments are purer, but maybe the scale of corruption and waste is less burdensome? This is a bipartisan problem, though. The demos are not interested at all in scaling back Presidential power, the 700+ military bases we have scattered all around the world, the trillions we waste on defense. No interest at all in reducing this-they just want to control it and enrich themselves on the spoils.
Chalmers Johnston is right, it may be too late.
Tlaloc
“The Democratic response to Jefferson as shown in the above article shows a noticeable difference between how they and Republicans treat their wayward members. Any insinuation otherwise I think is willful ignorance on your part.”
Not nearly enough of a difference. Where were they when the warrant was getting blocked? Why weren’t they supporting it?
Stripping him of his committee posts is fine, but when it comes after a move that really boils down to obstruction of justice, it isn’t nearly good enough.
John S.
Then vote Republican and get the government you deserve.
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
Why weren’t they out in the streets waving signs, like those antiwar protesters have been doing for all these years?
John D.
Uh, no, it doesn’t.
There are good and proper historical reasons for the inviolate nature of the offices in the House, and there are good and proper reasons for allowing a warrant to be served. They happened to be in opposition in this case. It is not *nearly* as cut and dried as you are making it out to be.
Explain, if you will, what is to stop the Executive branch from filing for warrants — only against their political opponents’ offices on trumped up charges that can’t be made public for reasons of national security — without the precedent left intact? (And, dear God, I wish I found that scenario implausible still.)
Tlaloc
“They happened to be in opposition in this case. It is not nearly as cut and dried as you are making it out to be.”
No it really is as cut and dried as it seems to be. *TWO* branches of government asserted that a member of the third had committed a crime, or that there was reasonable suspicion that he had and was using his office to hide evidence of that crime. There is absolutley no compelling argument to allow that third branch to squash the investigation.
Turn it around- should bush be able to arbitrarily deny a subpoena that was supported by congress and the courts? of course not.
“Explain, if you will, what is to stop the Executive branch from filing for warrants—only against their political opponents’ offices on trumped up charges that can’t be made public for reasons of national security—without the precedent left intact?”
Well, gosh, maybe the part where the judge has to sign off on it? Just maybe?
This wasn’t some bullshit warrant where the executive decided it didn’t need the courts approval.
Tlaloc
“Then vote Republican and get the government you deserve.”
Don’t be an idiot and take the “you’re either with us or against us” mentality of the right to heart. Just because the GOP has become very corrupt doesn’t mean we don’t have to police the dems as well. They are bad. Not as corrupt, but bad enough. And they need a kick in the ass to keep from getting just as corrupt.
John D.
Article I, Section 6, US Constitution:
They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
Historically, this has been interpreted to mean that the offices and chambers of Congress are inviolate. Neither the Executive *nor* Judicial branches have any say there. At the time the warrant was served, Jefferson had not been convicted of a Felony, Treason, or Breach of the Peace.
You seem to think I am defending Jefferson. I am not. I am, however, defending the rights laid out in the Constitution, and will be damned before I let them be thrown aside lightly. If you disagree with the wording of the Constitution, work to get it amended.
John S.
Nobody suggested that the Dems get a free pass – least of all me. Rather, I suggested that your accusation that Dems are just as bad as Repubs is absurd – because it is.
On the one hand, Boehner does nothing about his dodgy comrades. On the other hand, Pelosi did. Therefore, you have created an entirely false equivalance between the corrupt antics of the two parties. Sure, Democrats are far from perfect, but they are a hell of a lot better than Republicans on the matter.
If you think Dems and Repubs are equally unethical because 1 Jefferson = Delay, Ney, Cunningham, Renzi, Foley, etc. then I don’t think there is anything I can say further to convince you otherwise.