Posted on 08/02/2008 9:46:11 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
This week's exhaustively detailed indictment of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens for allegedly failing to disclose $250,000 in gifts from an oil magnate in his home state of Alaska is dismaying enough.
But the stench is hardly limited to Stevens and San Diego's own convicted congressman – Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Rancho Santa Fe.
There are abundant signs that corruption in Congress goes beyond just trading votes for contributions to actual bribery. Yet public outrage remains disturbingly muted.
Unfortunately, this indifference is also the norm in California. Consider the case of Senate President Don Perata.
The Oakland Democrat is the focus of a lengthy FBI probe. But what has long been on the public record already documents how Perata has used politics to methodically enrich himself and his family.
Son Nick Perata, a campaign consultant, was paid at least $700,000 from 1999 to 2003 by political groups with ties to his father. Over the same time span, the son paid his father more than $137,000 for “rent.”
From 2000 to 2004, Don Perata's college roommate, political consultant Tim Staples, received $313,000 from campaigns affiliated with the elder Perata. Don Perata got about $100,000 a year over the same period from Staples for mysterious consulting work.
This may be legal, but it reeks. Yet few seem to care in Perata's home district – or in Sacramento. Term limits are the only reason Perata is in his last months as Senate leader, and the California Democratic Party has given $450,000 to his legal defense fund.
Talk about jaded. It appears other state politicians don't look down on Perata's self-enrichment schemes, but rather envy them.
Perhaps if Perata is actually indicted – which The Wall Street Journal reports may happen soon – this envy will fade. But no one should get his hopes up – at least until voters start holding shady politicians accountable.
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the norm in California..
well, one of 'em anyway.
I'm shocked, just shocked.. I tell ya.
fingers crossed for an indictment soon.. PeRATaGate Ping!
Another “slight” difference in the cases is that Perata is a Democrat while the other two are Republican. The real sin isn’t venality but hypocrisy, according to Dems and the MSM. You can enrich yourself but don’t pretend to be righteous at the same time.
hypocrisy.. Harry Reid and family comes to mind.. Maxine Waters, Kilpatrick in Michigan, I’ll put our list of crooks up against theirs anyday including the currently imprisoned. :-).
the slop is pretty enticing in the old public trough. talk about your easy money..
Woohoo! It's about darn time!
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