Posted on 05/27/2006 9:10:24 PM PDT by FairOpinion
I agree, Hastert could not have chosen a worse method. He went completly over the top and he hurt his party doing it. However; this has been brewing for a long time. Hastert was outraged about the Porter Goss firing. He really felt betrayed by the WH over that. I am still scratching my head over that one too. I also think that he feels that he has gone the extra mile in defending GW over what many consider executive over reaches such as the NSA and other executive order type scenarios not to mention the poisonous athmoshere in the House over immigration. This raid just seems to be the little spark that set off the barrel of gasoline that was already there.
The problem would be finding saints who could tolerate being libeled and/or slandered by the opposition during the campaign and if elected, be able to function in DC without going stark raving mad. IMO many who run for office gladly suffer the slings and arrows for a shot at the opportunities for gain provided by lobbyists and the prospect of eventually slurping the great mammary. (federal legislators pension)
Yup.
I think the only requirement to be an effective politician is to have no sense of shame. As J.R. Ewing said "once you get past honesty and ethics the rest is a piece of cake".
U.S. Congressman Jefferson Collects Bribe
Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an FBI informant whose conversations with the lawmaker also were recorded. The bribe money was found hidden in his freezer. The plan was for the lawmaker to use the cash to bribe a high-ranking Nigerian official.
Jefferson denied he intended to go through with anything illegal. "I knew I was being videotaped," said Jefferson. "I thought I was in a movie where I play the part of a corrupt politician. The money was my fee for the role. Congressmen have it tough. Our salaries are low. We need to supplement our income from outside sources." (Senators and Representatives receive salaries of $162,100 per year.)
On the tape, Jefferson chuckles about writing in code to keep secret what the government contends was his corrupt role. As Jefferson and the informant passed notes about what percentage the lawmaker might receive, the congressman laughed and said, "All these damn notes we're writing to each other as if the FBI is watching." Later, Jefferson is shown putting the cash into his Lincoln Town Car.
One of Jefferson's associates has pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges. Vernon Jackson of Louisville, Ky., admitted paying more than $400,000 in bribes to the lawmaker in exchange for his help securing business deals for Jackson's telecommunications company.
U.S. Democrat and Republican leaders expressed outrage over a weekend FBI raid on the office of a U.S. House of Representatives member from Louisiana. "Our offices ought to be inviolable," said one senator who asked to remain anonymous. "Immunity from law enforcement is essential if we are to carry out important governmental type activities."
Bribery may not be the only "governmental type" activity taking place in the sacred halls of congress. Rumors of fornication and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information have also been making the rounds.
read more satire at...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
"So far we have McKinney; no charges.
Patrick Kennedy on R&R in Minnesota.
Jefferson under executive protection for 45 days.
Just peachy."
How about Sandy the Burglar. I bet there are some prosecutors who are also pissed off about this travesty of justice.
Then there's the CIA traitors and the...
The beat goes on.
"I think the only requirement to be an effective politician is to have no sense of shame. "
Bill Clinton and Teddy Kennedy are prime examples of this.
I searched on the title -- apparently WSJ ran the article with one title, than changed it somewhat when they put it onto their OpinionJournal site.
All I can do is search on title, I can't read all articles the past three days to make sure it hasn't already been posted.
More info on that:
Threats Led Bush to Intervene in FBI Fight
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1639497/posts
"The constitutional showdown that followed the FBI's search of a congressman's office came down to this: The House threatened budgetary retaliation against the Justice Department. Justice officials raised the prospect of resigning.
That scenario, as described Saturday by a senior administration official, set the stage for President Bush's intervention into the fight over the FBI's search of the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., an eight-term lawmaker being investigated on bribery allegations."
===
Shame on Congress!!!!!!!
You obviously heard Rush's talk on Friday (or read it on his website). I read it. Pretty convincing, isn't it? I recommend it to all.
"Well, with more turnover, we would get the ones wanting to serve the country and lose the ones getting in to collect corruption funds. "
I would think we would get more blatant corruption as members knew they definitely had a limited amount of time to cash in on their position.
Legislatures, by their nature, are corrupt bodies. If anything I am happy to see some congressmen doing time or being about to do time.
Better candidates are often destroyed by the party whose "club" members might be threatened.
Sounds good to me. Let's leave the tantrums to Denny Hastert.
Hastert is afraid of a Democrat executive branch searching the files of minority Republicans in a future Democrat-controlled House.
I wouldn't say all is lost. Maybe term limits would be the best protection. Send them home while they're still saints.
I also think an honest person doesn't stand a fair chance to be elected in the first place. You have to promise folks the moon and slime the other guy.
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