Posted on 05/28/2006 2:23:49 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Indeed, where is the outrage? Why aren't people demanding that he resign???
Anyone else have a hard time not saying "Clinton" after saying "William Jefferson?" I sure do. Maybe it's because Clinton was the first Black President.
There is another article which very clearly explains the legality of the search.
Congress Isn't Above the Law. And bribery isn't "speech or debate."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1639582/posts
"Based upon such compelling evidence and Mr. Jefferson's refusal to comply with a subpoena to surrender key documents for eight months, a federal judge issued the search warrant that was executed in the congressman's Capitol Hill office last weekend. The FBI took exceptional measures to ensure that no privileged documents would be surrendered to investigators, with any close calls being made by a federal judge.
The "Speech or Debate" clause is contained in Article I, Section 6, which provides that members of Congress "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." The provision was designed to protect legislators from civil law suits and unwarranted harassment by the executive branch, such as charges of defamation stemming from criticisms of the president during congressional debate. Put simply, only Congress can inquire into the motives or content of votes, speeches or other official legislative acts.
But as the Supreme Court observed in the 1972 case of U.S. v. Brewster, the clause was never intended to immunize corrupt legislators who violate felony bribery statutes--laws that have expressly applied to members of Congress for more than 150 years. In Brewster, the court noted the clause was not written "to make Members of Congress super-citizens, immune from criminal responsibility," adding: "Taking a bribe is, obviously, no part of the legislative process or function; it is not a legislative act. It is not, by any conceivable interpretation, an act performed as a part of or even incidental to the role of a legislator."
Such behavior is therefore not protected by the Constitution. The purpose of the Speech or Debate Clause was to protect the integrity of the legislative process, and the court noted that bribery, "perhaps even more than Executive power," would "gravely undermine legislative integrity and defeat the right of the public to honest representation."
Why not visit everyone's office over a three day weekend. :-)
?
You seems to have missed that the FBI has OVERWHELMING evidence, PROBABLY cause, they got a legal warrant. And did you know that Jefferson was served with a subpoena, which he ignored for 8 months -- it was after all that, when his office was searched, WITH a warrant.
"According to numerous press accounts, after videotaping Mr. Jefferson receiving a $100,000 bribe from an FBI informant, the government executed a search warrant of his home and found $90,000 of that money hidden in his freezer. In another case, a Kentucky businessman pleaded guilty to paying Mr. Jefferson $400,000 in bribes for official favors; and one of the congressman's key staff members has already entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official.
Based upon such compelling evidence and Mr. Jefferson's refusal to comply with a subpoena to surrender key documents for eight months, a federal judge issued the search warrant that was executed in the congressman's Capitol Hill office last weekend."
CONGRESS ISN'T ABOVE THE LAW
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008439
New DNC spokeswoman: Emily Litella.
I don't understand. It seems that if a congress critter broke the law, the outrage lies this person's feet.
No wonder Republicans are starting to lose faith in the people they sent to Capital Hill.
Why, don't you know that Democrats are innocent? Those who are members of the CBC are particularly innocent of everything.
Wasn't there a "shootist" in that joint Friday and there were cops running around all over that place looking for him? LOL!
Where's the rage over Bill Campbell, Former Atlanta Mayor (only got convicted of Income Tax evasion and not for the vast sums he took in bribes)?
Where's the rage over the Duke LaCrosse players being railroaded by a black DA?
Where's the rage over prosecutions on Hate Crimes for whites-on-blacks only?
The rest will fill a book, but it's pointless. It's a horse of a different color that apparently can't do wrong. We've come to accept that kind of behavior because of white guilt for past sins.
Keep in mind that to criticize William Jefferson (D - La) opens one to be labeled a racist. That and one must remember that he is a member in good standing of the RAT party, hence the hands off treatment from those dinsaurs in the msm.
Well, William Jefferson Clinton must've made off with Outrage earlier, along with making out with her.
Nevermind that the search found cash wrapped in foil and hidden in the congressman’s freezer.
I don't think this is quite true, is it? I thought the cash was in his DC home.
Where's the outrage? Right here, me. So what, big deal, who cares?
I am beside myself over the administration and the party failure to make the Dog nmad liberals squeal like the pigs that they are. Hell, the GOP sounds more like leftists than the conservative party.
GWB can know that he is doing right when he is being denounced on all issues by the left. The dorsally moist need to fly South for ever or languish in jail. Leftist-scofflaws must join them.
Nevermind that the search found cash wrapped in foil and hidden in the congressman’s freezer.
I don't think this is quite true, is it? I thought the cash was in his DC home.
====
It didn't say it was in his freezer in his office, just "congressman's freezer" -- his freezer at home is still "the congressman's freezer". And not to mention that they videotaped him accepting a $100K bribe in cash.
I don't think the office search found the money in the freezer, that was in his house.
CBS expressed a little bit of outrage, but called Jefferson a REPUBLICAN representative.
He's a STINKING RAT...ENUFF said! RAT CRIMINALS slide while the pubs usually are BURNED AT THE STAKE!...Ask DeLay!
I see your point.
But one correction:
"Where's the rage over the Duke LaCrosse players being railroaded by a black DA?"
The DA is NOT black.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060518/480/30546545c78a4415a02c6ab13b999ccc
Where are those people who demanded Republicans resign? I hope somebody in the media will pose that question to them.
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