Jonah Goldberg: Congress finds its backbone — in the freezer

Jewish World REview ^ | June 1, 2006 | Jonah Goldberg

[FairOpinion]

I may be the only person in Washington who finds the constitutional Gotterdammerung over the FBI's raid of a congressman's office ... well, endearing. Quaint even.

The "speech or debate" clause of the Constitution bars interfering with legislators in their official duties — though it's hard to find any language in there that might allow a congressman suspected of corruption to swing from the rotunda like Quasimodo shouting, "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

What makes this episode so Capra-esque is the monumental political stupidity of congressional Republicans. Constitutional arguments aside, this kerfuffle represents an astounding example of political self-immolation nominally on principle. (I say nominally because I suspect House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert is more miffed about CIA chief Porter Goss getting sacked than he is about Jefferson getting ransacked.) The House GOP is under a cloud of corruption thanks to the Jack Abramoff and Randy "Duke" Cunningham cases. This cloud could cost the Republicans their majority come November. But if a high-ranking Democrat is caught stashing $90K next to his Mrs. Paul's frozen fish sticks, the Republicans could change the subject from GOP corruption to Democratic corruption; instead, they opted to go with curtain No. 2 and change the subject to GOP arrogance and stupidity. The congressional GOP — which won Congress by promising the laws of the land would apply to Congress — decided to seize Jefferson's cream pie and throw it in the White House's face.

[Texasforever]

It looks like the house is for "amnesty" after all.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Sandy Berger taught us that proper procedure for concealing documents is to shove them into your pants. -Jonah Goldberg

My very own Sandy Berger/Gollum line: What had it got in it's pocketses?

[NutCrackerBoy]

Excellent column dripping with sarcasm.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Were House Republicans this clueless in Reagans day or is it something that happened when they became the majority? They are more interested in bribing their voters with pork than backing up the President.

[Alberta's Child]

What makes this whole controversy so ridiculous is that these members of a U.S. Congress that exceeds its Congressional authority in about 98% of the Federal laws it passes have the b@lls to sanctimoniously complain about "violations of the separation of powers" in this case.

These jack@sses should all just pretend that searches of Congressional offices by the Justice Department are permitted under the Commerce Clause, or the "penumbras" of the 14th Amendment, or whatever other silly bullsh!t that is used to justify all the crap that comes out of Washington these days.

[FairOpinion]

Yes, indeed, Congress didn't stand up for President Bush, and now they are standing up for a Dem criminal.

What is the matter with them?!

[AmeriBrit]

I'm curious. What did hillary have to say about this? Any idea?

[FairOpinion]

"I'm curious. What did hillary have to say about this? Any idea?"


===

Hillary is not stupid, whatever else she may be:



"Philippe Reines, a spokesman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), declined to comment on the issue.

“Senator Clinton remains focused on being the best senator she can be for the people of New York,” he said.




2008 presidential hopefuls have mixed response to Jefferson raid

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/053106/raid.html

[Frank_2001]

Agreed!!

[AmeriBrit]

“Senator Clinton remains focused on being the best senator she can be for the people of New York,” he said.

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If that's the best she can do I'd hate to see what she'd do if she wasn't trying (sarc)

I think someone should whisper in the FBI's ear to search her office. Never know what might be stored there.

[goldstategop]

The GOP decided one law for us and another law for the peasants. They must think we're stupid. I'd love to see them run on a platform defending corruption as the moral equivalent of free speech. Do bring it on!

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")