William Jefferson's Victory May Complicate Things for Nancy Pelosi

foxnews.com ^ | 12/10/06 | foxnews

[Ellesu]

WASHINGTON — In awarding Rep. William Jefferson a new lease on his political life, Louisiana voters this weekend also saddled Nancy Pelosi with another ethics dilemma as she prepares to become the new Democratic speaker of the House. Jefferson won a runoff election Saturday despite being dogged by a federal corruption investigation and FBI allegations that he had $90,000 in bribe money in his freezer. The 9-term Democrat has not been charged with any crime and has denied he did anything wrong. But he returns to Washington under a cloud that will complicate Pelosi's vow to make this "the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history." Democrats ran against a "culture of corruption" they said Republicans had fostered while in control of Congress. Election-day surveys showed that corruption and scandal were deciding factors in how people voted. The victory by Jefferson, the first black member of Congress from Louisiana since Reconstruction, forces Pelosi to weigh a pledge to run an ethical Congress against the influence of New Orleans' elected representative in Congress, particularly as the city recovers from the devastation of Katrina. And it renews calls for the creation of an independent ethics body to investigate behavior by members of Congress. "It's going to be quite a headache for the Democrats," Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said Sunday.

[caver]

The folks in Louisiana like their politicians don't they. They re-elected Jefferson and Nagin and Blanco, regardless of their behavior. They may be corrupt politicians but at least they're our politicians.

[traditional1]

"I've said something like that a few times on F.R. and gotten put in time out for a few days. "

I just got back from a week off (penalty box), myself.

Reminds us that it's like Republicans ALWAYS getting smacked down for politically-incorrect statments in Congress (resignations, pilloried in the Press, etc.), while Democrats skate away with corruption up the wazzoo, but come out without a scratch.....