Posted on 06/04/2007 9:21:38 PM PDT by LdSentinal
Democratic leaders fear that Rep. William J. Jefferson's indictment yesterday on racketeering and bribery charges, coming exactly one year after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi engineered his ouster from the powerful Ways and Means Committee, could rekindle a smoldering dispute between the speaker and black lawmakers who were once pillars of her power.
For months, the Louisiana Democrat's mounting legal peril has bedeviled Democrats as they sought first to point to corruption as a tool to oust Republicans from control of Congress, then pressed for ethics and lobbying changes that they said would usher in a new era of clean politics on Capitol Hill. For every thrust Democrats made against the GOP, Republicans parried with Jefferson, saying problems in Congress were bipartisan.
Through it all, much of the Congressional Black Caucus has stood by Jefferson and against the Democratic leadership. And yesterday, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), a veteran Congressional Black Caucus member, said the caucus would be "as supportive of our colleague as possible, in terms of saying a person in America is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty."
Pelosi would not say what actions she would take, but she called the charges "extremely serious" and, if true, "an egregious and unacceptable abuse of public trust and power."
"Democrats are committed to upholding a high ethical standard and eliminating corruption and unethical behavior from the Congress," she said.
The Democratic steering committee, which sets committee assignments, will convene this week to consider whether to remove Jefferson from his last committee post: a seat on the Small Business Committee, a relative backwater of power. Senior House Democratic leadership aides said he almost certainly would be dropped. And some leadership aides suggested emissaries could be dispatched within days to ask for Jefferson's resignation from the House.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
What does the White Caucus have to say about this?
Yo Nancy, the charges were just as serious a year ago. The case looked pretty strong with cash in the fridge and staff already convicted. The only difference between now and a year ago is that very slow prosecuitors finally got around to indicting him. Everything else, we all knew before.
Ah but Pelosi know they won’t go anywhere. He’s the one she can afford to throw under the bus for appearance’s sake. What’s the CBC going to do, become Republicans?
“Democrats are committed to upholding a high ethical standard and eliminating corruption and unethical behavior from the Congress,”
WWOOHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!! How could she possibly say that w/ a straight face??
Yes, any rift between the far-left Black Caucus and the far-left Pelosi won’t amount to much. Once again, I would commend to FReepers’ attention my saying about Democratic candidates: They’re like dog turds lying next to each other on a newspaper. Yeah, they’re different. But not in any way that matters.
Because she believes that Republicanism is synonymous with corruption. It’s simply an attention-getting way of saying she wants to “eliminate” Republicans.
Miracles in modern Botox.
How about Pelosi herself. Ethical? I don’t think so.
There can only be a rift based on race if they are racists.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Pelosi want to put Bill Jefferson on the Homeland Security committee a few months ago?
I already called Jefferson’s office today and claimed outrage that he was being singled out. They haven’t done anything to Hillary for a $1.6 mil illegal donation. Just trying to do what I can to foment trouble.
Perhaps this will help — http://youtube.com/watch?v=hE2EpTpZ264
With botox of course.
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.)... said ... a person Democrat in America is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty."
There, fixed it.
Time for the “plantation” to rise up and Mau Mau the exclusively white Democrat leadership.....
It is more than a little amusing to see the signs of a possible chasm between the wife of the first Black president and the various racist louts who make up the Congressional Black (Democrats only) Caucus. They both deserve the worst.
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