Posted on 08/20/2009 3:26:40 AM PDT by Scanian
GOSH, what a surprise: A committee of their fellow senators has decided that Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad did nothing unethical when they took out loans from Countrywide Financial on the kind of favorable terms not available to mere mortals without their financial or political standing -- or a personal connection to the head of Countrywide.
The very Select Committee on Ethics did recognize that the whole deal looked bad, and gave its colleagues a gentle pat on the wrist for creating "the appearance that you were receiving preferential treatment based on your status as a senator." But in the end, one hand washed the other, if not very well.
The senators on the committee have a point: This VIP program -- called Friends of Angelo after Angelo Mozilo, the head of Countrywide at the time -- seems to have been open to a wide, bipartisan range of politicians with pull as well as anybody Mozilo took a liking to.
To name a select few: A former housing secretary (Alphonso Jackson), a former secretary of health and human services and later university president (Donna Shalala), a former assistant secretary of state and still-diplomat (Richard Holbrooke), an adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign (James Johnson) and so prominently on.
How else could these preferential loans appear but improper?
Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. When a senator is told he's getting a favor, like a point off his interest rate, that ought to be enough to raise a warning flag -- and keep him from accepting the deal.
Countrywide cast a wide net for its favoritism, but just how wide may never be known.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I don’t know how more suckless these alleged public servents can be!
It is simply not right for politicians to work under different rules than the ordinary American person.
It is offensive that they get a pass on offenses that would normally land simple people like me in jail.
I’m fixin’ to scream......
I interpret this finding as an accurate assessment that these two scumbags are no more scummy than the average senatorial scumbag.
And you are correct. The whole mess is corrupt.
Vote for no incumbents
Bipartisanship at its best. This is the only place where Congress can truly work together. Covering up their own scandals and misdeeds.
Remember when “even the appearance of impropriety” was sufficient in Democratic eyes to warrant the dismissal of any (Republican) from any post?
It’s the magnitude of the charge! The seriousness of the accusations!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.