House Ethics Panel Set To Investigate!

https://www.janereinheimer.com ^ | March 11, 2010 | Jane Reinheimer

[quintr]

Can something be legal, but not equitable?

Can behavior be ethical but not moral?

Legal, for instance, is something that is permitted by law. Legal behavior gets its authority from law. Equitable, on the other hand, is something that is fair and just.

Ethical behavior is government by rules of conduct recognized by a particular class of human actions or a particular group of people. For instance, an attorney cannot get a speeding ticket in Illinois if that attorney is on his/her way to court. But going down the road at 80 mph at 7 pm would not be ethical because courts are generally not in session at that time. I know -- there are instances like holiday court. And sometimes court cases being heard will drag on into the evening. Those are exceptions, not the general rule.

Moral behavior is concerned with the rules of right conduct or, specifically the distinction between right and wrong. Moral behavior is not founded on the principles of legalities, or customs.

So much for the dictionary definitions of ethics and morals and legalities.

Then there's the House of Representatives. That supposedly august body has its own rules of what's ethical -- specifically what will not be tolerated or defined as unethical behavior.

For instance, is there a rule somewhere that says staff members of congressionals are supposed to fly coach, not first class. Yet there are millions of taxpayer dollars wasted because these staff members refuse to fly coach. Isn't that unethical behavior? It does seem that congressional staff members are set apart as a group unto themselves when they balk at following the rules. It seems that they've kind of made a little rule of their own that applies to themselves as members of a special class of people. In other words, does the requirement of ethical conduct not apply to them?

Dry dry dry. Watching paint dry, some would say.

But wait. What is a congressman forgets to pay nearly a hundred thousand dollars in taxes? So far at least the House Ethics Committee hasn't exempted anybody from paying income taxes. But what if the congressman just says "Oops, I just forgot to declare all that extra income." Apparently a lapse of memory is not illegal. But it does seem to be less than moral behavior, not to mention unethical. It doesn't appear to be illegal if there's a lapse of memory, followed very quickly by a check to cover the damages by a congressional who would insult the intelligence of taxpayers of this country with a sudden onslaught of economic amnesia. Then comes the headline, "He didn't do anything illegal."

Then there's all those politicians flying around from hither and yon on corporate jets.

Now they're really in trouble because the House Ethics Panel voted to investigate all of them. Including Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House; and Steney Hoyer, the House Majority Leader. The bill was introduced by John Boehner from Ohio. He offered a privileged resolution to ask the Ethics Panel to open an investigation. Majority Whip James Clyburn called to end the debate and Boehner's resolution passed 404-2.

Granted, the Boehner resolution has more to do with the big tornado blowing through the halls of congress about Eric Massa from New York, who resigned the other day while under pressure about what some deemed inappropriate behavior. Sexual harassment was the actual charge.

It's going to be interesting to follow this one through. And for all of you who prefer a nice, dry red wine along with your political dissections of ethics, moral turpitude, and legalistic behaviors, I can only remind you that the Ides of March is at hand. The masks of Mardi Gras have come off and the ugly truth is about to be unveiled in Washington, D.C.

[ETL]

Thank you. I only wish folks like Hannity and Limbaugh would read it. There’s so much that they’re missing.

[pabianice]

Thank you for your gracious post.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Funny you should ask. The article below is the source of the most dangerous quote about obama I have ever read. I still cannot believe it did not get more attention. Which is why I post it whenever the opportunity presents itself. :-)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11257.html

Obama kept Law Review balanced
By JEFFREY RESSNER & BEN SMITH | 6/23/08 4:38 AM EST

from the article:
“...Obama “clearly agreed with me at the time that a shift in constitutional thinking from a rights-based discourse to one that centered [on] responsibility and duties ... would be a good thing,...”