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Pelosi faces ethics probe over potential Massa coverup
The Washington Examiner ^ | March 12, 2010 | Susan Ferrechio

Posted on 03/11/2010 7:41:35 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

House Republicans are pushing hard for an investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi's handling of accusations that ex-Rep. Eric Massa sexually harassed a male staffer, putting Democrats in a politically dangerous position.

The House voted 402-1 to refer to the ethics committee a demand put forward by GOP leaders that the panel ask Democratic leaders about how they responded to sexual harassment allegations against Massa.

The move came a day after the ethics panel quietly dropped its probe into Massa, a freshmen New York Democrat. Massa resigned Monday amid allegations he groped male staffers in his office. In interviews Massa said aides had misinterpreted tickling and other horseplay. The ethics panel closed the case because it has no jurisdiction over former members, but the GOP wants the 10-member, bipartisan committee to start a new investigation into the Democratic leadership's handling of the matter.

Pelosi's staff has acknowledged receiving complaints about Massa's behavior as early as October 2009. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., forced Massa to refer the complaint to the ethics committee when he heard about it in February.

"All we do know is there are a continuing stream of press reports which raise questions [about] what was known and when it was known," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va.

The vote does not compel the ethics committee to follow through with the Republican resolution, which would have required the panel to open an official investigation. Instead, it merely directs the panel to consider the resolution.

An investigation could be politically devastating if Pelosi is found to have overlooked warning signs about Massa's behavior. Democratic aides have told reporters that Massa's chief of staff informed the speaker's office in October about concerns that Massa was living with five aides in a group home on Capitol Hill and had gone to dinner alone with a junior aide to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. Pelosi aides were made aware of the groping allegations from Hoyer's office in February. Pelosi, though, told reporters last week she only learned of any accusations against Massa on March 3.

Four years ago, the Republican majority watched its poll numbers plummet after media reports disclosed Rep. Mark Foley, a six-term lawmaker from Florida, was pursuing underage male House pages while the GOP leadership did little or nothing to intervene.

Frank said there is no comparing the two cases.

"I believe they will be shown to have done a very appropriate job, which is very different than Mark Foley," Frank said. "Mark Foley had to be broken by the press."

But Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, a former member of the ethics committee, sees similarities to the Foley case, which resulted in an ethics committee report that accused House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and then-Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, of working to conceal the matter.

"The stories this week seem to indicate that at least those questions have been raised about the speaker and the majority leader," LaTourette said.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; congress; corruption; coverup; democrats; ethics; massa; pelosi; probe; scandal; sexualharassment; smellslikerottentuna
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To: Servant of the Cross

Thank you. I suspect their next step will be CYA for Pelosi et al.


81 posted on 03/12/2010 10:10:32 AM PST by fightinJAG (Massa = Obambi's poster boy for repealing DADT)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; NFHale; mkjessup; hiredhand

seriesly, how long before the homopredators in DC begin having daily polesmoker orgies and virgin sacrifices on the house floor ???


82 posted on 03/12/2010 10:14:06 AM PST by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: potlatch


Teddy is gone - so McRat carries on


83 posted on 03/12/2010 4:24:37 PM PST by devolve ( . . . . . . . . . Sarah Palin can spell corpsmen . . . . . . .)
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To: fightinJAG
Then again this vote for an investigation could just be a CYA move and the Rats will figure out a way to make it all go away quietly anyway.

They have to vote for it or look bad. Of course, they already look bad but you get my meaning. They are looking at November and cringing.

84 posted on 03/12/2010 4:40:28 PM PST by jerri (Is it over yet?)
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To: devolve

Flashy post!!


85 posted on 03/12/2010 5:00:08 PM PST by potlatch (- What a co-inky-stink!)
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To: counterpunch

The Dems don’t know a thing about good politics.


86 posted on 03/12/2010 7:07:00 PM PST by DHSMostWanted (ByeBye Benedict Nelson in 2012.)
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To: DHSMostWanted

But they know EVERTHING about dishonest and corrupt politics.


87 posted on 03/13/2010 6:33:31 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Kimberly GG
Question -- what brought this worldly Naval Officer to settle down in a tiny southern tier community like Corning, New York, and what was his relationship with General Wesley Clark of Waco infamy?

I really think you have to look a little deeper than Nancy Pelosi.

88 posted on 03/13/2010 10:07:09 AM PST by TiaS
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To: SandRat; 2ndDivisionVet; justiceseeker93; byteback; ml/nj; ExTexasRedhead; SunkenCiv; ...
Can I stop laughing now? Pelosi "said" she was going to have the most ethical Congress in History. Pass the Popcorn.


89 posted on 03/15/2010 8:58:00 AM PDT by Liz (A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat nearby.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; zzeeman; opentalk; maggief; Grampa Dave; stephenjohnbanker; GOPJ; hoosiermama; ...
Axelrod says Americans Are Too Stupid To Care About Congressional Procedures FR POSTED by callisto:

Obama strategist David Axelrod and spokesman Robert Gibbs threaten that the Obamacare bill will be passed this upcoming week...............despite the lack of votes that stand in the way of passage.............So just how are defiant Democrats going to overcome insufficient votes for passage? It may well be chicanery. According to Axelrod, the White House is retreating from earlier demands that special, sweetheart deals by certain lawmakers be removed in order to aid with passage. In order to pass a bill----- that the majority of Americans detest-----Ohaha is permitting special deals for senators Landrieu, Max Baucus and Chris Dodd to remain in the bill. (Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...

=============================================

PASS THE WORD If they use the Slaughter Rule to pass it, it will not be a law because it’s unconstitutional.

If Nanzi allows this to happen her seat is in jeopardy.

If Obaba signs this...........he can be impeached.

USE THESE Toll free numbers------set up by OhahNuts and illegals to support O/care.

1-800-828-0498, 1-866-220-0044, 1-866-338-1015, 1-877-851-6437, 1-877-210-5351

90 posted on 03/15/2010 9:16:21 AM PDT by Liz (A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat nearby.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Thank you God. Perhaps our prayers will be answered.


91 posted on 03/15/2010 9:33:47 AM PDT by ExTexasRedhead (Clean the RAT/RINO Sewer in 2010 and 2012)
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To: ken5050
Betcha Barney Frank was the lone vote opposed

Naw Nasti Nanzi voted for her own neck.

92 posted on 03/15/2010 9:54:45 AM PDT by hoosiermama (ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW.......I am swimming with Sarahcudah! Sarah has read the tealeaves.)
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To: Indy Pendance

Not to mention all the emails freepers send to Rush, Drudge, Hannity, Beck etc etc.


93 posted on 03/15/2010 9:58:24 AM PDT by hoosiermama (ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW.......I am swimming with Sarahcudah! Sarah has read the tealeaves.)
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To: Liz

Tried all of your phone numbers...They ring, but no one is answering.


94 posted on 03/15/2010 11:06:56 AM PDT by hoosiermama (ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW.......I am swimming with Sarahcudah! Sarah has read the tealeaves.)
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To: Liz

Has anyone heard how the Ohio Rally today went? I planned on going but had a sick child at home today. A lot of my friends were there. I’m dying to know, it easily had to number in the thousands.


95 posted on 03/15/2010 11:07:12 AM PDT by marstegreg
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To: hoosiermama

I’m guessing calls are enormous. Try this.

Toll free Capitol switchboard 1-800-965-4701


96 posted on 03/15/2010 11:39:23 AM PDT by Liz (A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat nearby.)
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To: Liz

Won’t take calls from my area.


97 posted on 03/15/2010 1:11:09 PM PDT by hoosiermama (ONLY DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW.......I am swimming with Sarahcudah! Sarah has read the tealeaves.)
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To: Liz; AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...

Thanks Liz. Maybe she and Rangel can start a “temporarily had to step down” caucus.


98 posted on 03/15/2010 3:59:02 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://themagicnegro.com/)
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To: SunkenCiv
...........“temporarily had to step down” caucus...........

Heh----love it.

99 posted on 03/15/2010 7:00:21 PM PDT by Liz (A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat nearby.)
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