Thank goodness the Democrats have taken over congress and have begun the process of cleaning house. Based upon current trends, we can look forward to all corruption and wasteful spending to be eliminated within weeks… of hell freezing over.
Two news items today:
From AP – Rep. William Jefferson D-La was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, money-laundering and soliciting more than $400,000 in bribes in a long-running investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.
Will Speaker Pelosi request that he resign from congress? Not that corruption is a real surprise on either side of the aisle, but Pelosi and Reid are trying to “drain the swamp”; so far it appears the are using a swizzle-stick straw. Let’s not forget some of the other pillars of integrity still in congress:
Alcee Hastings D-Fl
- Alcee Hastings was accused (although not convicted) of taking a bribe in a perjury trial
- He was impeached by a Democrat House and removed from the bench by the Senate
- He is millions of dollars in debt, which leaves him vulnerable to another bribe
And yet, according to his official website:
Congressman Hastings is a member of the powerful House Rules Committee and is a senior Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). On the HPSCI, Hastings is the Ranking Democratic Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. The Terrorism Subcommittee is the primary committee in Congress which has direct oversight of the programs and activities of the intelligence community that relate to U.S. homeland security and to counterterrorism, including capabilities, resources, policies and procedures.
As a Senior Democratic Whip, Hastings is an influential member of the Democratic Leadership. The Congressman also serves as one of only four House Democrats on the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
John Murtha D-PA
Listed among his credentials: He’s the only congressman snared in the 1980 Abscam sting who was not indicted.
Follow the above link to a long write-up of his involvement with Abscam… too much to reprint here.
And item #2:
From AP - After promising unprecedented openness regarding Congress’ pork barrel practices, House Democrats are moving in the opposite direction as they draw up spending bills for the upcoming budget year.
Democrats are sidestepping rules approved their first day in power in January to clearly identify “earmarks” — lawmakers’ requests for specific projects and contracts for their states — in documents that accompany spending bills.
I suppose ethics sound like a much better idea when in the heat of an election campaign then they do when you have to live with them, so who can blame the Dems for not wasting a lot of time and breaking their promises at the beginning of this congressional session.
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