AP Analysis: Democrats self-destructing over ethics

[ProfJohn]

Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

And I love the part about Obama waiving his ethics regulations to put a lobbyist in place. I thought Obama wasn't going to throw the lobbyists overboard.


link

The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.
Freshman Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.
Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
"The story seems to be changing day by day," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday.
The political mess for the Democratic Party, however, isn't Burris' conduct alone; it's the pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months.
_The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is the subject of a House ethics investigation. It's partly focused on his fundraising practices for a college center in his name, his ownership financing of a resort property in the Dominican Republic and his financial disclosure reports.
_Federal agents raided two Pennsylvania defense contractors that were provided millions of dollars in federal funding by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
_Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges, including allegations he schemed to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.
_Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, abandoned his bid to become health and human services secretary and the administration's point man on reforming health care; and Nancy Killefer stepped down from a newly created position charged with eliminating inefficient government programs.
Both Daschle and Killefer had tax problems, and Daschle also faced potential conflicts of interest related to working with health care interests.
_Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed after revealing he had tax troubles.
_Obama's initial choice for commerce secretary, Bill Richardson, stepped aside due to a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors.
_While the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm William Lynn as deputy defense secretary, Obama had to waive his ethics regulations to place the former defense lobbyist in charge of day-to-day operations at the Pentagon.
The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Richard Durbin of Illinois, expressed his anger about the Burris case Wednesday while he was on an official visit to Greece.
"I do believe that the public statements made by Mr. Burris to this point have raised questions ... as to the nature of his relationship with the former governor and the circumstances surrounding his appointment," Durbin said.
Reid said in Nevada, "Now there's some question as to whether or not he told the truth."
Where to go next? Reid had no answer.
"What I think we have to do is just wait and see," the Senate leader said.
Senate Democrats now may be trapped in their own ethics system. Disciplinary action against a senator usually requires a long investigation by the Senate's ethics committee. While a preliminary inquiry on Burris is under way, that's only the first early step. And, with ongoing criminal investigations in Illinois, the committee probably would have to postpone any action ? as it usually does ? to avoid interference.
In 2006, Republicans lost control of the House after Democrats effectively used a "culture of corruption" theme against them.
The final scandal broke shortly before the election, when it was revealed that then-Rep. Mark Foley, a Florida Republican, sent sexually suggestive e-mails and explicit instant messages to teenage boys who had served as House pages.
Republicans were further harmed when it was disclosed that several of their members were aware of the problem and failed to take action.
Democrats, who've been in control of both Congress and the White House less than two months now, are lucky on one point. The next congressional election is nearly two years away.
EDITOR'S NOTE _ Larry Margasak has covered Congress, including major ethics investigations, since 1983.

 

[Skitzer]

Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

 

[SAWYER]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

Thirded...

 

[Red Dawn]

Good, I'm glad the hypocrites are being exposed. If the Dems are going to be the party of accountability these bad apples needs to be swept away. I know, it didn't work with the Republicans, in fact they became more powerful but they never pretended to be ethical.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

This from one of the forums' chief pimps for the his EX Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal, the ethical turds who squandered trillions of tax payers' dollars a war in Iraq based entirely on lies and committed treason, torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity in pursuit of that war and abandoned all oversight and regulation of the wealthy Wall Street robber baron contributors who bankrolled their crimes and pocketed the nation's wealth.

Where was your outrage, then, PJ? :roll:

 

[fskimospy]

As always, term limits are a catastrophically bad idea. In addition, as always the party in power has the ethics problems because...well... they have the power.

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

Thirded...

Don't point out the obvious for ProfJohn. His purpose here is solely to create partisan based attacks rather than discussing issues.

but Term limits is not the right answer. It only gives lobbyists more power. Trust me. My state tried it, and the results have been a catastrophe, and we're now going down the road of (hopefully) overturning them.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
As always, term limits are a catastrophically bad idea. In addition, as always the party in power has the ethics problems because...well... they have the power.

Try to tell that to the morons in California who voted for term limits and now can barely get a budget passed.

 

[Corn]

Where is your outrage now? You are every bit the hypocrite you believe PJ to be.

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

This from one of the forums' chief pimps for the his EX Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal, the ethical turds who squandered trillions of tax payers' dollars a war in Iraq based entirely on lies and committed treason, torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity in pursuit of that war and abandoned all oversight and regulation of the wealthy Wall Street robber baron contributors who bankrolled their crimes and pocketed the nation's wealth.

Where was your outrage, then, PJ? :roll:

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
As always, term limits are a catastrophically bad idea. In addition, as always the party in power has the ethics problems because...well... they have the power.

I actually agree with this. It's not the politicians fault that voters have short memories and don't exercise their rights to impose a term limit with their vote.

 

[jpeyton]

I don't see this so-called "self-destruction" translating into any kind of political defeat.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

And I love the part about Obama waiving his ethics regulations to put a lobbyist in place. I thought Obama wasn't going to throw the lobbyists overboard.


link

The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.
Freshman Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.
Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
"The story seems to be changing day by day," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday.
The political mess for the Democratic Party, however, isn't Burris' conduct alone; it's the pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months.
_The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is the subject of a House ethics investigation. It's partly focused on his fundraising practices for a college center in his name, his ownership financing of a resort property in the Dominican Republic and his financial disclosure reports.
_Federal agents raided two Pennsylvania defense contractors that were provided millions of dollars in federal funding by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
_Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges, including allegations he schemed to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.
_Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, abandoned his bid to become health and human services secretary and the administration's point man on reforming health care; and Nancy Killefer stepped down from a newly created position charged with eliminating inefficient government programs.
Both Daschle and Killefer had tax problems, and Daschle also faced potential conflicts of interest related to working with health care interests.
_Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed after revealing he had tax troubles.
_Obama's initial choice for commerce secretary, Bill Richardson, stepped aside due to a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors.
_While the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm William Lynn as deputy defense secretary, Obama had to waive his ethics regulations to place the former defense lobbyist in charge of day-to-day operations at the Pentagon.
The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Richard Durbin of Illinois, expressed his anger about the Burris case Wednesday while he was on an official visit to Greece.
"I do believe that the public statements made by Mr. Burris to this point have raised questions ... as to the nature of his relationship with the former governor and the circumstances surrounding his appointment," Durbin said.
Reid said in Nevada, "Now there's some question as to whether or not he told the truth."
Where to go next? Reid had no answer.
"What I think we have to do is just wait and see," the Senate leader said.
Senate Democrats now may be trapped in their own ethics system. Disciplinary action against a senator usually requires a long investigation by the Senate's ethics committee. While a preliminary inquiry on Burris is under way, that's only the first early step. And, with ongoing criminal investigations in Illinois, the committee probably would have to postpone any action ? as it usually does ? to avoid interference.
In 2006, Republicans lost control of the House after Democrats effectively used a "culture of corruption" theme against them.
The final scandal broke shortly before the election, when it was revealed that then-Rep. Mark Foley, a Florida Republican, sent sexually suggestive e-mails and explicit instant messages to teenage boys who had served as House pages.
Republicans were further harmed when it was disclosed that several of their members were aware of the problem and failed to take action.
Democrats, who've been in control of both Congress and the White House less than two months now, are lucky on one point. The next congressional election is nearly two years away.
EDITOR'S NOTE _ Larry Margasak has covered Congress, including major ethics investigations, since 1983.

Oh, the hackery!

 

[Starbuck1975]

Where was your outrage, then, PJ?

Where is your outrage now? Or are you simply going to evoke Bush everytime the Democrats screw up.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

I'll say it again - term limits are the last you thing you want to do to improve the problem.

You just create a system where nobodies are selected for the nominations based on their willingness to play ball with the power brokers.

We're far better off with the leaders who build their standing over years and don't need the special interests as much.

Politicians who are lame ducks have a lot less incentive to not piss off the voters.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Good, I'm glad the hypocrites are being exposed. If the Dems are going to be the party of accountability these bad apples needs to be swept away. I know, it didn't work with the Republicans, in fact they became more powerful but they never pretended to be ethical.

Yes, they did - Bush's 2000 campaign promised to be the most ethical ever and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Bush Promised to End The Appearance of Impropriety - How? By Hiding It!
20-Aug-01
Bush Administration
While the Washington press corps focused on the all-important latest Chandra rumors, the Bush administration's Office of Government Ethics recently slipped proposed changes in the Ethics in Government Act under the radar. These would allow presidential appointees to hide potentially conflicting financial holdings in trusts and partnerships, while greatly limiting the amount of information they would have to provide about those holdings they would still be required to report. As Meredith McGeehee of Common Cause points out, if the proposed changes were in effect now the public would still be in the dark about Karl Rove's recent conflicts of interest if he had just held his stock in a trust or partnership. Lobbyists for the changes, however, claim we don't need all those pesky details because we can trust the Bushies to act in good faith. Yeah, right-o!

Check out some of the entries on this page: link

 

[zephyrprime]

Our politicians are so corrupt. It's disgusting. We really need to fix this ridiculous system. This country is going down hill.

 

[AAjax]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Both parties have representatives with ethics problems. This is not just confined to the Dems.
Many members of both parties are despicable in my opinion.
I'll say it again .......... TERM LIMITS!!!

yup

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

This from one of the forums' chief pimps for the his EX Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal, the ethical turds who squandered trillions of tax payers' dollars a war in Iraq based entirely on lies and committed treason, torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity in pursuit of that war and abandoned all oversight and regulation of the wealthy Wall Street robber baron contributors who bankrolled their crimes and pocketed the nation's wealth.

Where was your outrage, then, PJ? :roll:

Harveybot Target Acquired.

Firing Emoticon One!
Firing Emoticon Two!

Direct hit!

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Our politicians are so corrupt. It's disgusting. We really need to fix this ridiculous system. This country is going down hill.

Posts like this - they aren't very helpful without a plan.

"Gee, I sure wish greedy people wuold be less greedy. Sigh."

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Corn
Where is your outrage now? You are every bit the hypocrite you believe PJ to be.

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Are we surprised that members of congress and the government are being caught in ethics violations and being exposed as tax cheats?

This from one of the forums' chief pimps for the his EX Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal, the ethical turds who squandered trillions of tax payers' dollars a war in Iraq based entirely on lies and committed treason, torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity in pursuit of that war and abandoned all oversight and regulation of the wealthy Wall Street robber baron contributors who bankrolled their crimes and pocketed the nation's wealth.

Where was your outrage, then, PJ? :roll:

Listen! And understand! That Harveybot is out there. It can't be bargained with! It can't be reasoned with! It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until the thread is dead! - Kyle Reese

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Good, I'm glad the hypocrites are being exposed. If the Dems are going to be the party of accountability these bad apples needs to be swept away. I know, it didn't work with the Republicans, in fact they became more powerful but they never pretended to be ethical.

Yes, they did - Bush's 2000 campaign promised to be the most ethical ever and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Bush Promised to End The Appearance of Impropriety - How? By Hiding It!
20-Aug-01
Bush Administration
While the Washington press corps focused on the all-important latest Chandra rumors, the Bush administration's Office of Government Ethics recently slipped proposed changes in the Ethics in Government Act under the radar. These would allow presidential appointees to hide potentially conflicting financial holdings in trusts and partnerships, while greatly limiting the amount of information they would have to provide about those holdings they would still be required to report. As Meredith McGeehee of Common Cause points out, if the proposed changes were in effect now the public would still be in the dark about Karl Rove's recent conflicts of interest if he had just held his stock in a trust or partnership. Lobbyists for the changes, however, claim we don't need all those pesky details because we can trust the Bushies to act in good faith. Yeah, right-o!

Check out some of the entries on this page: link

And now the Republicans have been voted out. They're a non-issue. Try to stay focused, the Democrats are becoming the corrupt power now.

 

[OrByte]

ohhhh boy I almost forgot what it was like when the Repubs were out of power ala the old Clinton days...

Thanks for reminding me PJ.

<someone cut his mic>

 

[ccbadd]

Originally posted by: Harvey

EX Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal, the ethical turds who squandered trillions of tax payers' dollars a war in Iraq based entirely on lies and committed treason, torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity in pursuit of that war PJ? :roll:

It sure would be nice if one of you could prove this. We hear this same mindless crap over and over so give us specific examples that aren't just your hatred filled opinions. I do think Bush's treatment of our southern border was treasonous, and Obama is doing the same, but waterboarding terorists is not treason or war crimes. Sending them to there home country is not a crime either.

Now, what does that have to do with th OP, I don't see Bush mentioned in there. Go post to any one of the other "I HATE BUSH" wingnut threads.

Back on topic, they aren't self-destructing, none of this is new as we all know how corrupt almost everyone in DC is.