Most corrupt US President/Administration?

[AnnonUSA]

The most corrupt is the current sitting administration... Pick a year, see who was in office, and research the administration, and you will find corruption. So the worst is always the presiding administration....

 

[Vic]

Sadly, there are many reasons not to like Ike. A very good general but not a very good President. When Ike did not stand up to McCarthy when he attacked George C. Marshall, we can understand why he was a piss poor human being.

Uh... Ike did stand up to McCarthy, and is considered perhaps the leading cause of McCarthy's downfall. He only backed down to McCarthy just once, and that once during his election campaign in McCarthy's home state of Wisconsin and then only on the advice of his campaign managers.

You truly are partisan, Lemon. Eisenhower was the greatest voice of reason in the Republican party against the radical 'teabagger' movement of his time. And I see your motive. If another Eisenhower appeared in the GOP at this time, they'd sweep again just like '52.

 

[Babbles]

Seems like in a sense by definition it would have to be Andrew Johnson.

Nixon was mentioned, but for example he did far, far, far more for protecting the environment than hippy liberal treehuggers would like to give him credit for. If it wasn't for Watergate I think Nixon would probably have been considered one of the better Presidents. Shit JFK's administration was corrupt as hell but he doesn't seem to get as much grief for it.

 

[nageov3t]

Seems like in a sense by definition it would have to be Andrew Johnson.

Nixon was mentioned, but for example he did far, far, far more for protecting the environment than hippy liberal treehuggers would like to give him credit for. If it wasn't for Watergate I think Nixon would probably have been considered one of the better Presidents. Shit JFK's administration was corrupt as hell but he doesn't seem to get as much grief for it.

I'm not sure I'd even rank Watergate to be that bad as far as corruption goes. I mean, I certainly wouldn't put it on the same level as basically being in the pocket of the robber barons or Haliburton or using the office to enrich your friends and allies without regard to the law or the consequences.

 

[woodie1]

In my lifetime: JFK, LBJ, Clinton in no particular order. The current administration is getting there.

 

[Bateluer]

Most times the most corrupt administration in history is the current one.

This.

 

[irwincur]

They are all corrupt. Most are before they get there, some just screw it up when they get a taste of power. And realise how absolutely stupid the American people really are.

Hell, with a voting populous this stupid, it is hard not to be corrupt. The general masses care more about Lindsey Lohan going to jail than if you were to take their voting rights away.

 

[Craig234]

In my lifetime: JFK, LBJ, Clinton in no particular order. The current administration is getting there.

LOL, you are perverse.

I was thinking about how JFK had one of the least corrupt administrations in history.

LBJ's was largely not corrupt and better than most though he had his problems, including Bobby Baker, and Clinton was not so much corrupt as an excessive compromiser.

I'd like to hear the 'corruption' you claim of the JFK presidency. Well not really, but it'd be nice for you to try to back up your claim.

 

[Craig234]

I'm not sure I'd even rank Watergate to be that bad as far as corruption goes. I mean, I certainly wouldn't put it on the same level as basically being in the pocket of the robber barons or Haliburton or using the office to enrich your friends and allies without regard to the law or the consequences.

There was a high degree of corruption of the Nixon administration in a number of ways, but it wasn't primarily of the 'money for your friend' variety.

Oh, he had that too - look into Bebe Robozo, for example; his former employer Pepsi was able to call him, representing 'concerned' companies with business in Chile, about the problem of a left-wing candidate, Salvador Allende, and Nixon ordered Kissinger to prevent Allende fro holding power, leading to the US coordinating a coup that the loss of Allende's life and the installation of a right-wing dictator.

But Nixon's corruption was far more broad, typically more political, and including his paranoia.

Read the following link for the type of person who did fine under Nixon:

http://www.nationalcorruptionindex.com/pages/profile.php?profile_id=520

There's evidence suggesting that Nixon, in a close 1968 election, wanting to win felt he needed to prevent the Democratic administration from success in Vietnam peace talks (ending the war was a political plus to promise - Nixon promised it, while he actually expanded the war in power), secretly communicated with the South Vietnam government to sabotage the peace talks - successfully - an act IMO of treason and murder.

There was a whole culture of political corruption difficult to capture it was so large. His 'enemies list' is infamous. He'd approve things like Cointelpro, a secret operation by the government against our own citizens on the 'wrong' side from politically. He was so obsessed with the Kennedys who had beat him as to have Senator Ted Kennedy followed and to fabricate documents implicating JFK in wrongdoing he claimed to have 'found'.

There's a reason he had people like G. Gordon Liddy, who would offer to assassinate a reporter for him, and Chuck Colson, leading a 'dirty tricks' operation.

Why so many of the scandalous and criminal figures of later Republican administrations had gotten their start under Nixon.

His culture literally had his own top organizations spying on each other, state planting people in defense and so on.

Watergate was a specific action caught and covered up, but the corruption was a lot more, as IIRC the impeachment items listed besides Watergate.

He wasn't a 'crook' in the sense that he wasn't out to pad his own bank account it seems, but rather one that corrupted the system for other reasons, such as power.

 

[Zebo]

I didnt see corruption in Reagan. I think he was a good man who believed in best in people even though some of his policy I may not agree with. Carter same deal. Rest of them since I've been alive... very corrupted. I think George senior and Nixon were evil personified and corrupt.

 

[dawp]

really ?

Operation beautiful ray of sunshine
Interstates

should I keep going.

I agree on your other points.

look up operation ajax, which gave us the Iran we know and love.

 

[Zebo]

Is it corruption when you trick the nation into going to war under false pretenses?

No GW was just that stupid thinking he could change ME into some jeffersonian democracy. "hearts and minds" "mom's and dads just like us" , remember?, what a fuckin fool. I tend not to pick on disabled.

 

[Budmantom]

Obama and his cronies = secretive, evil communist bastards who hate America.

Most have been corrupt but Barry has taken it up a few notches. I'd say it helps having some of the dumbest voters in history, look around on this forum and see how many idiots are still defending him.

 

[hal2kilo]

Uh... Ike did stand up to McCarthy, and is considered perhaps the leading cause of McCarthy's downfall. He only backed down to McCarthy just once, and that once during his election campaign in McCarthy's home state of Wisconsin and then only on the advice of his campaign managers.

You truly are partisan, Lemon. Eisenhower was the greatest voice of reason in the Republican party against the radical 'teabagger' movement of his time. And I see your motive. If another Eisenhower appeared in the GOP at this time, they'd sweep again just like '52.

Not possible, Ike would be branded a socialist/communist by todays Repugs litmus tests.

 

[MrMatt]

While I do not think he was such a bad guy himself, I am going with Grant's administration.

I thought of Grant too when I saw the thread title

 

[Jhhnn]

I didnt see corruption in Reagan. I think he was a good man who believed in best in people even though some of his policy I may not agree with. Carter same deal. Rest of them since I've been alive... very corrupted. I think George senior and Nixon were evil personified and corrupt.

I think it depends on how "corruption" is defined.

I'll agree wrt Carter- the witch hunt wrt Bert Lance was resolved with his trial, which the jury resolved in about as much time as it took to pick a foreman, have a cup of coffee, take a vote. The whole thing was trumped up... and never actually involved Carter, anyway. The media just wanted another watergate...

Reagan, OTOH, couldn't remember a thing wrt Iran/Contra, and was allowed to slide, even though the truth was obvious... Many of his associates were up to their eyeballs in other forms of corruption, as witnessed by the number of prosecutions, convictions, and GHWB pardons...

The most corrupt administration in History was probably Grant's, although he seems to have been innocent, himself. He had a long history of trusting people he shouldn't have...

 

[Zebo]

I think it depends on how "corruption" is defined.

I'll agree wrt Carter- the witch hunt wrt Bert Lance was resolved with his trial, which the jury resolved in about as much time as it took to pick a foreman, have a cup of coffee, take a vote. The whole thing was trumped up... and never actually involved Carter, anyway. The media just wanted another watergate...

Reagan, OTOH, couldn't remember a thing wrt Iran/Contra, and was allowed to slide, even though the truth was obvious... Many of his associates were up to their eyeballs in other forms of corruption, as witnessed by the number of prosecutions, convictions, and GHWB pardons...

The most corrupt administration in History was probably Grant's, although he seems to have been innocent, himself. He had a long history of trusting people he shouldn't have...

I define it as do you genuinely believe what you advocate and Reagan did. He believed in trickle down not as a cleaver ploy to sucker the masses into getting just a few famously wealthy but would benefit all. I believe Carter really was an environmentalist and his sweater in the WH was no PR ploy. I believe Carter really was a man of god very pious not some ploy to get elected.

Most pols never walk the talk. Look at Obama, no objective liberal can call him honest after how he derailed HC for all.

 

[Jhhnn]

I define it as do you genuinely believe what you advocate and Reagan did. He believed in trickle down not as a cleaver ploy to sucker the masses into getting just a few famously wealthy but would benefit all. I believe Carter really was an environmentalist and his sweater in the WH was no PR ploy. I believe Carter really was a man of god very pious not some ploy to get elected.

Most pols never walk the talk. Look at Obama, no objective liberal can call him honest after how he derailed HC for all.

Obama derailed healthcare? Now you're just makin' shit up...

Couldn't have been 40 senatorial repubs plus a few DINO's... nah, I must have been dreaming that...

 

[PeshakJang]

Obama derailed healthcare? Now you're just makin' shit up...

Maybe he is referring to the fact that he promised multiple times that it would be the most open, transparent, public bill ever crafted, promised it would be on CSPAN, promised there would be plenty of debate, etc... then puposefully did the exact opposite without giving it a second thought.

 

[Craig234]

Not possible, Ike would be branded a socialist/communist by todays Repugs litmus tests.

As would Reagan.

Can you imagine today's Republicans giving the Ike military-industrial complex speech?

Talking about how the money spent on weapons is taking the food out of the mouths of the poor, basically?

And Ike was no saint, with far to much covert undermining of democracy and excesses in the 'cold war' - but he was the sort of Republican we could use.

 

[Jhhnn]

Maybe he is referring to the fact that he promised multiple times that it would be the most open, transparent, public bill ever crafted, promised it would be on CSPAN, promised there would be plenty of debate, etc... then puposefully did the exact opposite without giving it a second thought.

Even if what you offered were true, which it isn't, that still doesn't mean that Obama "Derailed HC for all". That's just spiteful hyperbole...

 

[Jadow]

Is it corruption when you trick the nation into going to war under false pretenses?

No, say what you want about Bush, corruption wasn't the problem with the Bush admin.

You guys are intellectually bankrupt and just leftist political bomb throwers if you say the Bush admin was the most corrupt ever.

Not making any judgements about Bush's competency (Harriet Myers, puhleeze), he wasn't corrupt, nor was his administration.

 

[Jadow]

Oh you want MORAL corruption...JFK is a the TOP of the list.

Hmm, where to begin:

1. You're probably right, JFK was the only president to engage in ORGYS while in office.
2. And since your useranme is "Go Pack Go" I just have to say, A. Rodge for President 2028, (After multiple SB wins).
3. Throw Favre in Gitmo

 

[Nemesis 1]

Not fair to judge Obama yet! But Grant for now Followed in second Wilson

 

[PeshakJang]

Even if what you offered were true, which it isn't, that still doesn't mean that Obama "Derailed HC for all". That's just spiteful hyperbole...

I'm not saying he "derailed" anything... I don't think that train ever came to the station.

But how can you say that what I stated isn't true? It's pretty indisputable that he said all those things, and then none of them happened, while he sat on the side lines and cheered congress on.