Draining the Swamp
November 13th, 2006 | by Craig |You can’t make stuff like this up.
So, Nancy Pelosi and crew are going to “drain the Republican swamp” of corruption.
Wunderbar. I dislike corruption as much as anyone, and I hope that we got rid of some corrupt folks in the elections. But I don’t think that anyone, with the exception of Tom Delay and some staffers, has actually been indicted and/or found guilty of accepting bribes. (Leopold-like claims to the contrary that indictments are imminent ANY DAY NOW, I’M SERIOUS! I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY.)
Interestingly enough, one of the people up for a plum assignment is Alcee Hastings who has been indicted and convicted of bribery.
Draining the swamp, eh? Sounds like they’re just clearing it out to make room for their own water.
Not a great start, gang.
28 Responses to “Draining the Swamp”
By Shane Mason on Nov 13, 2006 | Reply
‘Culture of corruption’ Craig.
But I don’t think that anyone, with the exception of Tom Delay and some staffers, has actually been indicted and/or found guilty of accepting bribes.
Bob Ney? Duke Cunningham? Also, you know as well as I do that it is one thing to break the letter of the law, but there is also the ’spirit’ of the law to consider.
Doesn’t matter. The plug is pulled and the murky icky water is draining away…
By Walter Greenspan on Nov 13, 2006 | Reply
According to a progressive Democratic citizen watchdog group, Nancy Pelosi’s seems to have already begun diverting some smelly water into the Democratic swamp:
The (George Soros funded?) Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) questioned soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) commitment to eradicating corruption with her endorsement of one of the most unethical members in Congress, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), to be Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Rep. Murtha was listed in CREW’s report Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch). As reported in the study and by the news media, Rep, Murtha has been involved in a number of pay-to play schemes involving former staffers and his brother, Robert “Kit” Murtha.
CREW’s report can be found at http://www.beyonddelay.org
CREW labels itself a progressive citizen watchdog group, and its senior staff are Democratic operatives.
By Randy on Nov 13, 2006 | Reply
I was listening to NPR tonight and they were talking about Murtha being recommended for Majority Leader and he has been castigated in the past for deals funneling money to defense contractors who have done business with a lobbying firm run by a former aide.
I don’t know all the details, I haven’t had time to do much research, but I found it interesting how the swamp water is stinking up the basements of both parties.
By Dave Budge on Nov 13, 2006 | Reply
I saw that Maxine Waters is on that list of the 20 most corrupt lawmakers. I’m not sure how corrupt she is but that’s like the old joke:
Q.) How is your wife?
A.) Compared to what?
I’m skeptical of that list though simply by its having Waters as a member. I doubt she has the brains to be seriously corrupt. One only needs to recall her going nearly postal in a committee meeting when a colleague use the word “niggardly” - which she assumed was a derivation the the most taboo racial epithet. And I thought all of those highly paid lawyer aids were there to keep elected officials from looking stupid.
But it’s her anger that is most noticeable. Humorist Norman Leibman, a long time staff writer for Johnny Carson, once said about her:
It’s not beyond reach that she does actually bring down the average integrity quotient of the House, but there is no doubt that she’s a statistical outlier - more than three standard deviations from the mean - in I.Q.
By Shane Mason on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
I am glad that you brought up that list Dave! Funny that you mentioned 1 of 3 Democrats on that list…what? There were 17 Republicans? Burns is gone, then there were 16. Oops, Santorum and Harris gone. Then there were 14. Oh, Pombo and Weldon too. What’s that? 12 left? Sweeney is out (BIG TIME), that’s 11. Hmm.
Looks like the American voter is doing a pretty good job of draining that swamp?
By Jim - PRS on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Not in Jersey. The voters just elected our currently appointed Senator who is the former Hudson County (where corruption is an art form) democrat party boss and who is under federal investigation for funneling money (approximately $300K) into a private real estate holding.
Oh, and then there is New York. Those geniuses just re-elected Alan Hevesi as Comptroller (the main money watcher) on the heels of his having to pay back roughly $197K for personal use of a state car and driver. His defense? “Ooops!”
By Craig on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Shane, you’re right on Cunningham, et. al., I’d forgotten about them.
However, any credibility Pelosi might have had about “draining the swamp” is gone, gone, gone.
By Mike on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Hastings is simply unacceptable for the Chairmanship of the Intelligence Committe and I think when the dust settles Pelosi will chose a another member. I heard the name Reyes of Texas batted around at a little shindig I attended on Sunday.
For the life of me I can’t figure out Pelosi’s Murtha choice. The only thing he seems to have going to him is his outspoken support of a phased redeployment of our troops from Iraq to Afghanistan but in my mind that makes him only a one hit wonder. Once the Iraq debacle is behind us I wonder what kind of ML he’s capable of being with the myriad of other issues which will be dealt with in which his acerbic style will clash with the rather conservative crop of new House members. Should be entertaining to say the least…
By JP on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Shane, CREW is a pretty partisan group. That’s neither right nor wrong, but should be taken into consideration when you point out there’s only 1 or 2 Democrats on their ‘most corrupt’ list. Hell, their ED used to work for Schumer - and this group appears during a hot campaign season while he’s chair of DSCC? Not too many coincidences in Washington, my friend.
By Mark T on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Second verse, same as the first. Just as Republicans and Democrats switched sides on the issue of deficts, without batting an eyelash, so too do they now switch sides on corruption.
And the absurdity is this: In order to be successful running for office, they have to get rich people to give them money.
We are high comedy.
By Shane C. Mason on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Mark, We should get top hats and canes. Add a little dance number to it.
By Wulfgar on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Craig, patience is a virue. You might want to let Pelosi actually step up before declaring her credibility “gone, gone, gone”.
By Matt Singer on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Craig, I could be wrong, but I think Hastings was impeached by the House and removed by a Senate committee after being indicted and not convicted by a court.
The “indicted and convicted” implies that he was found guilty in a court of law. He wasn’t. He was convicted by a Senate committee (not even the full Senate).
I don’t really know the details and, hell, he could be guilty. I’m not sure why a bunch of voters would elect a person guilty of bribery, but they apparently looked at the evidence and concluded they were OK with it.
So it goes.
As for putting them into leadership or sweet committee roles, that’s another issue.
By Craig on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Wow. You guys are sure pretty sanguine about this. A judge who was actually impeached and removed from the bench. “Be patient.”
A guy who said he wasn’t interested “yet” about ABSCAM, and you guys say, “Well they’re voting them in.”
After all the noise you guys made about Conrad, you’re making these arguments?
For her credibility, yes, it’s shot in my mind. After all the squawking about corruption, two of her choices for leadership have questionable history that 2 minutes of research could have turned up. That suggests to me that she is either lazy or she just doesn’t care all that much.
By TMM on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
It’s not only her credibility Craig, it’s also the credibility of those who excuse these inappropriate actions. I didn’t see a lot of water being carried for Mr. Burns here, or at some of the other (few) more reasoned right leaning blogs. The responses I see here are truly disappointing, but sadly not surprising.
By Dani on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Let’s not forget that William “Freezer” Jefferson is still there, too. Unbelievable.
By Craig on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Hey, maybe Jefferson can give Murtha some cold, hard cash.
Thank you folks. I’ll be here all week. Try the prime rib and don’t forget to tip your servers!
By TMM on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
But can you sing the theme to Star Wars?
By Craig on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Star Waaaars! Have you seen Star Wars? Go and see Star Waaars.
That isn’t exactly it, but I know of which you speak.
By JP on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Nick Winters
Man… that’s funny stuff Craig. Hadn’t thought about that in a lonnnng time.
By Rocky Smith on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
I enjoyed Star Wars, but do you remember the oddballs whom proudly and publicly admitted seeing it 9 or 10 times or more? Creepy.
By JP on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
*looks around uncomfortably*
Yeah, Rocky. Real creepy, those folk.
By TMM on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
I think it was something like…
*purses lips, arches eyebrows*
Staaar Waaars, there’s no words to Staar Waars, nothing but Staaar Waars, that’s all there arrrre.
O.K., I think I’ve revealed too much already, I’ll give it up now.
By Amber on Nov 15, 2006 | Reply
Craig, may I request a post dedicated to music that may or may not have lyrics? Star Wars is the tip of the iceberg, me thinks.
By Craig on Nov 15, 2006 | Reply
What do you think this is, Amber? This is a serious blog, discussing weighty matters, not some showcase for Beavis and Butt-head cartoons.
Oh, wait.
Never mind.
By Amber on Nov 16, 2006 | Reply
Weighty blog, you say? Okay, we can discuss the lyrics to “Hail To The Chief.” I’ve always wondered about that…
By Craig on Nov 16, 2006 | Reply
“Hail to the chief, oh yes to the chief!”