pelosi and Ethics? WHAT?
Thursday, June 07, 2007 11:43 PM
The NYSlimes does try sometimes with their token “sane”(?) ones?
Just as House Democrats’ fervid promises of ethics reform are running out of steam [Running out of steam? When did it start?] comes the bribery indictment of one of their own, William Jefferson, the Louisiana representative accused of stashing $90,000 in marked bills in his home freezer. Surely the image of Mr. Jefferson allegedly using the Congressional dining room to transact quid-pro-quo corruption schemes is the strongest possible wake-up call for foot-dragging [Foot dragging? How about sittiing on their butts NOT doing ANYTHING about it?] members to face up to the need for aggressive ethics enforcement. The existing ethics committee produced cobwebs, not early-warning alerts, as recent scandals were launching several lawmakers, staffers and lobbyists on prison careers. [Has he resigned yet? Are there voices of OUTRAGE for him to step down and do the honorable thing? No? Why not?]
The timing could not be better for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to offer Congress and its doubting constituents the strongest possible proposal for the creation of an independent office to oversee ethics enforcement. [Sorry to disappoint you, but nancy pelosi is chief crook…remember American Samoa “minimum wage quagmire? And her son on the payrolll of InfoUSA with NO experience to boot?] A bipartisan task force has been studying this campaign promise, and the speaker is reportedly ready to sign off on some sort of an oversight panel of respected outsiders. [Yeah. Right. Sure. UHHUH.] Details are thus far scarce. [Scarce? You mean, non-existent, right?] But if Congress wants to repair its tattered reputation, it is crucial to resist cosmetic change. For any independent panel to be convincing it must be given the power to investigate corruption allegations and make recommendations to the ethics committee for forceful action. [Excuse me. “We The People” DEMAND that “They The Crooks and Ignorers of We The People” step down so we can start all over again. WE want OUR country back!]
Such a panel could render a double service by credibly shooting down frivolous charges and by bracing the House in its duty to police wayward members. [Who defines “frivilous charges”?] The alternative is for Congress to continue to sit there in encrusted apathy, relying on criminal prosecutors and the news media to surprise it with fresh embarrassments about its members abusing the people’s business. [You mean like, do their friggin’ jobs? Surely you jest!]
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