Friday, February 16, 2007
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'Cold Cash' Jefferson Gets a Seat on Homeland Security Committee
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Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
2:23 PM
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Sometimes the headline just really says it all, doesn't it?
The Democrats' "most ethical Congress in history" is a self-parody:
Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.
The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official.
Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.
But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn't be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.
Dear Congressional Black Caucus,
Sometimes when your colleague is caught with $90,000 in his freezer, it's best to go ahead and distance yourselves. Sheesh.
Well, at least those looking to exploit a member of the Homeland Security Committee know an exact price of one of its members' favors. It's like the Carmax of Congressional bribes. No haggling!
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When the National Guard's training is to run away when challenged, and when the Border Patrol shoots at escaping drug smugglers they go to prison for 11 or 12 years, we do not have homeland security. I'm not sure what we have but it's not that. |
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the choice was either making waves with the Dim. with half a brain from LA or the Dim from SD(?) with the brain making no waves. |
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He didn't take any money from Jack Abramoff. What would Queen Botox have done then?? |
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in America anymore.
Whatever the point of the story that starts a discussion, make it about how bad the other guy is.
Dem's and Republicans both have plenty of scoundrels (to put it mildly) in their midst.
The point of the story is that Pelosi declared the most ethical Congress in history, then redefined ethical.
To many Americans today start every political argument off with a 21st century version of "I know I am, but what are YOU" attack.
Which, of course, NEVER deals with any important issue at all.
But sure uses up a lot of time and hot air, no? |
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Somebody go get the toilet paper. Guess you can't expect too much when the Dems general attitude about ethical behavior is manifested in the character of people such as John (the fake hero) Kerry, Ted (what was that girl's name) Kennedy, Harry (the property manager) Reid, Hillary (whatever happened to those documents) Clinton, John (the Marine who REAL Marines would rather have left behind) Murtha, Sandy (light fingers) Bergen, and William (cold cash always on hand) Jefferson. Granted, some are Senators. Still...? D'ya get the drift? Yep. You got it. These are the folks now guiding, yes, guiding, and most certainly directly influencing the direction of this 110th Congress. Leadership? Can't figure it...Must be a new dictionary out, one that I haven't seen yet. My old one doesn't include abhorrent behavior such as lying, stealing, and cheating as qualities of good character normally associated with real leaders. That's not to say that there aren't any really ethical Democrats who qualify as responsible leaders. No, indeed. There are a bunch of good Democratic Senators and Congressmen/women representing their constiuents. But, I must say, it's sad to see them just sitting on their duffs (obviously continuing one of Jimmy Carter's integral foreign policy strategies) and rolling their eyes as this event wallows about them, kinda' like a wounded bird beating the ground with one good wing as the other, the broken one, lies unmoving splayed against its side. Surely would be nice to see some of our more responsible Dems display some backbone. Yo, fellas'. Get off your duffs. Try standing for once...just a little bit taller, ey? |
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anti-socialist writes: Saturday, February, 17, 2007 2:07 PM
StromsDaughter
You trying to say that RINOs behave like Marxists (aka Democrats)?
Course none of the RINOs are guilty of murdering civilians as was the Nazi dyykee Janet Reno...
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StromsDaughter is pointing out your own hysteria over Jefferson while you forget that the last Republican leadership was the most corrupt in history.
But, I do have to say, it is quite entertaining watching all the Republicans demanding fairness in Congress NOW that they are out of power.
It seems fairness and honesty are only concerns of Republicans when they are not in power. While in power, rob, steal, lie is completely acceptable. Sheesh.
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Home Land Security is perfect for Jefferson. One unethical congressman placed along side the a department already proving to be full of lies and deceit, and one that will be the tool used to steal our freedoms and plunge us into totalitarianism!
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You trying to say that RINOs behave like Marxists (aka Democrats)?
Course none of the RINOs are guilty of murdering civilians as was the Nazi dyykee Janet Reno... |
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First of all, I could care less about Jefferson.
That being said, before you folks go all crazy about the Democrats, you might want to check into how much power they have in these situations.
I am open to being corrected here.
In the late 60s there was a Congressman from Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. The guy was a REAL character. He was a Democrat. He got convicted of using his office for his own gain. Do a google search on him. It's worth the laughs.
Congress tried to throw him out. He sued. It went to the Supreme Court. The court ruled against Congress. Essentially saying that Powell's district had voted him into office and that Congress couldn't over rule the voice of the people who elected him.
There are a whole raft of issues that could be discussed here. "Could you throw out a rep. if he murdered the President?" "If a party had a 90% majority, would you want them to have the power to start throwing other members out?"
I'm not justifying anything here, but I don't know how much Congress can do to punish their members.
Anyone else know? Facts please, not feelings. |
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Lilly you are right the President has sold out via our borders also. If we get hit it will be from having no border security!
http://www.controlcongress.com
Federal Prosecutor SELLS-OUT Border Agent!!!!
I was watching the Lou Dobbs show last night with my wife. I could not believe what I heard. The scum drug dealer who was shot by the border agents was given immunity and a border pass to enter our Country if he testified against the agents.
The scum bag drug dealer (key witness to the prosecution of the border agents) was caught again with a large load of illegal drugs before the trial. The prosecutor refused to file charges against the drug dealer for his second load of drugs because he was scared the drug dealer would not show up for trial against the border agents who caught him the first time.
The prosecutor filed a motion not to let the evidence of the second drug bust be used in the trial. Also the prosecutor knew the drug dealer violated his deal for covering up fellow drug dealers on the stand. The strange part the judge ruled that the evidence of the second drug bust could not be used in the trial. The legal expert said this was a clear violation of the rights of the border agents, because this goes to the creditability of the drug dealing scum witness.
Dianne Feinstein a Democrat is calling for an investigation along with many Republicans. Does anyone doubt that President Bush would do anything to provide cheap illegal immigrant labor at any expense?
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"[Appointing Jefferson to Homeland Security]...shows how unimportant the Democrats think Homeland Security is". If that's true, they are right in step with President Bush, who has been faithfully following the blueprint provided to him in 2001 by The Heritage Foundation, which advised Bush to put political loyalty ahead of professional expertise when making an appointment. If you care to google "Taking Charge of Federal Personnel" 1-10-01 (please note date showing that this policy paper is not reactive to 9-11) by Nesterczuk, Devine, and Moffit, you can then print the paper out. It runs to 20 pages and on page 10 you will find specific advice to give expertise a back seat to political loyalty, although this point is made repeatedly throughout the paper, along with many admonitions to have management-level decisions made not by specialists but political loyalists. Does Bush follow this advice? Like a cat follows liver. Chertoff has no background in security management (check his online bio), and just last night the TV news was full of criticism of the shop he now runs, which apparently is a mess. Then of course we have another famous expert, Michael Brown, who did such a fine job with Hurricane Katrina. And, oh yes, there were Jay Garner and Paul Bremer and all those Young Republican college kiddies our leader sent to Iraq to rebuild a brave new world with neither training nor experience but with plenty of money. So, does Bush think Homeland Security is important? Does he think FEMA is important? Does he think Iraq reconstruction is important? Not as long as he continues to put bright-eyed politicos in key jobs while getting rid of career specialists. |
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Jefferson on House Homeland Security Panel?
http://www.controlcongress.com
It is bad enough Congressman Jefferson is still a lawmaker but HOMELAND SECURITY? Could not Pelosi think of a better place to hide a guy who is being indicted for having 90 thousand dollars in bribe cash in his freezer? The strange part of this story is Congressman King who coverd for Foley is speaking out against Jefferson. Only in Congress could that happen!
FOX-WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who stripped embattled Rep. William Jefferson of his seat on a powerful tax committee last year, is expected to appoint him to the Homeland Security panel, infuriating some Republicans who charge he may be a security risk.
Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, was kicked off the Ways and Means Committee amid a federal bribery probe, yet still won re-election to a ninth term.
Pelosi is giving him a seat on the panel after Jefferson was outspoken in his criticism of the homeland security agencies that responded to Hurricane Katrina.
That was not good enough for the top Republican on the committee, Rep. Peter King.
“It sends a terrible message,” said King, R-N.Y. “They couldn’t trust him to write tax policy, so why should he be given access to our nation’s top secrets or making policy for national defense?”
“Members of the committee have access to intelligence secrets, plots here in the country, overseas, and people under suspicion. This shows how unimportant the Democrats think homeland security is,” King said.
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I wonder how much Jefferson paid for that seat?
I'm betting on $10,000.
Now we know the price of ethics.
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I'm with you on this one, MK. This guy is a crook, and the Congressional Black Caucus has to take off the blinders and realize that. |
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