Have the House Republicans given up all semblance of sanity?

Great Debates
1

According to Congressional Quarterly (as told through TPMmuckraker because CQ requires a subscription), Rep. Jerry Lewis, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has just fired 60 investigative contractors. By phone. As in, don’t come in on Tuesday.

Protestations that there’s nothing sinister going on aside, how exactly is this supposed to look to the cheap seats (i.e., the US public)? The House and Senate are in the middle of a virtual shitstorm of revelations of scandals, corruption, and all-around dirty trickery, and the top moneyman in Congress fires over 3/4 of his investigative staff 2 1/2 weeks before the election?

What the HELL are they thinking?

2

That he can get away with it. Because there is so much shit spattering madly away from the fan that one more little globule might not be noticed. Far as I’m concerned, that’s a four alarm barn burner of a story, but so far…meh.

As well, if the Dems really take the House (from my lips to the Ears…), then the games up anyway, subpoenas will fly like snowflakes of political doom. If they don’t, with enough fancy footwork, he might be able to dodge the bullets, given a sympathetic audience of understanding Republicans.

What has he got to lose? If his action puts the kibosh on a potentially ugly investigation into a fellow Pubbie, he has made a freind for life. A friend that he’s got something on, a very loyal friend indeed.

3

When did they ever have a semblance of sanity?

Does sound like a desperation move, doesn’t it?

4

Well, once upon a time, politicians were actually statesmen before they retired. Even the Republican Party was a responsible, if flawed, group once.

5

I don’t see any insanity, just desperation, like with Nixon, 33 years ago tomorrow:

Of course if true, this mass firing is on a larger scale than Watergate, but the economy’s grown since the 70’s too. :wink:

6

Slight hijack…

I’ve seen you in particular and a lot of people on this board in general with this sentiment. I only remind you this is the Democratic party we’re talking about. There’ll either be enough craven cowards to stop such a process or let it slide under some notion of “bringing the country back together for healing.” Plus, they’re gonna have to walk on eggshells if they get the slimmest of majorites, for fear of it swinging back the next time.

Just my take, though…

7

Could be. Might also be that a whole slew of Repub congresscreeps being investigated, exposed, and disgraced might rebound to political advantage for the Dems. Somewhat.

8

These suggestions of yours that there is more to the body politic than big money can influence are deeply offensive to the American way. I suggest you cease and desist for your own peace of mind.

9

You’re right about the Dems generally being wussies, but I don’t think they’re gonna be wussies because they’re worried about what the Pubbies might do if they regain power. They KNOW what the Pubbies will do when they regain power, whether they walk on eggshells or not. The Pubbies will do everything except nuke 'em.

10

On NPR this morning, both of NPR’s political correspondents agreed that the Pubbie Congresscritters have given up on retaining control of the House. I don’t put all that much faith in NPR’s reporters, but it’s a hopeful sign.

11

OK, for that Lewis just lost my vote next month. He’s been a pretty good congresscritter for our district, overall, but this just stinks to high heaven.

12

Another possibility is that this is a longer-term strategy for the (probable) Democratic takeover of the House. If the investigative headcount stays down, an inquiry into Republican malfeasance (let’s not mince words) would be seriously hampered; if it’s restored, the word goes out that the eeeeeevilllll libruls are “Wasting Your Money on a Partisan Witchhunt.” (And the dronebots will lap it up and regurgitate it until it becomes The Truth.)

13

Here’s an MSM (well USA Today) cite.

Uh-huh.

This just doesn’t make any sense to me. At all. None.

Well, at least the the new Democratic leadership will have a list of experienced investigators of government spending that they can hire. (Per OttoDaFe’s suggestion.)

14

The Democratic members of the Appropriations Committee are saying that it was NOT a bipartisan decision and they were never even consulted about it.

15

My most recent guess would be that Lewis got marching orders. He’s up to his eyeballs in an investigation as it is, so he’s probably not actually protecting himself so much as other vulnerable Pubbies. The rationale being that he’s going to get flushed anyway, might as well take a bullet for the team. In that scenario, they are trying to head off any unfortunate revelations at this anxious moment.

Trouble with that is, some of these canned investigators might be disgruntled and porous, prone to leak…

16

What were they thinking? That there’s 60 investigators’ worth of shit about to come out.

And that doing this instead will cause less political damage. It’s probably right, too.

17

One can only hope that there is plenty of paper to soak that up. Said paper being contained, perhaps, in notebooks in the hands of reporters.

18

The only problem with that theory is that so far the investigation hasn’t made the slightest impact in my(Lewis’) district. I haven’t the faintest idea who is running against him, and by now there should be signs everywhere. I’ll grant you, he’s rated as one of the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress, but there has been little uproar in the papers here, on the news, etc. If he’s going down, you couldn’t prove it by me.

19

Slip of the keyboard. Didn’t mean to suggest he would be voted out but that he’d be “Duked”.

20

And if the investigators start talking, the Republican spin machine will immediately demand to know why they are speaking out right before an election.