I think there needs to be a non-partisan investigative arm of Congress, much like the Congressional Budget Office. Because it’s always the case that when Republicans have the majority, investigations into Republican malfeasance are squashed, and when Democrats hold the majority, the investigations in to Democratic malfeasance are squashed. Clearly there’s a big conflict of interest in having Congress investigate itself.
The Department of Justice is theoretically non-partisan, but that’s no longer the case, and hasn’t really been the case for a long time, going back several administrations.
Sure thing. The Dem. controlled house just announced an expansion of the investigation of Rangel’s financial dealings. The investigation is going deeper.
Interesting observation, Sam. Would you share with us what Clinton admin Justice Dept corruption you place on the same level as using US Attorneys to attack political enemies, or stuffing the Justice Dept with graduates of a third rate but ideologically reliable law school? Just so we get some perspective on your equivalence.
While I’m none too happy with Max Baucus, regret having voted for him before, and intend to vote against him at least in the primaries and possibly in the general if I’m still here in 2012, I will at least grant that so far, his sleaziness appears to be confined to the health coverage issue, and I don’t think there’s any evidence he’s done anything illegal yet. I don’t think that doing something legal against the interests of one’s constituents is quite enough to put him to the top of a list like this.
Of course one of the all time dirtiest pols is on Dancing With the Stars. De Lay turned graft into an industry. He got the K Street bribers running a pipe line to his people. He spent vacations with Abramoff, for crying out loud.
Even he is small beans compared to Governor Gibbons, with a whopping low 10% approval rating (59% disapproval). He was pretty corrupt in congress, I don’t know if he can be said to have gotten worse or better since.
A good solution in theory but how do you create a non-partisan agency in practice? Somebody is going to be appointing the investigators. I’m sure most Republicans would object if such an agency were being created and staffed right now with the mission of investigating elected officials for the next ten years. Just as I’m sure that Democrats would have been objecting if such an agency had been created and staffed five years ago.
If Ensign’s “sex scandal” were only about sex, then I could see ignoring it, but it’s very much not about sex. The sex is just he tip of the very filthy and money-tainted iceberg.
Baucus. Sold the chance to reform the national healthcare system for $1.5 million. Next to that the guys getting no-bid contracts for their companies are small potatoes.
We’re going about accusations, not convictions, right?
Well, the chief suspects are Rangel and Ensign. Rangel is accused of being a tax cheat and not reporting assets as required by ethics rules. Frankly at this point I’m done with Rangel and want him to resign. Despite having supported him in the past, he has not demonstrated his innocence. He should go the way of Abramoff buddy Tom Delay and resign in disgrace and maybe avoid criminal conviction.
But Sen. Ensign is right up there. Fucking your best friend’s wife is pretty corrupt all by itself. Bribing him to keep quite is participating in a blackmail scheme, a crime. Making your elderly parents make the payment and take the blame is just priceless. Claiming that you did nothing wrong and having Fox News back you is something only a Republican could pull off.
