A Culture of Corruption: Democrat Party Lapses in Ethics
By Jim Kouri CPP (01/22/06)
The other night I was in my car listening to the radio as one of my favorite conservatives, Laura Ingraham, aired samples of several speeches by Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy "Stretch" Pelosi managed to squeeze the latest Democrat mantra -- a culture of corruption -- an amazing four times into her anti-Bush, anti-Republican tirade.
Senator "Dingy" Harry Reid, the Senate Minority Leader, also gave a speech on the Republican Party's ethics woes. He even managed to squeeze comments regarding La Cosa Nostra into his presentation (to which Laura Ingraham said, "Oh No! We have La Cosa Nostra on the plantation!").
I'm all for weeding out corrupt politicians even if they have an "R" after their names. I've even written an article ("Corruption is Non-Partisan") regarding the need for the Department of Justice and FBI to fiercely investigate corruption that robs Americans of honest government.
But I'm very much against watching the political party of surrender, appeasement, and sometimes behavior bordering on treason attempt to take control of the government by creating the illusion that only Republicans are corrupt. Their hypocrisy, it seems, knows no bounds. It's similar to Democrats trying to insinuate Judge Samuel Alito is a racist while they lifted their glasses to honor Senator Robert "KKK" Byrd (D-WV) who, besides serving as a ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan, filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
So let's take a quick peek at Democrat indiscretions, something you can bet the big media will avoid reporting. Let's started with the two previously mentioned politicos:
Rep. Pelosi recently had to pay a $21,000 fine for some campaign finance irregularities. While corruption plagues the Republican Party, Democrats have an irregularity problem. Perhaps the Dems should invest in a few hundred gallons of Pepto Bismol. That'll nip their problem in the bud.
Pelosi also went on an unreported trip to Taiwan, paid for by the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, for "meetings with government, military and business officials," according to a filing Pelosi signed June 30. The flights cost $3,400 each for Pelosi and her husband. The hotel cost was $940. The sponsor, which has picked up trips for leaders of both parties, paid $300 for meals.
Senator Dingy Harry allegedly took Abramoff money, but claims it was an Abramoff client's -- an Indian tribe's -- money, as if Jack Abramoff was distributing his own money to Republicans, but giving only Indian money to the Democrats. And we're supposed to be fooled by his obvious Clintonism. Members of both parties took the money and they didn't care about distinctions when they took it. He also feigned shock when he said he heard about the NSA spying program -- until he admitted on Fox News Channel that he was briefed on the program by the Bush White House. The man Rush Limbaugh says looks like an undertaker should be compelled to attend ethics management session.
But that's small-time compared to Reid's real cash cow: In the last four years alone, firms with Reid family ties -- sons, sons-in-law, etc. -- have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees.
"So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada's leading industries and institutions that it's difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist," the LA Times said.
For instance, the Nevada Democrat once sponsored an environmental bill that he touted as a bipartisan measure to protect the ecosystem and help the economy in America's fastest-growing state.But as the Times reported: "What Reid did not explain was that the bill promised a cavalcade of benefits to real estate developers, corporations and local institutions that were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to his sons' and son-in-law's firms, federal lobbyist reports show."
Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ), is now Governor Corzine of New Jersey, a state whose motto should be "The Best State Money Can Buy." While in the senate, and while campaigning for the governorship, Corzine gave an ex-girlfriend a gift of over $700,000.00. His ex-girlfriend just happened to be the head of New Jersey's largest government workers union. And her union just happened to endorse Corzine after the bribe...ooops...gift. Personally, I'd rather give my own ex-girlfriend heartburn not over a half-million bucks.
Corzine also pushed and voted on legislation involving a Japanese bank that -- surprise -- benefited his friends and himself. He got merely a slap on the wrist for that one. Not because he did it, but because he failed to inform the other senators that he had a personal interest in passing the legislation.
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) is another holier-than-thou Democrat with ethics concerns. The House Ethics committee is considering investigating Rep. John Murtha for multiple ethics violations. The investigation would center on Rep. Murtha’s involvement with his brother’s firm KSA Consulting. The story, which originally ran in the Los Angeles Times on 13 June, surrounds the 2005 appropriations bill that funded $20M to companies for which KSA Consulting lobbied.
Murtha is a leader on the House Defense Appropriations Committee. An aide to Murtha, Carmen Scialabba, also works for KSA. Further reported by the LA Times is that KSA directly lobbied Murtha’s office for funding on behalf of 7 of its clients and that a Murtha aide advised a defense contractor that it needed to retain the services of KSA Consulting.
Rep. John Moran (D-VA) is in a bind with the revelation -- at least in the local media -- that MBNA Corporation gave him a $447,000 debt-consolidation loan on what critics viewed as highly favorable terms. Moran was a crucial House supporter of a bill only four days before he signed on as a lead sponsor of the legislation that ultimately benefited MBNA Corporation. Both MBNA and Moran have denied that there was anything improper about the loan.
We could go on, but a book -- perhaps two books -- can easily be written about the Democrats' ethics problems. As far as Abramoff money, it's fast becoming an urban legend that only Republicans took his money; Democrats took money from Abramoff clients. For instance, North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan said in December that he would return $67,000 in donations from Indian tribes Abramoff represented. See, the Democrats just ignore the middleman.
(Printer friendly version) Email: Jim Kouri CPP
