Power or Principles

[albed]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar...for_democrats/

Democrat Representative William Jefferson won a runoff election Saturday despite being dogged by a federal corruption investigation and FBI allegations that he had $90,000 in bribe money in his freezer.

Democrats ran against a "culture of corruption," which they said Republicans had fostered while in control of Congress. Election Day surveys showed that corruption and scandal were deciding factors in how people voted.

So do the democrats kick the crook out of their party or shove their high and mighty bullshit back up their butts?

[Drakonix]

The dems are in trouble because all the B.S. they have put out won't fit "up there".

[vernarial]

I would say kick him out. Most politicians are crooked to some degree, in my opinion. Doesn't matter if they are Democrats or Republicans or Greens or Libertarians or Independent. In my experience they are looking after their own good and not the good of the people.

[theknife]

kick him right the fuck out...he managed to become the most aggregious example of Congressional corruption, no small feat in a Congress racked by corruption, investigation, indictment, and resignation. but note he's the exception amongst the Dems, whereas such ethical lapses were the rule amongst the GOP.

[JackSpratts]

i'm not sure what congress can do now, he was re-elected after the accusations and presumably the citizens took them into account and voted him in anyway. they have a right to elect essentially whoever they want. reminds me of marion barry and the coke affair or bush starting a war on falsehoods and getting re-elected in spite of it. actually both of these cases (bush and jefferson) will be interesting to watch.

- js.

[Sinner]

Ok, I have said in the past Democrats can not be trusted with National Security, many here disagree and maybe I am wrong. I mean Nancy Pelosi said that she would set the highest ethical standards for the incoming Congress. Sounds great, but they are not even in power yet and we`re already seeing signs of scandal and incompetence. Pelosi passed over a ranking Democrat, Jane Harman, for the post of House Intelligence Committee chair. She put Silvestre Reyes in Harman`s place. Well what do I know? Maybe he will be good, who is Silvestre Reyes anyways. Well I do know this about him. He just flunked a foreign policy test given to him by "Congressional Quarterly`s" Jeff Stein.

---Glen Beck--- “Reyes was asked whether al Qaeda was a Sunni or Shiite organization. Now, the average Joe may not know this, but he should. He said, quote, "Al Qaeda, they have both," Reyes answered. You`re talking about predominantly. Predominantly, probably, Shiite? In fact, Congressman Reyes, al Qaeda was founded by Osama bin Laden as a Sunni organization.

Now, later in the interview, Reyes was asked if he knew who Hezbollah was. No. Apparently didn`t have an answer on that one.

Stein says the woman Pelosi passed over, Jane Harman, knew her stuff cold, but her bipartisan tendencies may have been a little unpopular with the rest of her fellow Democrats.”---

Ok yes, some GOP members flunked the test too, but would it not make sense to have a qualified person in this position?? Are the Democrats doing what is best for the country or what is best for the Democrats for 2008?? Is this what Nancy Pelosi ment when she said she would set the highest ethical standards for the incoming Congress

[albed]

Originally Posted by JackSpratts

i'm not sure what congress can do now, he was re-elected after the accusations and presumably the citizens took them into account and voted him in anyway. they have a right to elect essentially whoever they want. reminds me of marion barry and the coke affair or bush starting a war on falsehoods and getting re-elected in spite of it. actually both of these cases (bush and jefferson) will be interesting to watch.

- js.

This is about the "democratic party" Jack, not the congress. And Jefferson won the primary, not the general election. (correction; it was a runoff election and that puts him in office)

My bet is the dems would rather keep a scumbag who'll add to their power rather than stand by their supposed "principles" and give him the boot.

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by albed

My bet is the dems would rather keep a scumbag who'll add to their power rather than stand by their supposed "principles" and give him the boot.

This should come as no surprise. We've seen this behavior in every party since political parties were invented.

[JackSpratts]

Originally Posted by albed

This is about the "democratic party" Jack, not the congress. And Jefferson won the primary, not the general election.

My bet is the dems would rather keep a scumbag who'll add to their power rather than stand by their supposed "principles" and give him the boot.

albed you pedantic twit, don't you even read your own posts? they can’t “give him the boot.” the constitution doesn't allow it ffs. he won an election, not a primary lol, he goes back to congress, not campaign headquarters. pelosi stripped his committee seat, the democratic party can’t strip his office seat. the voters have spoken, loudly. he won in a landslide. explusion is up to the congress, specifically the house of representatives by 2/3 majority (which the democrats don't have), according to law.

the most they might do is exclude, but i don't think the constitution allows even that, since jefferson hasn't been convicted of anything, let alone tried, and there is a legal question as to whether exclusion is applicable to begin with, even if he had been convicted.*

no, this is all about the congress, and the constitution. he's already a member, and he's duly elected. it's way beyond a party.

- js.


*An“exclusion” is not a disciplinary matter against a current Member, but rather a decision not to seat a Member-elect, by a simple majority vote of the House or Senate, upon a finding that the Member-elect is not entitled to a seat either because of a failure to meet the constitutional qualifications for office (age, citizenship and inhabitancy in the State), or that the Member-elect was not “duly elected.”

[albed]

Originally Posted by albed

So do the democrats kick the crook out of their party...

Someone else want to try to explain this concept to the confused old boozer?

[JackSpratts]

take it away albed. tell us how the louisiana democrats can kick jefferson out of the party. you can start by quoting their state party constitution and bylaws...

- js.

[Drakonix]

The Dems might have to figure out a way to start kicking a lot of folks out of their party if they want to uphold the high moral standard they talk about. Talk is cheap, we all know that.

Here's another fine example of "high Democratic Party moral standards": Democratic Florida Senator Gary Siplin.

Siplin has been convicted of felony grand theft for using State paid staff workers on his 2004 election campaign.

Siplin still owes Miami-Dade taxpayers about $200,000.00 for a business loan he once received.

Siplin was recently arrested for probation violation.

BUT
He's still in office
He has support from fellow Democrats for re-election in 2008
He's having fund raisers for such re-election.

In other words, business as usual despite a felony conviction.

Just think, this guy is a convicted felon so he will not be able to vote in an election, but he is still casting votes in the Florida Senate.

Siplin has appealed the conviction.

TALLAHASSEE - Democratic state Sen. Gary Siplin of Orlando has earned a distinction unique in the history of Florida: He's the only legislator to remain in office even though he is a convicted felon.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...s/16205762.htm

[Nicobie]

"People deserve the goverment that they elected."

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