Ever look into how Reid actually voted with regard to the boxing commission. The whole story stinks, but not for Reid.
Oh yeah, he's as white as the driven through snow.
Never said he was, but the smear just works a lot better if the specific case has some quo with the quid.
Where's the post on George Bush and the $25,000 handshake or the $1 million photo op?
At least you have a quid pro quo there.
Where's Conrad Burns, Bob Ney, Denny Hastert, etc.?
TPM has the breakdown on the John Solomon's latest smear of Reid that the rightwing whackos are running with.
If Solomon had done this to a Republican, they'd have his head on a platter ... that durn liberal media.
You guys are so funny. Sputtering about with your "but he did this, and they did that..." crap.
Just admit I'm right. I'm not denying that power corrupts. You guys just need to admit that your side is just as bad.
How about let's stop pointing fingers and get the bad guys out and get some good guys in.
Yeah. Your point about power corrupting being well taken and me being the first to admit that the amount of $$$$ rifling through the system probably leaves no one unscathed, you are not right. In this case, you're just wrong. You want to throw everyone out who takes $$$ from anything other than an individual, I am right behind you. You want to throw out anyone who has taken illegal bribes, I think the GOP is going bear the lion's share of the brunt in this round.
Just admit I'm right.
RWS:
WTF? What is it that you are accusing Reid of doing? He was pushing for legislation which would have stripped the people who gave him the tickets of their power. After the fight he continued to push for that legislation.
What is it that you are "right" about?
What is a more efffective way of showing you are not influenced by gifts than continuing to maintain a position opposed to those who gave you the gift?
Is it purely coincidence that the same guy who wrote the earlier AP hit piece on Reid which flamed out badly writes this one months later? Nice "liberal bias".
Seriously, if this is the best this reporter can do in drudging up corruption in Washington the media is worse at finding the story than I assumed.
I think the scariest part of this is that RWS most likely actually can not differentiate between what Ney, DeLay and Burns did and this.
Maybe Michelle can explain it all to her. Cause Michelle has it all.
What did DeLay do again? Oh, that is right, it changes cuz the charges keep getting thrown out.
BigDog:
Seriously. Do you get the papers where you are.
Here's a short list of things to Google:
(1) U.S. Family Networks Donors.
& Rev. Christorpher Geeslin
(2) Tony Rudy
(3) Alexander Strategy Group & Ed Buckam
(4) Mariana Islands Minimum Wage
(5) Julius Kaplan
(6) Jan. 3, 2001 Congressional Record
(7) Capital Athletic Foundation
(
DeLay Announces Retirement.
The stuff Earle has on him is the tip of a very large iceberg.
j.a.m.
I think you are forgetting that DeLay is a serious Christian. He would never do any of those things. He has a very strong moral compass. You have sadly fallen prey to the lies in the media, cleverly backed up with so-called "facts" and "evidence". Tom Delay loves zygotes, I think that speaks for itself.
yes, by all means, google all that crap up so jandrew doesn't have to do his own homework.
or read the actual indictments. less time, more amusing.
oopsie. did I use the plural?
my bad
Just admit I'm right. I'm not denying that power corrupts. You guys just need to admit that your side is just as bad.
rws, not even close, the corruption on the republican side costs us taxpayers millions, if not BILLIONS of dollars. The whole K Street Project, and the ties of other republicans to defense contractors is a whole different animal.
The so called "liberal media" is doing the best they can to paint the democrats as just as corrupt as the republicans, but it isn't even close..
Are there some corrupt democrats? You bet, you won't see me defending any of them, but this Reid story is a zero on the 1 to 10 scale of stories...
By the way, that whole "liberal media" BS is just that, its BS. A better term would be "corporate media." A "liberal media" would have more stories on workers rights, the low minimum wage, the lack of health care for large portions of americans, more environmental issues, etc. See, those are liberal issues. Mostly we get stories on who won America Idol, or the latest missing white girl, stock quotes and business news... The democrats actually believe in governing, and regulating business's whose only motivation is profit with no social contract to insure they function in the bounds of human decency, THATS why the corporate media supports republicans, because they know that as long as republicans remain in power, they can do what they want, polute as much as they want, and get away with it as long as they want.
When the corruption stories start on the Independants, you can shake your finger at me and tell me how "my side" is so bad!
Bingo, JoeT !!!!
I agree that this story on Reid is a bit of a stretch, but the notion that the Repubs are so much more corrupt than the Dems is utter BS...and quite laughable.
Oh my! I just visited MacSwain's blog. I wonder how long it will take my IQ points to go back up.
Funny that the "25,000 dollar handshake," photo is totally debunked in his comments section, yet he is proudly linking to it here. Didn't get as far as the other link....
JoeTx,
Great! Can't wait for the elections when you guys say "we are as corrupt as Republicans, but we don't make as much money doing it ! Vote for us!" I'm sure it will work wonders.
JoeTx, I see you've bought into Eric Altermans "thesis". I'll have what you're smoking.
Geez, talk about denial.
Reid acted unethically when he accepted those gifts. If Delay or Bush did something like that, you guys on the left would be screaming IT'S THE PRINCIPLE THAT MATTERS! Just like you did when it came to the false charge of domestic spying by the NSA. Although I don't like McCain I give him and Ensign credit for their ethical behavior, a concept foreign to the Dems.
There's no point in arguing the liberal bias in media. It can be verified by the difference in coverage depending on whether a Dem or Rep is caught. If you guys on the left refused to admit that then you destory any other argument you make.
Can't one person on the left admit that Reid committed an unethical act? If not, where do the free gifts stop?
Heres a sane right-wing reaction...
Boxing Tickets Brouhaha
There is enough to get upset about in the way Washington works, than to cry foul over something like this, where it seems clear that a) the tickets were taken within the rules, and b) the odds that the tickets influenced Reid in any way are pretty slim–as his natural predilection would have been to support the Neveda Atheltic Commission in the first place.
To make a big deal over this is to diminish real problems that exist with other members and also feeds public cynicism about the Congress in an undo fashion. Additionally, it reeks of tit-for-tat politics where someone has been digging around to counter the “culture of corruption” charges that have been aimed at the Republicans.
Unless something else comes out about this story, it strikes me as a non-starter.
I'd equate this to Reid taking a handful of mints at the local tex-mex resturant while a republican takes the WHOLE RESTURANT!
I do agree that the ethics rules should be restricted further and remove many of the loopholes they left in on purpose. I'd also be happy if they just enforced the ones they have on the books.
At my company, I'm limited to $50 in gifts. I don't see why they should be allowed to take anymore than that. I also think campaigns should be financed publically to get the millions of corporate dollars out of politics, because that is the biggest quid pro quo racket going...
It feels like a non-starter because Ted Kennedy set the bar so low. McCain paid for his ticket. Ensign recused himself. Reid is so used to the Dems living above the law it never occurred to him to worry about ethics.
I can't wait to be criticized by the left based on principles ...
BTW, JoeTX, your comments on gifts are appreciated.
JoeTx, RWS
Actually there are more current instances of corruption.
The Mohonan case also includes a ongoing investigation of Robert Byrd.
Also this doesn't get much notice:
http://www.cookrepublicans.com/c...iew.asp?
c=32787
Janice Schakowsky Rep ditrict 9, (elosi's confidant, had her husband take a check kiting fall for her over the same type of charities that Mohonan is being investigated over, there has never been an ethics investigation due to Pelosi's blocking it - it is clear that she is criminally involved - but Cook County Prosecution is Heavily Democratic. Remember, only Tom Delay is under indictment and that one is soo iffy that the DA tried to reinstate the more serious charges and was refused again by the courts which means is that the court says THERE IS NO EVIDENCE NOT WORTH THE COURTS TIME AND PATIENCE.
Also Jim McDermitt has to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars and faces expulsion from congress for hiring a couple to WIRETAPE Newt Gingrich - so far the couple is not cooperating and is still serving jail time.
Chuck Schumer still is avoiding an investigation and dodging supoena's from Maryland:
http://www.noagenda.org/2006/03/
...ds_guilty_1.php
Nancy Pelosi, pled guity to accepting illegaL DONATIONS in November a criminal investigation whether she did the SAME thing as DELAY did to get her post as minority leader.
http://www.michnews.com/cgi-bin/...ew.cgi/224/
9715
What's your point EricPWJohnson? Are you implying that there's a culture of corrruption on the left? Say it isn't so ... um, Eric.
All you guys on the left, please ignore Eric's comment ... in the name of principles ... morality ... you know what I mean in a KKK Byrd sort'a judgment ... right?
Goldeneagle
Not implying anything except that it seems to be a large number of democrats, currently serving - that are under Justice department investigation for crimes committed in the coure of their duties.
Delay was indicted for misposting 7 checks in an account - the donations and expenditures was legal
Cunningham stole from a client in his private practice - and rightly went to jail
Schakowsky and her husband stole 100,000's of thousands of dollars - was bailed out (called riembursed) by union funds and DNC funds and her husband took the fall.
Chuck Schumers cheif of staff had to resign trying to trash a black republican candidate etc
Just facts not fiction
I knew I had one reader left!!
Truth to power brother!
When considering legislation that would affect the airline industry, positively or negatively, would it be appropriate to accept free plane tickets from the airline industry ?
I do not really understand the specifics of the legislation addressed above, but it seems like that Reid held up the legislation in order to get cable TV included in the process, which is something that the folks in Vegas were pushing for.
The Reid/boxing thing is simply an example of governments exempting themselves from the rules which apply to businesses and individuals. Reid's acceptance of the tickets is not illegal nor unethical under current rules. A dubious practice? Sure. Probably should ammend the rules to cover this sort of thing.
That having been said, I am also sure that Reid would be the first to accuse and declare outrage were it a republican in his shoes.
That is exactly the point BigDog. The left sputters that this wasn't illegal. But they are the ones who have been throwing accusations around for basically the same sort of things at Republicans.
have they called on jefferson to resign yet ? I saw that pelosi asked him to resign from his ways and means committee seat.
JoeTX, you lost us at "Hello, the media isn't liberal."
Have our Congessmen learnt nothing from Nixon? Congressional (constitutional) right to privacy is treated the same as when the president claims it for hiding felonious records. See US vs Nixon, 1974. Any branch of the gov may seek under a search-warrant crimminal acts.
Warning to Democrats: dump Jefferson now. Or, he will be the poster boy for your anti-corruption campaign.
Damn right we're not liberal.
Agreed, Jefferson is toxic and should be treated as such by the leadership. So far, it seems like it is headed that way.
Inma : When exactly are they planning on getting around to that ?
Heh.
You got me. It is clear from the above handwringing re: the USMC that none of the sparklettes would ever want to try someone in the media. Presumption of innocence and all.
All that said, Pelosi made the right call in asking him to step down and I have no problem saying he should resign.
Inma
She asked him to step down from his Ways and Means Committee seat. Damn, that Pelosi is one serious hardass.
Handwringing in reference to the USMC. Nice. Would it be a safe assumption that you would fall in the Macswain school of thought that the Marines and their chain of command should be hung and castrated in public without benefit of a complete investigation, a court martial, etc ... ?
It's a hell of a lot more than anyone asked DeLay to do, but that shouldn't be a surprise.
Your misrepresentation of Macswain's position is regretable. But no, I think everyone should enjoy the presumption of innocence. I am just being less fair to Mr. Jefferson than I am being to the Marines in question.
If "under investigation" is the standard for asking a congressman or other official to step down, then how is it that Hastert, Ney, Delay, Burns, Frist, Duke Cunningham (until the day before his indictment), Steven C. LaTourette, Don Young, Shelly Moore Capito, and the others.
Why is the Republican party not following the same standards?
I would love to see Jefferson resign as much as the next guy, but the party does not have the authority to overturn the results of elections simply because the guy is a slimeball. I don't give him the presumption of innocense, and believe he was caught red-handed, but all the evidence in the world can not force someone to do anything until after a trial.
jandrew : you are bright enough to recognize the difference between political ramifications for politicians and accusing USMarines of deliberately executing civilians. At least I hope you are.
JoeTX, you lost us at "Hello, the media isn't liberal."
sorry Jill, I'll try and type it slower next time so you can keep up!
That is exactly the point BigDog. The left sputters that this wasn't illegal. But they are the ones who have been throwing accusations around for basically the same sort of things at Republicans.
rws, I'm sorry you cannot see the difference in scope. You are accusing Reid of taking tickets to a boxing match that may or may not affect boxing legislation. Most of the scandels on the right involve lobbiest who give boats, plane trips to Hawaii, plane trips to Scotland, buy their homes at twice market value, and in turn get no-bid defense contracts for products and services at twice the price and in many cases the defense department didn't even request.
One example is a no bid contract to provide water to our troops in Afghanistan. Instead of giving the contract to a company that could provide the service directly, the contract was given to a republican crony who charged twice the cost, turned around and hired the direct service provider for the water, and pocketed the difference. This scenerio plays out way too many times and in different forms in this administration.
oh, and by the way, what Reid did, wasn't unethical...
It would have been against state law for Harry Reid to have reimbursed the Nevada Athletic Commission for credentials.
Bob Arum, the boxing promoter who gave the credentials to Reid and Sen. John McCain, made that claim to The Las Vegas Review Journal. But I wanted to check up on that, so I called Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. Kizer should know - he is a lawyer and former Chief Deputy Attorney General for the state of Nevada.
"It would be illegal," Kizer said, explaining that it fell under a state law prohibiting agencies or individuals for charging access to government property. The credentials provide access to the commission's area near the ring. "It would be like charging someone for access to a senator's office," Kizer added with no apparent sense of irony.
He went on to explain that credentials are given out to governmental officials and others in order to observe the commission's activity. Sometimes the credentials are provided in addition to tickets - sometimes officials sit in the commission's area.
Reid's office, meanwhile, confirmed that Reid received a credential, and not a ticket to the bout: "We know it for a fact that he had a credential.”
Why would anyone want to bribe someone in the minority party when Congress is as polarized as it is now ?
Cunningham stole from a client in his private practice - and rightly went to jail
Cunningham did a bit more than that my friend. Basically several defense contractors had Cunningham in their back pocket. Cunningham basically directed 10's of millions of dollars in military and cia contracts to these crooks in exchange for bribes. Its aholes like that that explain why our defense budget is 400 billion a year.
Here, have a cookie!...
When the Senate is considering legislation regarding the airline industry, it seems entirely reasonable that the Senators accept "free" round trip tickets to Hawaii in order to see how the airline industry operates.
Oh please, what Reid did was unethical. I won't say illegal because I believe congressional members have abused their privileges to the point that illegality is a joke. The Rep Senators behaved ethically and believe me, it pains me to compliment McCain.
Reid said that it was his duty to be up to date on the boxing industry by attending matches ringside. Riiiight. It was nothing more than Dem arrogance because they can count on Koolaid supporters.
Doesn't Nevada have legalized brothels?
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