Corrupt Politicians fill Congress - vote them out!

~Zen~ · Oct 13, 2010

Here is your big chance to vote out some of the scum that pollutes the United States government right at the very top - members of Congress, in both houses.

I know, I know, you are tired of hearing the same old thing - and realize that politics is a dirty game filled with corruptions. That's the nature of the beast - or so it seems. But this is only so because these scurvy wretches manage to get elected to these positions of power, thus perpetuating the idea that one must break the rules, break the law, and be an asshat to get elected. And if that doesn't work, just buy your way into office like Meg Whitman is trying to do in California. Yet another corrupt dishonest business-person trying to tell us that the government needs to be run like a business.

Corrupt lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are polluting the United States Capitol. These members highlight the need for increased oversight by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), as well as the need for a similar independent ethics watchdog in the Senate. Today my organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released The Most Corrupt Members of Congress: Unfinished Business, which highlights the need for active ethics enforcement in Congress. The report shows that ethical lapses are the only true bipartisan activity in Washington today.

Since the release of CREW's first Most Corrupt report in 2005, more than half of the hucksters we've highlighted have left office. Tom DeLay (R-TX) resigned in disgrace, William Jefferson (D-LA) was found guilty on 11 counts of corruption and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison (although he is currently free pending his appeal). At least Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) went to jail; he is slated to remain behind bars until June of 2013. That's a pretty good batting average, but not good enough. 26 shady politicians remain, most of whom have never been investigated by the congressional ethics committees.

There is no better way to make the case for increased ethics enforcement, than by highlighting the deplorable conduct of lawmakers who belong to an institution that that refuses to police itself. Their actions run the gamut from bribery, to using their office for personal gain, to solicitation of prostitution. Sadly, many of these members of Congress will never have to answer for their misdeeds.

As it stands now, the OCE has no subpoena power and a very limited time frame to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing. What's more is that it can only look at misconduct that has occurred since March 2008. In spite of being forced to fight with one hand tied behind its back, the OCE has referred 13 cases to the House Ethics Committee for review, though the committee has taken action against only two. Even that limited success has brought the OCE powerful enemies, prompting members of both parties to openly talk of stripping away the OCE's authority -- or even dismantling the office altogether -- in the 112th Congress. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) has proposed legislation that would eviscerate the OCE, and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has said he wants to "take a look" at its usefulness.

Meanwhile, the Senate has nothing comparable to the OCE, but clearly needs one. The Senate Ethics Committee has allowed Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to skate for years, barely commented when former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) tried to push a U.S. Attorney to conduct a criminal investigation for political purposes, and blamed itself when Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) received preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial. Further, it has yet to utter a peep in response to Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) thoroughly reprehensible and despicable conduct.
Click to expand...

Read more at the Huffington Post.

JackFlash · Oct 15, 2010

Good luck with this one. The average voter not only has no clue, but he/she firmly believes that their candidate is the only one who is "honest." And then there's that party thing, we all know that it's the Republicans who are the crooks, or is it the Democrats, I never can remember.

On election day, vote early, and vote often.

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Corrupt Politicians fill Congress - vote them out!

~Zen~ California Tripper Administrator

JackFlash Senior Member

Log in or Sign up

Corrupt Politicians fill Congress - vote them out!

~Zen~ California Tripper Administrator

JackFlash Senior Member

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