Has to be a Misprint

The Tribune reports Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) allegedly used campaign cash to payoff his boyfriend girlfriend.  That's odd to those of us in Illinois.  The open rumor here is that Kirk is gay. 

Deep Thought

But I thought only Democrats rigged elections????????  Could Fox News be lying to me again?

Staunchly Anti-Gay Republican Caught Soliciting Gay Sex on Craigs List Refues to Resign

Just like my buddy Kent says, when caught in the wrong, Republicans always do the right thing and resign or go to jail.

Wait, maybe Kent meant to say always do the right thing and invoke God? Oh well it doesn't matter, because as we all know, Kent only knows what Rush Limbaugh and Fox News tell him.

For that matter, Republican Phillip Hinkle-- whom we mentioned the other day-- of the Indiana state legislature is not only refusing to resign but is calling the release of emails between him and his almost male lover a "shakedown." Technically a shakedown only happens if the gay male doesn't run out of the hotel room scared. But don't worry, to keep the gay man, because obviously  Rep. Hinkle isn't the gay man in this story, the state rep gave him an iPad, a Blackberry cellphone, $100 cash, showed him his cock and grabbed his rear. So it's not like anything remotely queer happened. Geez people.

Fiscal Conservatism at its Best

One month after Diana Cantor, wife of Eric Cantor, was appointed to the Virginia Retirement Systems Board, the Bank of New York Mellon started making the maximum allowable contribution to Rep. Cantor’s PAC. Coincidentally, the Virginia Retirement System is a $4.5 million per year client of Bank of New York Mellon.

Way to Make Yourself Too Important

Embattled sex crime subject, David Wu of Oregon (D-OR) says he will resign from Congress but not until after a vote on the debt ceiling and its resolution.

Stone House Made of Glass

Let me preface this by saying I think Anthony Weiner should resign. He violated the public's trust. I believe any time you are an elected official and you violate the public's trust you should resign your office.

That's my own personal feeling on the matter. He's not as important as he thinks he is and he's not as smart as he apparently still thinks he is. His job will survive without him in office. He's just no that needed.

To hear other members of congress calling for his resignation is a totally different matter, however. Weiner, to my knowledge, didn't break any laws. Sure he was screwing around on his wife in some sort of weird non-tangible way.  But he didn't do anything illegal.  Other members, like Eric Cantor, calling for his ouster are laughable and better off to leave him alone.  After all, Cantor's very own party has a known prostitute frequenter, David Vitter, as well as a known extortionist in Tom Coburn when he helped negotiate Sen. John Ensign's mistress's payoff.  If you can run on the same ticket with those guys, you can certainly tolerate a guy that likes to take pictures of his penis.

Weiner Said He Lied About His Wiener

A lot of guys lie about their wiener. Obviously Anthony Weiner likes to do it while the whole country is listening.

Beside the fact he's married, which is his own personal problem not mine or America's, but who uses Twitter to pick up chicks? And in case you haven't seen it, who would be proud of this wiener? That's really not something you should be proud to take pictures of and send to women.  Maybe if you had something that took both hands it could be understandable, or at least distinguishable.  Not this one though.

John Edwards About to Get Indicted

The DOJ has given the go ahead to file criminal charges on former top Democratic pol John Edwards for allegedly breaking campaign finance laws.

I was, as long time readers will recall, a John Edwards fan.  What a shame.

Another Lesson in Fiscal Conservatism

In 2006 this was called Culture of Corruption. Today it's called fiscal conservatism.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), has funneled more than $236 million in federal funds to nonprofit groups he created since 2000, according to a new report by an ethics watchdog group.

Another $227 million in federal loans, grants and contracts went to a group of private firms linked to Rogers and the nonprofit companies, the report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) found.

"During the past few months, there have been many glowing stories about Rep. Rogers, and how he has supposedly sworn off his porkish ways," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a statement.

"CREW's research shows, however, this is not an accurate portrayal of the true Hal Rogers," Sloan said. "In reality, Rep. Rogers has built a fiefdom, where millions in federal funding can continue to be funneled to home state projects each year."

These findings present nothing new about Rogers (I've written about him before). Before he ever took over Chair of House Appropriations, he was openly known for lining the pockets of his donors. To be shocked by this is ignorance. The real question is when will WaPo do a sketch about how fiscally responsible Rogers is?

DeLay Going to Prison

"Austin, Texas (CNN) -- Former House [REPUBLICAN] Majority Leader Tom DeLay will serve three years in prison on his November conviction on money laundering and conspiracy charges, a Texas judge ruled Monday."

DeLay is the third Republican Congressman to be sent to prison in as many years.  Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney being the other two.

Quickies: Thanksgiving Break Edition

I'm on break so this is all you're getting...

• Former Republican House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, convicted on all counts.  This should come as a shock to no one.
• Fox News, the beacon of journalistic excellence that it is, runs with a story from The Onion about President Obama without mentioning anywhere in the article that The Onion is a satire site and the story about the president was fake.  
• Republican Senator Jon Kyl slipped $200 million into a bill meant to have nothing to do with Kyl's earmarked funding.  Don't call it an earmark though.  Remember Republicans redefined what an earmark was shortly after promising to ban all earmarks.
• More proof the Obama stimulus package rescued America from the brink of economic disaster.
• This week's Thanksgiving edition of the right wing conspiracy theory in America: Pilgrims came to America to flee the satanic evils of socialism.  [not a link to The Onion either]

House Dems Try to Limit Independent Overseer

One of the problems of being in charge of investigating yourself is your in charge of investigating yourself.  It would be like allowing BP to investigate what caused the oil spill.  Nobody in their right mind would believe any report BP released about its own actions leading up to the catastrophe.  Or like the time Sarah Palin launched her own investigation into her Troopergate scandal and proudly cleared herself of any wrongdoing.  Only those that watch Fox News believed any of it.

The reason Democrats promised to setup the Office of Congressional Ethics with the power to investigate possible violations by Members was because of the blatant Culture of Corruption Republicans led with for over a decade.  Democrats inherited in 2007 a Congress that had just seen the largest corruption scandal in history with Republican Duke Cunningham.  That case alone would dwarf anything else this country has witnessed by elected officials but unfortunately there was plenty more.

Consider this... 

At one point in time, not very long ago, this country whether state or federal had three incumbent Republicans in prison, Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham, Vic Kohring.

• One incumbent Republican convicted of bribery but awaiting appeal, Pete Kott. 

• One incumbent member also being arrested for soliciting a police officer for gay sex but pleading to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, Larry Craig. 

• Four incumbent Republicans were and still are under indictment: Ted Stevens, Jack Cowdery, Tom DeLay, Rick Renzi. 

• Five were/are under investigation for illegal wrongdoing. 

• And the highest ranking White House adviser ever was convicted of two counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of lying to the FBI only to have his prison sentence commuted by his former boss Republican President George Bush. 

That's all within about a 6 year time-frame.  None of that even touches on the multitude of Republican staffers, lobbyists and low ranking officials that were also during this time period convicted, indicted and awaiting trial or still under investigation.  There was a definite need for an independent office to watch over the behavior of elected officials and their cronies.  Democrats were right to follow through with their promise to setup the Office.

Yet, even all that doesn't begin to shed light on the many cases that went unnoticed for these are only the ones law enforcement was able to administer.  One can only conclude an independent group would find many more amongst an elected body notorious for corruption. So why in the world Democrats are now wanting to render the independent office ineffective is unmistakeably obvious.  They too don't want people looking over their shoulders.  It's called power and they want more of it without interruptions.  Democrats would be raising a ruckus if Republicans were trying to dismantle the Office.  The same standard should apply, even more so, when their own members do it.

More Corrupt Dems

8 of the 15 most corrupt elected officials in Washington are Democrats, says CREW.

Dollar Bill Guilty

Dollar Bill Jefferson, former Congressman from Louisiana, is convicted on 11 of 16 counts. Always seems to be a telling sign when an incumbent congressman is found to have 100k in his freezer.

GOP Knew About Ensign's Affair Long Before Public

We've already learned a few other Republican senators knew about Sen. John Ensigns affair before he confessed to it publicly. Most notably is Sen. Jim Inhofe who urged Ensign to pay off his mistress to shut her up and to keep it from becoming public. Ensign did just that actually. Well, his parents paid his hooker mistress nearly $100,000 to shut her up. For some other hush money, Ensign hired her teenage son as a political analyst. WWJD?

Now we learn the GOP establishment knew about Ensign's affair long before his confession as well. A very moral and family values oriented party indeed. Why can't we all Walk With God just like them?

Charges Dropped

Attorney General Eric Holder announced this morning that the DOJ will drop all charges against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens was convicted in October.

The Lone Dissent

Moral Crusader and the man who ran his 1998 House race on the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and also the same man who paid prostitutes for sex while morally crusading against Bill Clinton, is the lone vote against Hillary Clinton today in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Would Rather Pay Prostitutes

We all remember Louisiana Senator David Vitter. The moral crusader who describes himself as pro-life and a family values senator. Also the man who routinely paid prostitutes in the surrounding areas of New Orleans. Instead of resigning or going to jail like all Republicans do when confronted with such corruption, Vitter begged for forgiveness from the people of Louisiana and told them that he had spoken to God and that God had already forgiven him. Afterward he was given a standing ovation from the Republican caucus. And since then has risen to be a powerful GOP operative.

It's now appearing that David Vitter is almost single handily responsible for killing the Auto industry bailout loan. Here's what the United Auto Workers local president has to say about Vitter:

"I don't know what Sen. Vitter has against GM or the United Auto Workers or the entire domestic auto industry; whatever it is, whatever he thinks we've done, it's time for him to forgive us, just like Sen. Vitter has asked the citizens of Louisiana to forgive him, " said Johnson, president of Local 2166. Otherwise, Johnson said of Vitter, it would appear, "He'd rather pay a prostitute than pay auto workers."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Same Day Different...

Confirmed, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) is under federal investigation:

Federal investigators are looking into allegations that a longtime friend and benefactor tried to steer money to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, the Pioneer Press has learned.Agents with the FBI have talked to or made efforts to talk to people in Texas familiar with the allegations, according to a source familiar with the situation.

You're All Felons!

What's the difference between the current Senate membership and convicted felon Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)? A court case!

Harry Reid, whatever little respect I had left for you is now gone. How can you possibly honor a convicted felon on the senate floor? What a disgrace. With all due respect to Matt Yglesias, there is no such thing as senatorial courtesty, it's just a bunch of crooks writing books and smiling on TV.