More Politician Corruption
The Washington Post writes in an article today entitled: Lawmaker Criticized for PAC Fees Paid to Wife
In the past two years, campaign and political action committees controlled by Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) paid ever-larger commissions to his wife's one-person company and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gifts at stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. and a Ritz-Carlton day spa.
The use of such committees, especially "leadership" PACs, for purposes other than electing politicians to Congress is a common and growing phenomenon, but campaign finance watchdogs say Doolittle has taken it to new heights.
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Voters need to read this.
I'd love to hear Representative John T. Doolittle's (R-Calif.) and his wife's explaination about these increasingly larger commissions to his Mrs. Doolittle and her one-person company, and the tens of thousands of dollars on gifts at stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. and a Ritz-Carlton day spa.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Some congress persons have been caught red-handed (on video tape) taking $100K bribes, and they still have not been charged with a crime.
That's because they are above the law.
They are superior.
Even if they were ever convicted, they are likely to get a presidential pardon, like the 140 felons pardoned by Clinton (such as Dan Rostenkowski, who pled guilty for cryin' out loud).
Most (if not all) incumbent politicians are bought-and-paid-for, and fraudulently spending campaign donations on all sorts of personal expenses, and getting away with it on a massive scale.
And, most (if not all) do this sort of crap (above, which is illegal), vote on pork-barrel, troll for big money donors, peddle influence, and vote themselves rai$es and cu$hy perk$, while our troops risk life and limb.
Americans should be angry about this.
Angry enough to vote out irresponsible incumbent politicians.
That's what voters were supposed to be doing all along, always.
Never, were voters supposed to lazily pull the party lever, or vote strictly along the party line. That is how irresponsible incumbent politicians fool and control voters, by fueling the petty partisan warfare, while the nation falls apart right before our very eyes.
Never, were voters supposed to wallow in the petty partisan warfare. What good are parties if irresponsible, bought-and-paid-for incumbent politicians in both parties just take turns using and abusing everyone ?
Never, were voters supposed to empower the very same irresponsible, bought-and-paid-for incumbent politicians that use and abuse us.
Never, were voters supposed to be so blinded by the petty partisan warfare, that they are oblivious to our serious problems as they grow in number and severity.
Never, was government supposed to be FOR-SALE, where too many bought-and-paid-for incumbent politicians are too beholding to a few big-money puppeteers with vast wealth and power (instead of the voters).
Never, were voters supposed to ignore their government, as they do now, because that invites abuse and breeds corruption.
But, voters will eventually suffer the consequences of their negligence and apathy someday, and they will only have themselves to thank for it, since they have the power right under their very own noses . . . the power to vote out irresponsible, bought-and-paid-for incumbent politicians, always.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing complicated.
Not yet another new party.
No vast schemes or conspiracies.
Just a little plain old common sense.
That's all.
Posted by: d.a.n | July 12, 2006 4:10 PM
Dan is right. Corruption hides itself. With an average 94% reelection rate, incumbents get away with all manner of corruption right up until the Justice Dept. indicts them. But there is a huge amount of legal corruption that the Dep't of Justice cannot address.
The only way to address legalized corruption is at the polls in our elections. Voting out incumbents will send shockwaves throughout Capitol Hill as remaining incumbents and freshman alike realize, reelection is once again in the hands of the voters who expect results, not empty promises on America's problems like border security, fiscal discipline, saving Soc. Sec., exiting Iraq in the foreseeable future, and a host of others like real campaign finance reform that eliminates legalized special interest bribes for legislation votes.
Posted by: David R. Remer | July 12, 2006 5:19 PM