|
| |
The Lack of Ethics
in the Ethics Committee
Politics/Frank
Salvato, Managing Editor |
April 22, 2005
- It’s business as usual in Washington DC, the land
where the only thing more confusing than the word "is” is the word "ethics.”
Yet another political standoff is playing out, this time in the House Ethics
Committee. Democrats refuse to convene a hearing citing their "outrage” over
rules changes that could protect Republican Congressman Tom DeLay from
investigation. But a few facts suggest they could be refusing to meet in
order to protect two of their own while allowing their pet 527s to
politically damage DeLay as much as possible.
Like the evil flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz, liberally slanted
527 organizations like Democracy 21 and Common Cause – many of whom reap the
benefit of George Soros’ billions – are swiping at DeLay as if he were "the
scarecrow.” It’s a good thing "The Hammer” isn’t made out of straw.
The paradox here is this; Democrats are demanding an investigation into
whether or not DeLay accepted trips inappropriately from lobbyists but they
refuse to convene a hearing because they say the ethics panel has been
stacked with DeLay supporters who would refuse to authorize an
investigation. Meanwhile, the liberal leaning 527s – now dubbed the
"left-wing syndicate” – are in full attack mode spouting exaggerations and
half-truths as if they were carved into the stones that secularists are
trying so hard to get banned from every corner of the public square.
The Democrats have a pretty good scam going. To analogize, it is a kin to a
playground bully beating up another child while a larger bully holds a crowd
who wants to stop the fight at bay, all the while lecturing about the ills
of fighting on the playground. As long as the Democrats refuse to convene an
ethics committee hearing their sympathetic 527 organizations can continue to
pummel DeLay.
It’s disturbingly brilliant when you think about it. That is until you add a
few things to the mix, then, like almost all other tactics employed by the
liberal left, their motives become transparent and their true colors start
to show.
The only open investigation pending for the House Ethics Committee has to do
with Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). You might remember him as
the US Representative who was sympathetic to genocidal maniac and former
dictator of Iraq Saddam Hussein.
This investigation would look into a 1996 incident where then ethics
committee member McDermott leaked illegally obtained recordings of phone
conversations between two House members to the New York Times. The
Justice Department tried and won their case against those who illegally
recorded the conversation but refused to initiate proceedings against
McDermott for accepting the recording. Rep. Boehner, one of those taped,
filed a civil suit against McDermott and in August of last year the US
District Court for DC found that McDermott had indeed participated in an
illegal transaction by accepted the recording. McDermott broke the law and
thus a mandatory ethics investigation was to take place pursuant to the
rules of the House Ethics Committee.
Then there is the matter of whether or not US Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones
(D-OH), who currently sits on the House Ethics Committee, accepted a trip to
Puerto Rico from registered lobbyist firm Smith, Dawson & Andrews in
violation of House rules. In 2001 Tubbs-Jones included herself in a trip by
Democrats to the Puerto Rican island of Vieques designed to protest the
island’s use by the US Navy as a bombing range. Where all of the other
elected officials cited the private group Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques as
the financier for the trip, Tubbs-Jones official filing credits Smith,
Dawson & Andrews as the one picking up the $8,311 tab. Tubbs-Jones
spokeswoman Nicole Williams contends the filing was "in error.” Neither she,
nor James P. Smith, a managing partner from the lobbyist firm, offered any
evidence to prove the filing was in fact an error.
So, while those evil 527 monkeys use the mainstream media as their weapon of
choice against Tom DeLay, it would seem that back at the Witch’s Castle two
"hench-monkeys” are being protected from harm. All the Democrats of the
House Ethics Committee have to do to allow "the 527 playground bullies” to
continue their assault on Tom DeLay is nothing.
As Dana Carvey’s creation the "Church Lady” would say, "How convenient.”
Ethics committee Republicans said they would initiate an investigation into
the allegations against Tom DeLay if the Democrats would accept the rules
change requiring a majority on the panel to approve the initiation of any
investigation. This would go a long way to muzzling the political beast and
taming bureaucracy when it comes to the House Ethics Committee.
Meanwhile, Tom DeLay has stated time and again that he welcomes an ethics
investigation into the allegations brought against him. He believes an
investigation would clear him of the charges. Whether or not that is the
case remains to be seen but at least he welcomes the investigation. That is
more than can be said for McDermott, Tubbs-Jones, those on the committee who
protect them and their evil 527 monkeys. They choose to play the "cowardly”
game of political obstructionism rather than having the "courage” to do what
they know is right.
Related Reading:
DeLay Blasts ‘Left-Wing Syndicate’
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153885,00.html
McDermott Ethics Probe Blocked, GOP Aide Says
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050414-115251-4578r.htm
Lobbyist Paid for Jones ’01 Trip
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050420-124450-3932r.htm
Committee on Standards of Official
Misconduct
http://www.house.gov/ethics/
Contact Frank
Frank's Bio |
|
