Weekend Economists "To Insure Domestic Tranquility" March 23, 2012

[Demeter]

35. The GOP Call Somebody Out on Corruption?

Well, they did that with Tom DeLay, 2005, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA), 2005, ex-Rep. Frank Ballance (D-NC), 2005, Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) 2006, although, as NPR reported:

Frank Ballance and Bill Jefferson are small fry compared to the Republicans we are talking about. And more important: Republicans are the party in power. They took over Congress in the 1994 elections with the promise to end what they saw as decades of Democratic arrogance and corruption. George W. Bush won the presidency in 2000 running as the anti-Clinton, promising to restore honor in the White House. And now Republicans are watching Democrats try and turn the tables on them. I still don't have a sense yet in my gut that what Democrats call a "culture of corruption" will lead to the overthrow of GOP congressional rule next year. In the 1990 midterm elections, for example, Republicans tried to nationalize the ethical shortcomings of House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Texas) and Majority Whip Tony Coelho (D-CA), both of whom resigned from Congress in 1989, and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who hung on despite an official House reprimand, but they failed; Democrats, in fact, gained House seats that year. Comparing 1990 to today, of course, is not exactly valid; Republican woes are far greater in scope than simply a handful of lawmakers who lost their way.

And how did we miss this?

President Obama summons local police to investigate Congress 04/01/2010

President Obama summoned over 400 Police Officers from major cities in all 50 states today to Washington, D.C. to investigate charges of rampant corruption at the top levels of government. All of the officers were Sergeant's and Corporals in the various Police Departments and were members of the Internal Affairs Units and Cyber Crime Divisions. They have been tasked with investigating Congress and will be reporting their findings daily at Press conferences to be held in the Rotunda. When asked why he chose police officers instead of tasking the job to the Secret Service or the F.B.I., President Obama responded that these were Federal employees and expressed concern that the charges of corruption could even reach into these departments.

"There is too much at stake here to allow any possible allegations of improper influence or charges of a coverup to be leveled which is why I gathered together these officers who are in no way connected to the Federal Government to investigate the charges of impropriety", he said. "We WILL have a full accounting of all of their actions, both illegal and those that may be legal but are morally questionable", he stated. "I want the American People to know that I was serious about cleaning up Washington and the only way to do that is to reveal all of the ugly underbelly of bribery and influence peddling it has been subjected to for all of these era's since it was established. No one, living or dead, is exempt from this probe and I intend to make public all of the chicanery that has plagued this great country of ours for far too long."

News of the crack down has resulted in many of the Social Elite's departing the country rather hastily. When questioned as to why they were leaving, several CEO's of major banks, financial investment firms, and military contractors stated while they had done nothing illegal they were afraid of the potential for public backlash turning violent once the details were released as a result of the investigation. "President Obama has frozen all of our assets here and abroad in treaty nations banks, but we do have funds he cannot touch in other countries without extradition agreements with the U.S." one C.E.O. stated on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile the Nation has expressed extreme support for the Presidents attempt to clean out what so many have termed "the Vipers Nest" known as Congress. As one internet blogger by the name of Citizen Kane stated:
It's about damn time!"

http://leemarchetta.newsvine.com/_news/2010/01/22/3794281-president-places-congress-under-house-arrest-pending-outcome-of-corruption-probe

I think this is like an Onion Article...

Of course Abramoff took down some of Congress....they were GOP, too, though...