Democrats now comprise majority of ‘most corrupt in Congress’ list

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Rawstory.com

Democrats now comprise majority of ‘most corrupt in Congress’ list

By John Byrne
Published: September 16, 2009
Updated 3 hours ago

Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington was once characterized as a liberal group on a witch hunt to oust then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).

Not anymore. On Tuesday, the Washington watchdog group released its list of what it called the “most corrupt members of Congress” — and Democrats, who now control both chambers of Congress, comprise the majority.

The group posted the list of their 15 most corrupt members of Congress on a special website, CREWsMostCorrupt.com.

Democrats on the list are Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL), Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV), Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA), Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA), Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).

Republicans on the list include Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA), Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK). For what it’s worth, there are more Republicans percentagewise than there are in Congress, but this is probably small consolation to those who voted in a Democratic majority on the heels of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/16/democrats-make-u... /

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That's 8 Democrats and 7 Republicans.

I'm surprised that there is no one connected to the Healthcare industry on the list, given the amount of money they are throwing around.

[Mass]

1. So, talking to Blago puts you on the top 15?

[xxqqqzme]

5. I think it is more interesting to note there are

only 3 senators in the group. The 2 year election cycle for the House seems to throw the money door wide open.

[Mass]

8. There are more Reps than Senators, so it is not that surprising.

If anything, Senators are 1/5 of this list, about the same ratio than in Congress.

[bertman]

18. "So, talking to Blago puts you on the top 15?" You are kidding, right?? Or maybe you stopped

reading the news once the esteemed Senator Burris got his appointment.

That guy has more stories than Hans Christian Andersen.

[struggle4progress]

30. Go read the actual transcripts. There's not really any evidence that Burris deliberately

misled anyone on any material point while under oath. The bits of testimony, cherry-picked for media charges of perjury, came from longer interrogatory sequences where the questioner asked questions not obviously related to the topic at hand, Burris began to answer, and the questioner then changed the line of questioning. Afterwards, people complained Burris hadn't been exhaustive in his answers. But it's the duty of the questioner to make the question, its purpose in relation to the matter at hand, and its full scope adequately clear. The witness isn't perjuring himself if he doesn't say absolutely everything that could be said in relation to a given question, if the questioner jumps quickly from one topic to another, indicating he is satisfied with answers given, without making clear how detailed an answer he wants, especially if the relation to a material point is not very clear

[struggle4progress]

29. Yeah, that one's bullshit. It's clear from the transcripts Burris didn't commit perjury

[tomm2thumbs]

2. no one is immune

[natrat]

3. cue the apologist dlc whore contingent to step up here and defend this=massive unrecs ahead

[Mass]

6. I'm confused. Waters is not DLC, neither is Murtha, to my knowledge.

There is no surprise that, given that they are now in power, more Dems have the opportunity to become corrupt. This should surprise nobody.

[MrsCorleone]

19. Maxine Waters is so not DLC. Same with Laura Richardson. Both have strong union backing. I wonder

if that's why they're on this hit list.

What do you all really know about Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility?

I smell bullshit.

[Big_Mike]

24. They are on the list for what looks to be legitimate grounds

Rep. Waters lobbied regulators for money for a bank her husband owns. She was on the list for different reasons in 2005 and 2006. I have not heard whether a legal opinion has been issued on this yet.

Rep. Richardson has been in trouble regarding homes she owns yet did not report on her financial reports. One home she almost lost to foreclosure, but was able to refinance. The report on this has not been issued.

I do remember seeing Rep. Richardson's name in the local papers when I worked in Long Beach; mainly complaints about her house's appearance. These weren't news stories, as I remember, but rather letters to the editor.

[goclark]

33. Waters husband owns a bank?!

Interesting ~ something is fishy there.
Wasn't their an issue in the Bahamas regarding him?

Rengel has been mighty quiet lately , he looked really tired at the Health Care Speech.

[leftynyc]

13. Who on that list is DLC?

Kinda blows your whole stupid argument out of the water, doesn't it?

[pattmarty]

4. They ALL take money from the same "troughs".

[aquart]

7. Because we're in power now.

It didn't pay to bribe us before.

[No Elephants]

28. Yes, and the Republicans told lobbyists that donations to Dems would leave them in the cold.

Until then, the lobbyists contributed to both sides, through probably more to the majority Party. Then the Republicans laid down the law about not donating anything to Democrats if you wanted the, um, gratitude of the majority party.

It was part of the strategy to achieve a "permanent Republican majority."

[aquart]

31. How did that work for them?

[tk2kewl]

9. well lets do the math...

there are 8 Ds on the list out of 257 in the House and 59 in the Senate or 2.5%

there are 7 Rs on the list out of 178 in the House and 40 in the Senate or 3.2%

[Qutzupalotl]

10. +1

(not me, I mean )

[Zoeisright]

14. +2

[Festivito]

16. 2.5% of Dems, with 3.2% of Repubs while Dems are in power no less.

Not so bad, considering these people come from all over the country with varying constituencies and everyone having to deal with corporate money in everyones races.

When you consider that Repubs vote as one unit on everything, relating that corruption to each one is harder to do. But, Repubs do deserve more on that list.

[emulatorloo]

11. 8 Dems and 7 Republicans is more or less 50/50. Not sure how that becomes "Dems comprise Majority"

of 'most corrupt in Congress' list.

Not condoning corrupt Dems, but c'mon.

[Xenotime]

15. Exactly. And percentagewise there are more corrupt repugs.

[SandWalker1984]

12. Joseph Stalin was right.

It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.

Joseph Stalin


See alarming story regarding vote counting machines at Bradblog.com
One private corporation will count 75 million votes in secret in the next election.

[No Elephants]

17. Pubs way overrepresented on "most corrupt in Congress list" would be less deceptive.

The list of 15 includes 8 Democrats and 7 Repblicans--almost even--yet Democrats in Congress far outnumber Republicans. Plus Jefferson has been convicted AND bankrupted, unlike the likes of McConnell and Ensign.

That said, I hope they all go, except Rangel. (Sue me, I enjoy watching him be interviewed.)

[Divine Discontent]

20. Dear John Byrne - a bit of a flipping STRETCH there sir! more dems in Congress and, on the top 15

corrupt list there's 8 dems & 7 repubs, and that somehow warrants that story title! wow... just wow. a tad rethuggerish doncha think Mr Byrne?

meh, I bet you can't draw worth shit! (inside joke)

[MrsCorleone]

21. Lol! Agreed.

Here's my favorite snippet.

Byrne: "For what it’s worth, there are more Republicans percentagewise than there are in Congress, but this is probably small consolation to those who voted in a Democratic majority on the heels of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal."

Wow, I'm dizzy. As if the Abramoff scandal alone was the tipping point of no return for the 'pubs. LOL!

Folks, just because this was posted on Raw Story, doesn't mean it's the gospel.

[LynnTheDem]

22. So...ONE DEM MORE than republics, even though DEMS make up the majority of

congress-critters.

Well, the rightwingnuttery will have something new to scream about (whilst totally ignoring, of course, the wee inconvenient fact that percentage-wise, republics have far more corrupt politicians). That's a given.

But really...I just don't care what the republics do or don't say or do. Life is just too damn short.

[vkkv]

23. Where's Larry Craig and David Vitter ?

Where's Larry Craig and David Vitter ?

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Larry Craig is no longer in Congress

[No Elephants]

27. Adultery is not the same as corruption, which would involve some

wrongdoing that is job-related. Bribes, special favors, etc., to a Senator in return for voting a certain way; putting your family on your staff, something along those lines.

[msongs]

26. yay my congressman finally got on a top 15 list - calvert from CA :-) nt

[VladPutin]

32. Dem or Rep, it don't matter...

....most if not all are corrupt.