Draining the Swamp

[Haggis@wk]

Sometimes I assume that people are aware of how corrupt the Democratic Party is, but it isn't necessarily so. I was surprised to learn that my well-informed wife didn't know about Alcee Hastings, the paradigm of liberalism.

Hastings was once a federal judge, but he was impeached--it is hard to articulate what a difficult, cumbersome process that is--because he solicited bribes from criminal defendants. That is, he approached the criminals and told them that he would let them off if they paid him. That's a little extreme, even for a Democrat. Hastings' efforts to make himself rich in this criminal fashion came to light and he was investigated. He responded to the investigation by committing perjury.

As a result of his multiple crimes, Hastings was removed as a federal judge by the United States Senate, one of the few times in history that has happened. Here is the really astonishing thing: instead of going to jail, Alcee Hastings went to Congress! Democratic voters were not in the least concerned that he is a criminal of the most verminous sort. On the contrary, they elected him to represent them in Florida's 23rd Congressional District! That, really, tells you all you need to know about the depravity to which the Democratic Party has sunk.

[Shapley]

Well, his intricate knowledge of the law perhaps gave him an expertise that his opponent could not match. after all, Not many can say they've sat on both sides of the bench.

[Haggis@wk]

The Washington Times reports that last year $13 billion in tax dollars was spent to pamper ‘public servants’ on trips that double as vacation junkets.” Like I say, I don’t want to hear any lecturing about my carbon footprint from these people.

[Haggis@wk]

Did you get your money’s worth from Congress last week? (March 29-April 4)

Please leave a comment indicating whether you believe you did or did not get your money’s worth from Congress this week.
What you paid
This week, taxpayers spent roughly $107 million on Congress.
Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:
Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462
Allowance for staff salaries and misc: ($1,500,000/52) x 535 = $15,432,692
Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462
What you got
Staffers wearing jeans to work and taking long lunches!
It was spring break in Congress this week so neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate met. Members often take official trips out of the country (“CODELS” — or Congressional Delegations — is what they’re called) or go home to meet with constituents. (If you want to search the CODELS your member has taken, you can do so here.)
Do you know what your member did over the break? Did he or she hold a town hall? Meet with your local newspaper? Anything?

[BigJon]

Have I ever?

[Haggis@wk]

Short-sellers in congress: [url=http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/short-sellers-in-congress-another-lesson-in-financial-hypocrisy/Another lesson in financial hypocrisy.[/url]

“We elected our officials to solve our nation’s problems, the foremost of which is the weak economy. They asked us to give them these responsibilities so that they could exercise their leadership and judgment. In the course of their workday, they meet with government officials, captains of industry, and foreign leaders. When these same elected officials phone their Wall Street brokers and take a financial position against the very entity which they are charged with preserving and protecting — the United States — how could it be anything other than a breach of the public trust?”

[jamiebk]

It's distasteful to say the least...a conflict of interest...like betting against your own team with the ultimate in "insider" knowledge.

[Shapley]

Alan Mollohan Loses Primary Bid For 15th Term In Congress

Mollohan has been identified as one of the most corrupt congressmen in Washington. Good riddance, I say.

[Haggis@wk]

The Washington Post reports that many members of Congress have substantial investments in the industries they oversee. Specifically, many members’ investments overlap with their respective committee jurisdictions. Also interestingly, their stock portfolios seem to perform better than you’d expect.

[jamiebk]

The Washington Post reports that many members of Congress have substantial investments in the industries they oversee. Specifically, many members’ investments overlap with their respective committee jurisdictions. Also interestingly, their stock portfolios seem to perform better than you’d expect.

This surprises you? Why else would someone like Meg Whitman spend the millions she has on the campaign if she did not expect to get it back at some point.
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Meg Whitman writes $20 million check to campaign, bringing total to $91 million
Ken McLaughlin
kmclaughlin@mercurynews.com

Posted: 06/14/2010 08:41:22 PM PDT
Updated: 06/15/2010 10:45:57 AM PDT

eBay billionaire Meg Whitman, who last week sailed to victory in the GOP primary for governor, has written her campaign another big check, this one for $20 million.

The contribution, reported Monday on the California secretary of state's website, brings her total self-contributions to $91 million, $17 million short of the record amount a wealthy candidate has put into his or her own campaign.

That record was set last year by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a multibillionaire businessman, in his successful re-election bid.

Bloomberg spent about $185 per vote.

In last week's win over state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, Whitman spent about $56 per vote out of her own pocket.

Whitman, who will face state Attorney General Jerry Brown in November, has vowed to write checks for up to $150 million in her quest to become governor. That means she'll likely surpass Bloomberg's record sometime during the summer.
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At least it's her own money (so far).

[Haggis@wk]

Jamie,
what surprised me was that members of Congress and their staffs are exempt for insider trading laws (not that they would eve do such a dastardly thing!)

[Haggis@wk]

Walpin defeat means president can fire IGs at will.

“A federal judge in Washington has dismissed the wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps inspector general who was fired last year by President Obama. And not just dismissed; if the decision by U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts stands, in the future the White House will be able fire other inspectors general as it fired Walpin without fear of legal consequences.”

This is not good regardless of who is in the White House

[Shapley]

Rep. Rangel again proposes re-instating the draft. This time it is called the Universal National Services Act.

I find it curious that a black man would suggest mandatory servitude in this country. Am I missing something, or something terribly, terribly wrong with this concept?

[piqaboo]

The timing is odd too. We wouldnt need a draft if we would just show some good old fashioned outrage on how America's rights are being trampled abroad. People are having a hard time finding work, the military is a stable paycheck.

[dai bread]

Rep. Rangel again proposes re-instating the draft. This time it is called the Universal National Services Act.

I find it curious that a black man would suggest mandatory servitude in this country. Am I missing something, or something terribly, terribly wrong with this concept?

Servitude?

[Shapley]

Servitude?

Yes, Servitude. Which Merriam-Webster defines as: "a condition in which one lacks liberty especially to determine one's course of action or way of life".

[dai bread]

Well, o.k. I'd always thought the draft referred to the military and work in the military was regarded as service, not servitude.

[Shapley]

Well, o.k. I'd always thought the draft referred to the military and work in the military was regarded as service, not servitude.

Mr. Rangel's proposed 'draft' goes beyond military duty, requiring everyone to suffer a period of servitude regardless, whether in the military, the peace corps, Americorps, or some other 'community service' organization.

The draft is normally a war-time call-up, a bit more acceptable than the old press gangs of Britain's past. I'm not a fan of the draft, but I can understand its necessity in wartime. We've successfully managed for over thirty years without one, in wartime and in peace, so I see no need to reinstate one merely to satisfy Mr. Rangel's flawed concept of social justice.

[dai bread]

Thanks Shap. Point taken.

[Haggis@wk]

Tom Coburn and John McCain identify 100 questionable stimulus projects.

Via Jonathan Karl:

The Coburn-McCain report takes issue with stimulus spending on projects like one that entailed research on how cocaine affects monkeys. The Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center was awarded $71,623 to study what the report calls, “Monkeys Getting High for Science.”

Bonnie Davis, a spokeswoman for The Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, said the “small grant has helped protect very important research that will have significant impact on public health in regards to cocaine addiction and the issue of relapse.”

Go a little further down the list and you’ll find even bigger spending. The California Academy of Sciences is receiving nearly $1 million in stimulus funds to send researchers to the Southwest Indian Ocean Islands and East Africa to capture, photograph and analyze thousands of exotic ants.

There’s also funding for yoga and hot flashes. Researchers at Wake Forest University have received nearly $300,000 to study whether integral yoga “can be an effective method to reduce the frequency and/or severity of hot flashes” in breast cancer survivors.