[Narus63]

Feds Hit 21 with Probe of Nevada Pol, ABC News, Feb. 15, 2007:

The number of investigations into lawmakers from the 109th Congress has grown to 21.

Jim Gibbons, the newly-elected Republican governor of Nevada, is facing a federal investigation for suspicions of criminal behavior while he was a member of Congress, according to a Wall Street Journal report today. The probe would make Gibbons, who left Congress last fall, the fourth member of the former House Intelligence Committee to come under such scrutiny. Twenty-one members of the 109th Congress investigated for one type of crime or another. That's amazing. And four just from the House Intelligence Committee! I guess that intelligence is worth a pretty penny, eh?

And here I was, thinking that the 109th Congress was the biggest do-nothing Congress in history! Guess I was really wrong about that!!

[DrCeshing]

Although I'm a liberal, I'm fair enough to admit that as long as powerful jobs are there, some people will take advantage, no matter their political affiliations. What was really "flip-floppy" about the 109th Congress was that they were governed by people who drapped themselves in all things virtuous. The hypocrisy was so thick.

[jinnamys]

Well, you have Sen Ted Kennedy, Sen Byrd, and a Sen Clinton to add in that mix too, don't you think?

[JTS_tv]

He was a Congressman, left, and was just elected Governor.

[Narus63]

Although I'm a liberal, I'm fair enough to admit that as long as powerful jobs are there, some people will take advantage, no matter their political affiliations.

I agree, although I've got to say (and I don't mean this of you specifically) I'm tired of people making excuses for the bad behavior of some people by pointing to the bad behavior of others, you know? If it's wrong, it's wrong, and the political affiliation doesn't matter.

Also, I don't know how many of the 21 are Republicans and how many are Democrats.

What was really "flip-floppy" about the 109th Congress was that they were governed by people who drapped themselves in all things virtuous. The hypocrisy was so thick.

I totally agree.

[jinnamys]

He was a Congressman, left, and was just elected Governor.

Just read the article and not what was posted by the OP.

[Narus63]

Well, you have Sen Ted Kennedy, Sen Byrd, and a Sen Clinton to add in that mix too, don't you think?

I don't have anyone to add, but it looks like you do.

Are these people under federal investigation?

[Narus63]

Just read the article and not what was posted by the OP.

Absolutely read the article - it mentions a Democrat!

[DrCeshing]

No, I don't believe in assigning more blame to one party, but I do understand that it's popular for people to do that. In the case of the federal gov't over the last 6 years, I've leaned in on them a lot, mostly the Republicans, because they actually go out there and pretend to be "better people" than the rest of us. Their campaigns are endlessly about "moral values" that they don't follow themselves. Democrats at least don't pretend to do that. It's easy if you're a Republican, to just go out there and say, "I'm pro-life, abortion is murder, case closed" than to say, "I encourage birth instead of abortion but I won't suppress my citizens' freedoms, so I'm pro-choice, women shouldn't be forced to go underground because that would cause class-warfare, teens ought to be given all the information necessary about sex because "just say no" is naive, condescending, ignorant and not practical".

[gkruCRi1]

Although I'm a liberal, I'm fair enough to admit that as long as powerful jobs are there, some people will take advantage, no matter their political affiliations. What was really "flip-floppy" about the 109th Congress was that they were governed by people who drapped themselves in all things virtuous. The hypocrisy was so thick.

I largely feel the same way. There is plenty of corruption on both sides of the aisle historically speaking and corruption being a human failing there always will be. It also seems the local political scene can really help breed that across party lines too. In Pennsylvania where I live, the areas are so gerrymandered that it breeds corruption from entrenchment of either party in each district. Democratic Philadelphia city leaders have been regularly indicted, and now PA state Congressman Democrat power broker from Philadelphia, Vince Fumo, is under massive indictments as we speak for things down to having taxpayers fix his beach house, follow his girlfriends, buy his farm equipment, maid service, etc. Our famous King Of Pork, longtime retired US Congressman Joseph McDade, a Republican from northeast PA, just got arrested for exposing himself to women in Florida. Of course, from the last Congress, outgoing two Republican US Congressmen got in trouble, one--also a pork king-- being under investigation for corruption and the other, a 'family values man,' having an adulterous affair with a woman over 40 years younger and abusing her. The fact that Reps platform on personal morality and fiscal restraint, though, does come back to smack them harder than Dems in my area when the pork and sex stuff gets exposed so often. Overall though, the net effect is that I often feel like wearing a paper bag over my head and bringing a pen for write-ins (which I sometimes do) when going into the voting booth in PA where voting is something New Orleans Parish politicians could be proud, and often really has no competition locally given the gerrymands anyway.

[Zpxbawtz]

Well, you have Sen Ted Kennedy, Sen Byrd, and a Sen Clinton to add in that mix too, don't you think?

Ted Kennedy does deserve a spot in jail. I can't recall that Byrd & Clinton were ever indicted. I could be wrong. Byrd was born in 1066 AD (I believe he was one of William the Conqueror's illegitimate offspring), so it's possible I missed something in the last 1,000 years.

I know Clinton had her law practice ripped inside out, yet nothing stuck. Seemed a bit of a witch-hunt. But was she ever indicted?

I'm not sure it's fair to throw Byrd & Clinton (unindicted as far as I know) into the mix w/21 people who HAVE in fact been indicted. But I'll grant you Kennedy. Drunken lout.

[Narus63]

I'm not sure it's fair to throw Byrd & Clinton (unindicted as far as I know) into the mix w/21 people who HAVE in fact been indicted. But I'll grant you Kennedy. Drunken lout.

The article doesn't say indicted - it says under federal investigation.

[Zpxbawtz]

The article doesn't say indicted - it says under federal investigation.

Oh, my bad, sorry. So, are Byrd & Clinton currently under INVESTIGATION, then? I've not followed the news too closely lately; I may have missed something.

[Narus63]

Oh, my bad, sorry. So, are Byrd & Clinton currently under INVESTIGATION, then?

Not to my knowledge, no. Neither is Kennedy.