An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
“Power Tends To Corrupt….
…..and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” ~ Lord Acton
Let’s face it, anyone who sits in a seat of power for any length of time, tends to be corrupted by, or because of, that seat. Obviously, I’m talking about politicians. Although, it could be said of any position of power. Look at some of the recent scandals involving churches, teachers, and yes, even the big evil corporations.
All political parties have had some serous problems, and that just as true today, as it has been throughout our history. I know that there are corrupt Republicans. I know there are corrupt Democrats. Unlike the Dems, however, the Republicans don’t embrace the corruption, and tend to kick the corrupt to the curb. In recent history, I’m sure you’ll remember that emphatic statement of the current Speaker of the House:
“The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history,” Pelosi said.
Yes, we’ve seen how ethical this Congress has been since that statement. 
Then, in 2008, along comes this young fellow, who has actually never done much of anything. He’s never worked in the “real world”, he’s never held a read job, and about the only thing that could be said of him, he held public office, paid a salary by the taxpayers. This young fellow was hailed as the next FDR, or JFK, or Lincoln, supposedly a great orator. Really? Well, I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. On the campaign trail, he made promises, whipped the crowds into a frenzy, with talk of ‘hope and change‘, shouts of “Yes, We Can!” and transparency in the government.
In a Green Bay, Wis., speech on Monday, the Illinois senator pledged to increase transparency in government through the use of such innovative “Web 2.0″ technologies as wikis, social networking tools, publicly searchable databases and online video streaming of agency deliberations in real time.
Hmmmm…. And, against all odds, and common sense, he was elected to the highest office in the land, President of the United States.
My point? Well, back to that “corruption and power” problem. Just a few examples:
$34,000: the amount of federal taxes that Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (D) failed to pay during his employment at the International Monetary Fund despite receiving extra compensation and explanatory brochures that described his tax liabilities.
$75,000: the amount of money that the head of the powerful tax-writing committee, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), was forced to report on his taxes after the discovery that he had not reported income from a Costa Rican rental property. His excuses for the failure started with blaming his wife, then his accountant and finally the fact that he didn’t speak Spanish.
$93,000: the amount of petty cash each Congressional representative voted to give themselves in January 2009 during the height of an economic meltdown.
$133,900: the amount Fannie Mae “invested” in Chris Dodd (D-CT), head of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, presumably to repel oversight of the GSE prior to its meltdown. Said meltdown helped touch off the current economic crisis. In only a few years time, Fannie also “invested” over $105,000 in then-Senator Barack Obama.
$140,000: the amount of back taxes and interest that Cabinet nominee Tom Daschle (D) was forced to cough up after the vetting process revealed significant, unexplained tax liabilities.
$356,000: the approximate amount of income and deductions that Daschle (D) was forced to report on his amended 2005 and 2007 tax returns after being caught cheating on his taxes. This includes $255,256 for the use of a car service, $83,333 in unreported income, and $14,963 in charitable contributions.
$800,000: the amount of “sweetheart” mortgages Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) received from Countrywide Financial, the details for which he has refused to release despite months of promises to do so. Countrywide was once the nation’s largest mortgage lender and linked to Govern ment-Sponsored Entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Their meltdown precipitated the current financial crisis. Just days ago in Pennsylvania , Countrywide was forced to pay $150,000,000 in mortgage assistance following “a state investigation that concluded that Countrywide relaxed its underwriting standards to sell risky loans to consumers who did not understand them and could not afford them.”
$12,000,000: the amount of TARP money provided to community bank “OneUnited” despite the fact that it did not qualify for funds, and was “under attack from its regulators for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses.” It turns out that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a key contributor to the Fannie Mae meltdown, just happens to be married to one of the bank’s ex-directors.
$2,000,000,000: ($2 billion) the approximate amount of money that House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) is earmarking related to his son’s lobbying efforts. Craig Obey is “a top lobbyist for the nonprofit group” that would receive a roughly $2 billion component of the “Stimulus” package.
$3,700,000,000: ($3.7 billion) not to be outdone, this is the estimated value of various defense contracts awarded to a company controlled by the husband of Rep. Diane Feinstein (D-CA). Despite an obvious conflict-of-interest as “a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband’s firms .”
$4,190,000,000: ($4.19 billion) the amount of money in the so-called “Stimulus” package devoted to fraudulent voter registration ACORN group under the auspices of “Community Stabilization Activities”. ACORN is currently the subject of a RICO suit in Ohio.
Ethical? There are many more, but this will suffice for now. I am very well aware it’s not just a Democrat problem. There are those with an “R” behind their names, holding onto their office, with a vice grip, as well.
One of the problems we have? No term limits. Representatives and Senators can be elected, and with enough money, will hold on to that seat until they day they die. A perfect example would be Teddy Kennedy. (Mary Jo was unavailabe for comment.)
Don’t get me wrong, there have been a few good guys (and ladies) from both parties, who have held office, but recently, those have been hard to come by. At one time, I honestly believed we had term limits. It was called the ‘vote’! We were free to vote out politicians who did not meet our expectations, and put their own gains ahead of the good of the people. I was seriously naive, wasn’t I!
The 2010 midterm elections are fast approching. I would suggest that it would be a good time to send a REAL message to Washington. Vote AGAINST every single incumbant. Party affiliation isn’t all that important anymore, as the lines have become serious blurred. If both candidates are weasels, vote 3rd party, or write someone in. Shoot, Mickey Mouse would probably do a better job than some that have taken up permanent residence in our nation’s capital.
As an afterthought…..perhaps there should be a few recall campaigns as well. Lamar Alexander comes to mind.
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