House of Corruption?

The Washington Post ^ | August 13, 2007 | Robert Novak

[khnyny]

House of Corruption?

By Robert D. Novak Monday, August 13, 2007; A11

With the midnight hour approaching on Saturday, Aug. 4, near the end of a marathon session, Democratic and Republican leaders alike wanted to pass the defense appropriations bill quickly and start their summer recess. But Republican Rep. Jeff Flake's stubborn adherence to principle forced an hour-long delay that revealed unpleasant realities about Congress.

Flake insisted on debating the most egregious of the 1,300 earmarks placed in the defense money bill by individual House members that authorize spending in their districts. Defending every such earmark was the chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee: Democratic Rep. John Murtha, unsmiling and unresponsive to questions posed on the House floor by Flake. Murtha is called "King Corruption" by Republican reformers, but what happened after midnight on Aug. 5 is not a party matter. Democrats and Republicans, as always, locked arms to support every earmark. It makes no difference that at least seven House members are under investigation by the Justice Department. A bipartisan majority insists on sending taxpayers' money to companies in their districts without competitive bidding or public review.

Claims of newly established transparency were undermined by the late-night follies. Flake, who ran a Phoenix think tank, the Goldwater Institute, before coming to Congress in 2001, is immensely unpopular on both sides of the aisle for forcing votes on his colleagues' pork. He burnished that reputation by prolonging the marathon Saturday session and challenging selected earmarks.

What ensued showed the sham of earmark "reform." With debate on each earmark limited to five minutes per pro and con, and roll calls also pressed into five minutes, the House was mainly interested in finishing up and defeating Flake with huge bipartisan majorities.

[khnyny]

The only thing printed in Monday's edition of the Washington Post worth reading.

[Logophile]

House Minority Leader John Boehner voted against most earmarks but did not make it a party issue as the rest of the GOP leadership backed Murtha. . . .

Two former Republican chairmen of the Appropriations Committee -- Jerry Lewis of California and Bill Young of Florida -- eagerly joined the debate on Murtha's side. Lewis, one of the House members under investigation by the Justice Department, defended one of his own earmarks and treated Flake with sneering contempt for wasting the House's time. . . .

It would appear that too many Republicans politicians still do not understand why their party lost control of Congress.

[italianquaker]

This shows why the repubs are the minority besides the spending. They cant even support one of there own on principle but rest assured the democrats would of supported flake if he was a rat

[cpdiii]

PJ O’Rourke got it right when he wrote the book,
PARLIMENT OF WHORES. However, as one familiar with those ladies in my misspent youth, I would think they should be calling the less than honorable Congressman Billybob to start a law suit against O’rouke. The ladies have most definitely been libeled by comparison to Congress!

[Digger]

It would appear that too many Republicans politicians still do not understand why their party lost control of Congress.

Gang, it's the corrupt "Two-Party Cartel". Their interest comes before the people. Both parties are worthless.

[HockeyPop]

“Republican Rep. John Campbell, an Orange County, Calif., auto dealer and five-year state legislator who is serving his first full year in Congress, is a rare ally of Flake. Campbell began the debate by challenging a $2 million no-bid award to the Sherwin-Williams paint company for a “paint shield” against “microbial threats.” The Pentagon did not want this, but Murtha delivered his usual contemptuous retort on earmarks: “We don’t apologize for them because we think the members know as much about what goes on their district . . . as [do] the bureaucrats in the Defense Department.”

Campbell is a first termer? That boy is going places!

[Ooh-Ah]

Thanks for the Campbell ping! I want to watch him—so far he is very interesting.

[upchuck]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1880327/posts

[Girlene]

...What ensued showed the sham of earmark "reform."...the House was mainly interested in finishing up and defeating Flake with huge bipartisan majorities. The mood of annoyance with Flake was personified by the 17-term Murtha, who as subcommittee chairman defended and retained every earmark (including notorious infusions of cash to his Johnstown, Pa., district).

This is why Murtha is so powerful. The man has disgraced himself, IMO, with respect to the Iraq war and the Haditha Marines. And yet nobody will take him on in Congress because of his powerful chairman position. It appears too many Republicans are willing to ignore his shameful utterings for their precious earmarks.

[jazusamo]

It appears too many Republicans are willing to ignore his shameful utterings for their precious earmarks.

That's the real reason. The Repubs wouldn't take him on before he became chairman and they knew then he was arguably the most corrupt member of the House.

[khnyny]

PJ O’Rourke got it right when he wrote the book, PARLIMENT OF WHORES. However, as one familiar with those ladies in my misspent youth, I would think they should be calling the less than honorable Congressman Billybob to start a law suit against O’rouke. The ladies have most definitely been libeled by comparison to Congress!

What's the saying..."If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you want to get @$%$#ed, go to a courthouse."

I think a better saying is "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you want to get $%^&*ed, that's Congress's job."

[khnyny]

[This is why Murtha is so powerful. The man has disgraced, IMO, with respect to the Iraq war and the Haditha Marines. And yet nobody will take him on in Congress because of his powerful chairman position. It appears too many Republicans are willing to ignore his shameful utterings for their precious earmarks.]

You’re right.

Murtha actually looks like the pig that he is...it’s funny when that happens.

Here’s a little something further to read on Murtha:

http://www.beyonddelay.org/summaries/murtha.php

[khnyny]

It would appear that too many Republicans politicians still do not understand why their party lost control of Congress.

Hey, can you blame them? The pubbies want to feed at the trough too.