Traficant: 'I Hate the Government'

NEWSMAX ^ | Monday, July 15, 2002 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[Vidalia]

"With his customary bluster and defiance, convicted congressman James Traficant returned to center stage Monday, drawing the same laughter and gasps his invectives have produced on the House floor over the past 17 years," the Associated Press reported today.

Returning to Capitol Hill for the first time in five months, the wacky Ohio Democrat spewed obscenities and insults as colleagues awaited his response to allegations that could lead to his expulsion from the House.

"Are all those volumes your evidence?" he asked the committee counsel, gesturing to large three-ring binders, boxes and charts. "Well, you know what you can do with it, don't you?"

To photographers, he said that taking his picture was against House rules and warned, "get out of my face."

"I love America, but I hate the government," Traficant told the eight lawmakers who will decide whether his convictions for bribery, fraud and tax evasion merit his ouster from the House.

[Vidalia]

Trafficant may be a bit "wacky", but there is truth in what he claims about the procedures of any prosecutor's office, especially the holier-than-thou Federales of the U.S. Justice Dept..

Any attorney who, for a change cares to tell the truth will admit it it will go to extreme measures to "get its man" or extort as much money as possible, and if all else fails, as Walter Williams so eloquently puts it, "they will just come to your house and kill you".

There is more here than meets the eye afforded to us by the Common Media.

[Mulder]

"I love America, but I hate the government," Traficant told the eight lawmakers

Mr. Traficant speaks for more Americans than he knows....

[toupsie]

Rep. Traficant reminds me of Sheriff Connors in White Lightning. My favorite Ned Beatty film.

[sinkspur]

Trafficant may be a bit "wacky", but there is truth in what he claims about the procedures of any prosecutor's office, especially the holier-than-thou Federales of the U.S. Justice Dept..

Traficant is a crooked politician. Period. He got caught in 1984 but he had a friendly jury. This time, even with a friendly jury, his embezzlement simply couldn't be ignored.

[Senator Pardek]

If the toupee does not fit, you must aquit. I have no sympathy for this liar and backstabber.

[Jorge]

Trafficant is a real character, and I find him likeable.
But he is so wacky and out there mentally and that it amazes me people actually voted him into office.

[Vidalia]

Dittos, and the thin-shell TX pecans are the best.

[Mulder]

Traficant is a crooked politician. Period.

Crooked? Perhaps.... sort of like Roscoe P. Coltrain in "The Dukes of Hazard".

Guilty of treason against the Bill of Rights? No. And that fact alone makes him better than most politicans.

[kcpopps]

Traficant is a crooked politician. Period.

Well then, in DC, he has spent the last 17 years with PEERS. Many of whom are much more crooked than him.

He's going down and I hope he drags down a bunch of others with him. The more the better.

[Torie]

How did CSPAN handle the obscenities? Curious minds want to know? Clearly he wants to be expelled as rapidly as possible.

[Vidalia]

Have you or any member of your family ever been "pressed" by any Federal prosecutorial or investigative agency?

Unless you have, whether or not you served in WW2 as a commissioned officer, highly regarded as an honest community leader for over 40 years, I suggest you give it a second review.

Regardless of who is in the Executive Office, many honest folks are abused every year by over zealous Justice Dept. investigators who have no accountability for any actions they may take (much like what is and will continue to happen with the new Federalized dolts for airport security).

There is truth in what Trafficant says, maybe not in totality in his case, but there are so many "horror" stories that are never aired.

Maybe Klayman and his zealots are looking at the wrong arm of the government (as if anyone would pay attention to him now).

[Chad Bagwell]

"they will just come to your house and kill you".

Hain't doubting it.

[StriperSniper]

Dr. Williams is a patriot and a very smart man.

[GOP_Lady]

What the heck are you talking about?

[Vidalia]

What obscenities?

There were none.

This was C-Span, not the Osbornes..

Did you watch the proceedings?

[yooper]

"I love America, but I hate the government," Traficant told the eight lawmakers."

Two quotes from Will Rogers spring to mind here:

"Just be happy you're not getting all the government you're paying for."

"The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time congress meets."

If Trafficant hates the government so much he should quit working for it.....

[ladyinred]

I saw part of this on CSPAN this morning. He really let them have it.
I know he is wacky and probably guilty, but I can't help but like the guy. He of course says he was set up by Reno's justice dept, and who knows?

[sinkspur]

Have you or any member of your family ever been "pressed" by any Federal prosecutorial or investigative agency?

No, and in 51 years of life, I've never known anyone who has been investigated by the Feds.

Traficant acts like a union hack: using federal employees for private errands and receiving cash, under the table, for favors.

Taunting the feds, as Traficant has done, is not very smart, IMO.

[Torie]

Returning to Capitol Hill for the first time in five months, the wacky Ohio Democrat spewed obscenities and insults

Maybe the article got it wrong, and in any event Traficant was probably drunk. He often is.