Posted on 08/05/2002 8:31:18 AM PDT by bat-boy
As Traficant Goes to Jail, the Senate Has Thus Far Let Torricelli Go Free
Senate Democrats missed a significant opportunity last Tuesday to demonstrate that what they preach they also practice. Democrats want corporate executives to act ethically and responsibly. If they do not, Democrats – justifiably – demand justice. That is why they passed the corporate accounting reform bill.
Why, then, did a Senate ethics panel fall short in holding New Jersey Senator Bob Torricelli accountable for egregious violations of Senate ethics rules and, quite possibly, the law?
It seems that when it comes to the Democrats' fellow senator, "the buck stops over there," as DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe recently claimed about President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
The Senate ethics panel concluded that, although Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-N.J., clearly violated "his public obligations" and took improper gifts – including a $1,900 television – from a prominent campaign donor, a letter of admonition was sufficient justice. Perhaps the senators hoped that the potential paper cuts would be more severe a punishment than splinters from a rap on the wrist with a ruler.
For over a month now, Daschle and company have been calling for corporate executives to be held accountable for crimes against the American people. Daschle recently said, "To us, it is not enough to talk about accountability, you have to act to ensure it." Now one of the Senate's own has been found guilty by a panel of his peers, and talk of accountability is nowhere to be heard.
The comparison between corporate and public responsibility is apt and fair. Both are required to sustain the public's confidence. This is why the disjunction between the ethics panel findings and the ethics panel admonishment is so disturbing. If Torricelli had been a CEO and the ethics panel the SEC, the vitriol with which Sen. Daschle and other Democrats renewed their cries for SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt's resignation would have been difficult to match.
Make no mistake, Torricelli is deserving of the Senate's punishment. The Senate ethics panel was particularly "troubled by actions taken [by Sen. Torricelli] which were or could have been of potential benefit" to David Chang, one of the senator's campaign donors. In other words, Sen. Torricelli has demonstrated that political leaders are just as capable of unethical – possibly illicit – behavior and conflicts of interest as business leaders are.
Only the week before, the American people observed another demonstration of this fact as maverick Ohio Congressman James Traficant was expelled from the House of Representatives following his conviction on federal bribery, tax evasion and racketeering charges. The House Democrats – and Republicans – deserve credit for holding those in public office as accountable as those in the corner office.
The tale of these two crooks – Torricelli and Traficant – is telling about the dangerous mentality of partisan gamesmanship pervading the Democratic Party today. House Democrats could vote to expel Congressman Traficant because he did not vote the party line anyway. Always the nonconformist, Traficant even voted for Congressman Hastert during the election for Speaker of the House.
Torricelli, however, is a different story. Torricelli is former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. If his campaign fund-raising practices are in violation of Senate ethics rules – if not the law as well – then questions can be raised about the ethical nature of Democrat fund-raising efforts in general. After all, Mr. Chang, who is now in jail, has donated not only to Sen. Torricelli but also to House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, former Vice President Al Gore and, of course, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Senate Democrats had the opportunity on Tuesday to take real action to stop the political-corporate conflicts of interest they have for so long assailed. That they ignored this opportunity suggests they do not practice what they have been preaching to corporate executives.
As Senate Majority Leader Daschle said, "The test for the president today is not whether he shares the outrage that the workers and shareholders in these companies feel; I have no doubt he does. The question is whether he is willing to take action on that outrage and support the legislation that will actually help solve the problem."
To me, it is not enough to talk about accountability, either. The test for Mr. Daschle and his Democrat colleagues in the Senate is not whether they share the outrage that the American people feel about ethically challenged public officials such as Torricelli; I have no doubt they do. The question is whether Mr. Daschle is willing to take action on that outrage and support as serious a punishment for Mr. Torricelli as he has for corporate crooks.
*****
Jeff Berkowitz is Senior Advisor and Website Editor for Generation GOP (www.generationgop.com), a grassroots network of young conservatives. The Northeast Field Director for the College Republican National Committee prior to the 2000 presidential primaries, his political experience includes numerous campaigns throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States.
He welcomes comments via e-mail at jeff@generationgop.com
Maybe a country song is in order, here. "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be Senators."
Senator Torricellii also has a prominent role in the book described below, as a bad example, and one of the reasons why the current Congress is unfit and unable to solve the nation's current problems.
Congressman Billybob
Maybe a country song is in order, here. "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be Senators."
Senator Torricellii also has a prominent role in the book described below, as a bad example, and one of the reasons why the current Congress is unfit and unable to solve the nation's current problems.
Congressman Billybob
Because the national press corpse in ABCNNBCBS is DELIBERATELY IGNORING the DNC's hypocrisy and double-standards, lies, and fabrications, and exaggerations, and crimes while they desperately try to tie all the attention to Bush.
THEY NEVER WILL WILLING EXPOSE (LIBERAL) DEMOCRATIC CORRUPTION.
Because the national press corpse in ABCNNBCBS is DELIBERATELY IGNORING the DNC's hypocrisy and double-standards, lies, and fabrications, and exaggerations, and crimes while they desperately try to tie all the attention to Bush.
THEY NEVER WILL WILLING EXPOSE (LIBERAL) DEMOCRATIC CORRUPTION.
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