Corruption as an issue in the 2006 US elections

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I didnt really mean to start a whole new thread; I just had an item of interest, and I wanted to post on whatever thread there was about the series of corruption scandals thats been consuming attention in the US this past while.

After the DeLay / Abramoff stuff, and the Duke Cunningham stuff, or even that White House aide's involvement in a shoplifting scheme, I thought there would be one.

But though there are many threads about the DeLay case specifically, I can't find any 'container' thread on the topic. So, herewith. ;-)

Item I was coming to post in next thread.

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corruption in an election Shocked

sure why not, should 2006 be any different from any other election Twisted Evil

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Quote:

Kentuckians Believe Fletcher Should QuitIn August 2005, Fletcher issued pardons to nine current or former members of his administration who were indicted in an investigation into purported illegal hiring practices. A special grand jury had indicted the nine persons on 48 misdemeanour and 22 felony charges. State prosecutors allege that the Fletcher administration illegally placed the governor's supporters in civil service positions. State attorney general Greg Stumbo severely criticized Fletcher's actions.

Earlier this month, Fletcher was indicted on three misdemeanour counts over allegations that he violated state legislation that requires hiring rank-and-file state workers solely on the basis of their qualifications.Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Ernie Fletcher is doing as governor?

34% Approve

56% Disapprove

10% Not sure

Based on what you know, do you think Fletcher should remain in office? Or do you think Fletcher should resign?

40% Remain in office

54% Resign

6% Not sure

Source: SurveyUSA / WHAS-TV
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 Kentucky adults, conducted on May 11, 2006. Margin of error is 4.4 per cent.

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djjd62 wrote:

corruption in an election

sure why not, should 2006 be any different from any other election

Ack. I hadnt even thought about that interpretation of the thread title. I meant corruption as a theme or topic playing a role in the election races, of course (not another thread about rigged voting machines, please..)

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If you want to talk about Fletcher,thats fine.
I live here,and my personal opinion of him is that he isnt as sharp as a bowling ball,and doesnt have the brains God gave a rock.
He is worthless,not able to get anything done,and generally a useless waste of skin.

Other then that,he's ok.

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nimh wrote:

djjd62 wrote:
corruption in an election

sure why not, should 2006 be any different from any other election

Ack. I hadnt even thought about that interpretation of the thread title. I meant corruption as a theme or topic playing a role in the election races, of course (not another thread about rigged voting machines, please..)

i wasn't even thinking specifically of florida or the machines, there's "alleged" and real corruption in every election, spin and negative ads are corruption of the truth

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mysteryman wrote:

If you want to talk about Fletcher,thats fine.
I live here,and my personal opinion of him is that he isnt as sharp as a bowling ball,and doesnt have the brains God gave a rock.
He is worthless,not able to get anything done,and generally a useless waste of skin.

Other then that,he's ok.

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Hey MM, do you actually have an opportunity to vote Fletcher out this year, or is he in till 2008?

Do you think the affairs around Fletcher will have an impact on other Kentucky races this year?

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Ha! I was curious, mysteryman, about how you might respond to the alleged activities that your (Republican) governor may or may not have been involved in. "...as sharp as a bowling ball.." was a great line.
It is wonderful to run into a conservative with some semblance of a self-deprecating sense of humor.

To respond to your comments when you started this thread, Nimh. We Americicans, I would contend, have very short attention spans. Delay/Abramhoff/Cunningham were news way back when but they aren't anymore. Some candidates may have trouble but for the most part we have moved on to other issues: immigration, high gasoline prices. and the nagging issue of Iraq.
The trick in American politics (after raising and spending lots and lots of money) is to have an issue fall your way in the last week or two of the campaign.
(As mentioned in other threads, owing to gerrymandering, there are not too many hotly contested races).
Mysterman (on the right) and Realjohnboy (on the left) would probably agree, after a few beers together, that the media certainly tries to stir things up.

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Hey Rjb, good to see ya.

Quote:

FBI Searches Congressional Office of Louisiana Lawmaker

Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 21, 2006

More than a dozen FBI agents raided the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) last night, searching for documents related to an ongoing public corruption investigation, a government official said.

As many as 15 agents wearing business suits began searching the office in the Rayburn House Office Building about 7:15 p.m. and were expected to continue possibly into the afternoon today, the official said shortly before 4 a.m. [..]

Jefferson said last week that he will not resign his seat in the face of a federal investigation that has resulted in guilty pleas from two people who implicated him in a bribery scheme. [..]

He said the guilty pleas, made in federal court in Virginia, came from friends who succumbed to government pressure.

Brett Pfeffer, a former Jefferson aide, pleaded guilty in January to bribery-related charges. Vernon L. Jackson, chief executive of iGate Inc., a Louisville telecommunications firm, pleaded guilty May 3 to bribery.

Jackson said he had paid more than $400,000 to Jefferson and his relatives in exchange for the congressman's help in obtaining business deals in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon.

The investigation became public on Aug. 3 when FBI agents raided Jefferson's homes in New Orleans and Northeast Washington, where they found about $90,000 in cash in his freezer, law enforcement sources have said.

$90,000 in cash in his freezer??!! Did he think he was in a movie or something??

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Real John Boy- Your comment is so true and relevant to most of our discussions that I must replicate it. I hope you don't mind.

Quote Real John Boy

The trick in American politics (after raising and spending lots and lots of money) is to have an issue fall your way in the last week or two of the campaign.
(As mentioned in other threads, owing to gerrymandering, there are not too many hotly contested races).
Mysterman (on the right) and Realjohnboy (on the left) would probably agree, after a few beers together, that the media certainly tries to stir things up.

end of quote

Your first line reminded me of the "last minute" revelation that George W. Bush had allgedly been involved in a drunken driving incident thirtyyears ago. Although this kind of information does not have and should not have any real relevance to the election of a president owing to its age and lack of seriousness, what can one expect from a nation hooked on such absurdities as "Desperate Housewives". Most of the nation, I am afraid, suffers from at least a limited form of ADD.

The second paragraph is certainly correct, UNLESS, there is a landslide as occured in 1994. Due to the careful gerrymandering by both parties due to the shift in population mirrored in the 2000 census, there are not a great many seats which are at risk in the House. The Republicans gerrymandered a great many districts so that their people would be protected. The Democrats did likewise. But, if there is a landslide all bets are off.

We shall see, but as a Mr. Ackerman indicated in his usually on the money posts-_Two weeks is an eternity in politics-

And,as Tip O'
Neill also indicated--"Politics is local"

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Welcome, BernardR, to A2K and this little corner of the Politics Topic. I hope that you will look at another thread dealing with politics, started by Nimh: News and discussion on house and senate races.
The idea is for folks to report on what IS happening rather than on what they think SHOULD happen.
I admit that I am a liberal but I really try hard on that thread to be a reporter. I hope you will join us there.

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nimh wrote:

More than a dozen FBI agents raided the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) last night

This story gets more bizarre. Nancy Pelozi, a Democrat, has called for Jefferson's resignation from a powerful committee. Meanwhile, the Republican speaker of the House is pissed. He claims the Attorney General in the Bush administration (in charge of the FBI)) overstepped, unconstitionally overstepped, his authority in approving this first of its kind search of a congressman's office.
Hell hath no fury like a congressman investigated.

On another thought, an initiative is under way to give each person who votes a free lottery ticket, worth a chance to win a million dollars.
Now we do have an apathetic public. But this idea would, in my mind, create an uniformed electorate, which would be even more dangerous. I understand AUS has mandatory voting. Msolga et al and I have talked about that.

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House Speaker Hastert under investigation: ABC

Quote:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI, which is probing corruption in Congress, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

ABC, citing high level Justice Department sources, said information implicating Hastert was developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.

Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with those of other tribes.

Hastert's Press Secretary told ABC in a statement: "We are not aware of this." Hastert's spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.

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Wow, that should be big, shouldnt it?

Throws kind of a different light on his indignation about the search of Jefferson's offices, too..

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I figured that was what was behind the weird response.

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Quote:

Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with those of other tribe

Abramoff's footprints are visible in the sand.

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Statement from Ron Bonjean, Communications Director for Speaker Hastert, on ABC Nightly News Story

5/24/2006 8:27:00 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: National Desk

Contact: Ron Bonjean or Heidi Armstrong, 202-225-2800, both of the Office of Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert

WASHINGTON, May 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Ron Bonjean, Communications Director for Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) issued the following statement regarding the ABC Nightly News story that aired this evening:

"The ABC News report is absolutely untrue. As confirmed by the Justice Department, 'Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department.' We are demanding a full retraction of the ABC News story. The Speaker's earlier statement issued today accurately reflects the facts regarding this matter."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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I guess the mystery deepens.

ABC News Update on Hastert Story

Quote:

Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is "in the mix" in the FBI investigation of corruption in Congress.

Speaker Hastert said tonight the story was "absolutely untrue" and has demanded ABC News retract its story.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has provided information to the FBI about Hastert and a number of other members of Congress that have broadened the scope of the investigation. Sources would not divulge details of the Abramoff's information.

"You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully," a senior official said.

One focus involves a letter Hastert wrote in 2003 urging the Secretary of the Interior to block an Indian casino that would have competed with tribes represented by Abramoff.

The letter was written within days of a fund-raiser held for Hastert at Abramoff's restaurant in Washington. Federal campaign records show more than $26,000 was raised at the time from Abramoff and his clients.

Hastert has denied doing anything unlawful and says he has a long history of opposing certain types of Indian casinos.

ABC's law enforcement sources said the Justice Department denial was meant only to deny that Hastert was a formal "target" or "subject" of the investigation.

"Whether they like it or not, members of Congress, including Hastert, are under investigation," one federal official said tonight.

The investigation of Hastert's relationship with Abramoff is in the early stages, according to these officials, and could eventually conclude that Abramoff's information was unfounded.

Officials said the next logical investigative step would be for the FBI to seek a wide range of documents from the members of Congress named by Abramoff, including letters and business documents.

A spokesman for Hastert said the office had received no subpoenas or requests for documents.

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Are you referring to the mystery of why ABC would print false stories? That is indeed a mystery.

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Corruption as an issue in the 2006 US elections

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