Breaking: House Dems toss Jefferson off committee seat

was just reported on Countdown.

:evilfrown:

Heads bowed and hands clasped.

But if he isn't, good riddance.

not committee seats.

They can throw your ass off them for not wearing a fucking tie.


And I say "boo yah!" for that.

Guess not, as long as he wears his tie.

How bout them apples?

And why should you feel any differently about it when Jefferson does it.

Note that we are using a lower standard of proof here than would be required in a criminal trial. We are assuming some sort of culpability at this point, although neither Jefferson nor DeLay have yet been of anything.

from his assignments. other professions have administrative leave while an investigation is going on.

The Democrats, for all their faults, at least discipline their own. The Republicans elect their crooks to leadership positions.

:hi:

as long as possible until the public heat gets to be too much. Look at the repukes electing Boehner right after DeLay "resigned" as Majority leader to er, spend more time with his family. Here is what repug Boner is up today:

http://www.majorityleader.gov/

This bill sounds ominous. Who gets to decide what is "decency" and what's not? Perhaps the repukes decide DU is indecent and shuts us down. Not good. :eyes:

Sorry, being a Democrat doesn't forgive that.

Redstone

is a dino.

At least the Dems are trying to keep their own cage clean. If Jefferson is dirty he should be tossed out on his ear.

to toss out anyone they think is guilty of their House rules.

There was a court order to search Jefferson's home about a bribe. In the freezer, $90,000 was found wrapped up. If House Dems think he looks guilty enough, they can toss him. At least they are taking care of the bad apples (in their opinion, not a court's).

Repukes, I agree, just promote such people higher until they're caught by the legal system. That's another issue we can bring up for '06 talking points.

I hate the situation arose at all, but this makes it all the tougher for repukes to point to Jefferson as an example of the "culture of corruption" existing on both sides. (strange their defense is always, "well,they do it too." God, I loathe them.)

Jefferson created his problem. Dems cannot deal with this 'culture of corruption' while covering his mess. Kick out all the corrupt men and women.

yep....

Dems better make sure they have that seat covered.

We have to prove we're better than the Republicans on ethics. We boot our corrupt members, they make them Majority Leader.

He should have come forward the next day and resigned so he would "have time to prepare his defense"...or to "spend more time with his family" or whatever.,.

Shame on him for making them remove him..

If he had resigned gracefully, and later been exonerated, I'm sure they would have gladly reinstated him..

House Democrats, determined to make an election-year point about ethics, voted to strip Rep. William Jefferson of his committee assignment Thursday night while a federal bribery investigation runs its course.

Members of the rank and file approved the move after Jefferson refused for weeks to step aside on his own, and despite claims by some members of the Congressional Black Caucusthat he was being treated unfairly.

Officials said the vote was 99-58. The action must be ratified by the full House, and Jefferson left open the possibility that he might at long last relent and surrender the seat on his own. "I don't want to speculate," he said.

The session marked the culmination of a drive by the Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) of California, to take action against the embattled Louisiana lawmaker, who maintains his innocence and has not been indicted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060616/ap_on_go_co/democrats_jefferson_4

I want to hurl my rocks at the repukes from a stone castle, not a glass house!

"...stone castle, not a glass house!"

:toast:

:D :toast:

:toast:

We, unlike the rightwingers, stand for what's right, and against what's wrong, no matter the party affiliation of the person under discussion.

Unlike those sheeplike Republicans, who do and say and vote however their Party Masters tell them to. Good on us. We're the REAL Americans.

And I appreciate all you who said so in this thread for giving me some hope for the future of America.

Redstone

See, I told ya.

:toast:

on me.

Redstone

I prefer Shiner Bock, thank you.

Tom

the year-and-a-half I lived in Houston. It was my favorite. (Except when we were broke and had to drink Jax at $1.20 a six-pack. That was a LONG time ago.)

Redstone

The day shift would clock out and man the perimeter at night. The night shift did the same during the day.

24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I'm talking about organized, armed watches.

Do not fuck with Texans.

You lived in Houston? Me, too ('72 thru '98)

But Jax? Ohhh...., man.

Never knew that about the Shiner brewery.

I was there in '76 and '77. If you ever saw a band called "The Bucksnort Ginslingers" (yeah, I know it was a dumb name) or "Austin-Western" (much better) playing in a seedy bar, that was me singing, playing guitar and banjo, and generally making a fool of myself.

Long time ago...

Redstone

overlook our own ethically challenged members.

I want to hear his side of the story for we Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but for now the whole thing is just too damaging in the court of public opinion.

I give him the benefit of the doubt; we'll know the truth sooner or later. In the meantime, this takes him off the right-wing echoplex by next week or so.

Now the Congressional Democrats will be able to say that they acted when one of their members had the taint of corruption or the appearance of wrongdoing.

Bushie said he'd fire anyone from his administration so accused, but ain't done shit.

truly great phrase.

I like. I like a lot.

Redstone

I think this is the right call. Let them investigate and see what they find out but for now it's the right call. When it happens to repukes, we would want them suspended. It's only fair (and logical) that we should call for the same when it happens to DEMS.

Better for us in the long run. THe Repugs defending DeLay was really to our advantage. We need to show we are not like them!

Mz Pip
:dem:

what about Representative Alcee Hastings?

Congressman Hastings (Florida) was a federal judge, appointed by President Carter in 1989.

In 1983, Judge Hastings was accused of accepting a $150,000 bribe in return for lenient sentencing and for leaking information about a wiretap being administered by his court, thereby blowing an extensive ferderal investigation in the Miami area. He was indictd for bribery but was acquitted.

In 1989 however, the (Democratically-controlled) House of Representatives, bipartisan and very unified, voted 413 to 3 to Impeach Judge Hastings for bribery and purjury, charging that he won his acquittal because of his perjury. The Senate impeachment trial convicted Judge Hastings by a bipartisan vote of 69-26 on October 20, 1989 (the Senate also was Democratically controlled) Mr. Hastings became the 6th Federal Judge removed from office in the history of our country.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992. He remains eligible to serve in federal office because the Senate conviction removed him from office as a judge, but the senators did not vote a 2nd time in order to bar him from holding future office. Removal is automatic upon conviction but bar

Mr. Hastings serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). My understanding is that "select" committees are leadership appointed rather than gained via normal seniority traditions. There are reports that Minority Leader Pelosi intends to name Mr. Hastings the Ranking Member, of course Chairman should House control change.

So, why is Mr.Jefferson any worse than Mr. Hastings? What can possibly justify the full dirtbag treatment for one not yet even indicted simultaneous with the kiss-his-ass treatment for the one Impeached and Convicted? Take a known leaker, purjer and bribe taker and put him in a position with access to our nation's most sensitive secrets - why, have we run out of Representatives who don't leak to the bad guys in return for money? The lack of consistent treatment is troubling and seemingly inexplicable. It would seem that our collective ass is hanging out should the Republicans raise the issue of plum positions for those impeached and convicted for perjury and bribery. I'm no fan of Mr. Jefferson, but what good is a presumption of innocence when it becomes a political liability? "Oh, yes, we're for ending the culture of corruption - when it fits our purpose and we feel like it." Great fucking platform, I'm sure it will get 3, maybe even 4 or 5 votes. What the hell is going on - what's wrong with this picture?

we are in the "here and now" and looking to the future. What happened 23 years ago doesn't affect right now and what our mission is.

to sit in the Senate - which the good people of Virgina vetoed (and GOP Senator Warner ucked his party and opposed) Do we have anyone who will OPENLY oppose his/her party's nominee?

Just what DO we stand for - with your rules, here's the new campaign slogan... "Absolutely no Corruption that hasn't been personally approved by the leadership team." :puke:

we can't undo what is already done, however we can take control of what is happening right now and clean our House of corruption that is happening now. Our focus needs to be on NOW and on the FUTURE.

That's in the past - at least 150 news cycles. Where do you draw the line? Do you think an electorate will care that Hasting's bribe & perjury were in the 80s.

No, the issue will be corruption is corruption and if you ain't fit, you ain't fit.

What makes it harder - no way folks will stand for going after two black congressmn. One is an anomoly, two a conspiracy. Pelosi ain't got the balls - and she doesn't care as long as Hastings carries her water. And that's the shit that will neuter her campaign to lay the culture of corruption on the repugs. If you talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk.

but that's not what I'm attempting to do. Where do you draw the line? I'm against corruption in any way, shape or form in our Government. I don't care what color you are, what gender you are or what ethnic background you come from. It doesn't matter, period. Honestly, I never gave a second thought about Hastings' or Jefferson's skin color in my original reply. I'm just saying that what happened 23 years ago can't be changed now.... can it? What happened with Ollie North can't be changed now... can it? All we can do at this point is look at the present, and look towards the future.

You want to dredge up the past about Hastings?

Good!!

go for it!!

Get to writing those letters.

Otherwise, don't come here mixing apples with mangoes.