The Republican Crime Party
The Republican Crime Party
"It is not our job to seek peaceful coexistence with the Left. Our job is to remove them from power permanently." - Jack A. Abramoff
And how did they proceed with that plan? Why, by clinging to their tried-and-true gameplan of graft, corruption, and a complete lack of ethics. Sticking with what has worked for them in the past, conserving those old-fashioned tricks they used before.
It seems to follow the same pattern. Start out on top, and end up with a scandal. Take Nixon. His scandal became the one by which all others are judged since. Since Watergate, everything is "__gate." Humorously, even the republicans apply the "-gate" suffix to democrats' scandals, whether real or imagined, only serving to remind their audience where "-gate" came from.
Then there was Reagan. Again, started out on top, thanks to his willingness to endow the nation's sworn enemies with weapons. By the time his presidency ended, you couldn't swing a cat without hitting an indicted republican.
Then came Bush Sr. Besides pardoning the criminals from the Reagan presidency, he ushered in the era of Bush scandals. The S&L scandals. The gay child-sex scandal (to be fair, that one was a Reagan-Bush scandal). And so on.
Now, we live in the era of Bush Jr. The most corrupt administration ever, built on lies and hypocrisy. One that seems to revel in its repeated insults to America. Republican all the way.
And you know what? I hear that all the corruption-cash in the Abramoff scandal went to republicans. All of it. Not a dime to democrats. Hmm. I guess God's chosen, morally superior party of family values, is just repeating history again. Now that's conservative!
"It is not our job to seek peaceful coexistence with the Left. Our job is to remove them from power permanently." - Jack A. Abramoff
And how did they proceed with that plan? Why, by clinging to their tried-and-true gameplan of graft, corruption, and a complete lack of ethics. Sticking with what has worked for them in the past, conserving those old-fashioned tricks they used before.
It seems to follow the same pattern. Start out on top, and end up with a scandal. Take Nixon. His scandal became the one by which all others are judged since. Since Watergate, everything is "__gate." Humorously, even the republicans apply the "-gate" suffix to democrats' scandals, whether real or imagined, only serving to remind their audience where "-gate" came from.
Then there was Reagan. Again, started out on top, thanks to his willingness to endow the nation's sworn enemies with weapons. By the time his presidency ended, you couldn't swing a cat without hitting an indicted republican.
Then came Bush Sr. Besides pardoning the criminals from the Reagan presidency, he ushered in the era of Bush scandals. The S&L scandals. The gay child-sex scandal (to be fair, that one was a Reagan-Bush scandal). And so on.
Now, we live in the era of Bush Jr. The most corrupt administration ever, built on lies and hypocrisy. One that seems to revel in its repeated insults to America. Republican all the way.
And you know what? I hear that all the corruption-cash in the Abramoff scandal went to republicans. All of it. Not a dime to democrats. Hmm. I guess God's chosen, morally superior party of family values, is just repeating history again. Now that's conservative!
posted by SheaNC at 1:30 AM
19 Comments:
I'll go ahead and add the inevitable. It was all Clinton's fault. Clinton's scandal was worse than anything anywhere anytime. etc. Chappaquiddick, Chappaquiddick, Chappaquiddick, etc. Right.
Before people start yelling and screaming, there was no money that went direclty from Abramoff to Democrats. Some democrats did receive money through one of Abromoffs firms clients, an Indian tribe. To this point, that's what I've been able to find.
Thanks, Mochi. I do tend to incite riots, don't I? 8^)
1800s
Aaron Burr duel with Alexander Hamilton (1804); See also Burr's "New Empire" conspiracy
Judge John Pickering impeached and convicted in absentia by U.S. Senate for drunkenness and use of profanity on the bench (1804)
Aaron Burr New Empire (Southwest) conspiracy (1804-1807) and treason trial (1807)
James Wilkinson conspiracies (1787-1811)
Corrupt Bargain (1824)
Swartwout-Hoyt scandal involving the Port of New York Collectors' Office, became a struggle between President John Tyler and Congress concerning authority to appoint and pay investigative commissioners (1841-1842)
Simon Cameron, war profiteer (1860-1862)
Tammany Hall (1854-1934)
Gould-Fisk Gold Conspiracy Black Friday scandal (1869)
Crédit Mobilier of America scandal (1872)
Salary Grab Act (1873)
Sanborn Contract
Whiskey Ring (1875)
Bribing of Secretary of War William Belknap leading to impeachment and resignation; President Grant's acceptance of Belknap's resignation created an additional scandal and controversy, as this was believed by some to have deprived the Senate of jurisdiction over the impeachment (1876)
Star Route Frauds postal contract corruption involving Arkansas Sen. Stephen W. Dorsey, who became Secretary of the Republican National Committee during James A. Garfield's 1880 presidential campaign (1876-1882)
Senator-elect La Fayette Grover implicated (1878) in vote-rigging scheme while Governor of Oregon: See State and local-level scandals
Ezra Ayres Hayt, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, forced to resign by Secretary of Insterior Carl Schurz due to allegations of rampant corruption (1880)
Dakota Territorial Governor Nehemiah Ordway indicted on corruption charges (1884) and removed by President Arthur
[edit]
1900 - 1945
Newport Sex Scandal (1919) Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated an investigation into allegations of "immoral conduct" (homosexuality) at Naval base in Newport, Rhode Island; the investigators were themselves ultimately accused misconduct, including ties to homosexuality (Consider moving to Sex scandal category)
Teapot Dome scandal (1922)
Deal supposedly struck in private meeting between Henry Ford and President Calvin Coolidge, relating to 1924 presidential contest and sale of Tennessee Valley hydroelectric complex at Muscle Shoals (1922-1924)
[edit]
1946 - 1974
Department of Justice tax scandal (1951-1952) leading to the firing or forced resignations of 166 employees of the agency; investigations were widely regarded as a systematic cover-up for high-level wrongdoing
McCarthyism (1948-1954)
1952 Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Richard Nixon delivers televised "Checkers Speech," to deflect scandal about $18,000 in gifts, maintaining that the only personal gift he had received was a cocker spaniel dog named "Checkers"
Vicuna Coat scandal of Eisenhower's chief of staff Llewelyn S. Adams (1958); See State and Local level (New Hampshire)
Billy Sol Estes (1961)
Bobby Baker (1963) aide to LBJ was involved with underworld figures
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. of New York expelled from Congress (1967) but re-elected anyway
Senator Thomas J. Dodd censured for financial misconduct and corruption (1967)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Abe Fortas resigns in financial scandal (1969) that emerged during his nomination to become Chief Justice
Harold Carswell nominated by President Nixon as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court withdrew (1970) after publication of a speech 20 years earlier: "I yield to no man . . . in the firm, vigorous belief in the principles of white supremacy."
John Connally Milk Money scandal
Pentagon Papers (1971)
Watergate scandal (1972-1973)
Nixon Jewelry (1974) Violation of Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1881, as amended in 1966.
Spiro T. Agnew scandal (1973)
Judge Otto Kerner, Jr. resigned U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (1974) after exhausting appeals in conviction for bribery, mail fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion while Kerner was Governor of Illinois
Nixon Pardon by President Ford (1974)
[edit]
1975 - 1999
"Lancegate": President Carter's OMB Director Bert Lance resignation amidst allegations of misuse of funds (1977)
Jimmy Carter's Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan target of special prosecution (beginning 1979)
"Billygate": President Jimmy Carter's brother Billy Carter was found to be a paid agent of the government of Libya (1980); ensuing scandal did not help President Carter's bid for re-election in 1980
Tongsun Park "Koreagate" scandal involving alleged bribery of more than 100 members of Congress by South Korean government; charges were pressed only against congressmen Richard T. Hanna (convicted) and Otto E. Passman (not prosecuted because of illness); also implicated was South Korean President Park Chung Hee (1977-1980)
Betty Ford addictions (1978)
Senator Herman Talmadge of Georgia punished after his ex-wife produced cash "gifts" he had hidden in an overcoat (1979); Talmadge later wrote, "I wish I'd burned that damn overcoat and charged everything on American Express." Talmadge the same year admitted to having spent five weeks in alcohol rehabilitation; he was not re-elected to the Senate in 1980.
Abscam (1980)
"Debategate": briefing book of President Jimmy Carter stolen and given to Ronald Reagan campaign before 1980 presidential election debate in Cleveland, Ohio (1980)
October Surprise (1980)
Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan investigated (beginning 1981) for wrongdoing and ultimately acquitted of larceny and fraud (1987)
Anne Gorsuch Burford refusal to turn over EPA documents (1982)
William Casey insider trading (1983)
Iran-Contra affair (1985-1986)
Savings and loan scandal and the Keating Five (1980-1989): Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, Don Riegle, John Glenn, and John McCain
Preferential treatment for military contractor Wedtech implicates Attorney General Edwin Meese and White House aide Lynn Nofziger (1987)
"Pothead jurist," 1987: President Reagan's first controversial nominee to replace Justice Powell was Judge Robert Bork. Judge Bork, who coincidentally had fired Archibald Cox in the Nixon-era Saturday Night Massacre, was rejected for his allegedly extreme judicial philosophy; the second nominee was Judge Douglas Ginsberg, who had to drop out of consideration after he admitted having smoked marijuana while a Harvard Law School professor.
Senator John Tower's nomination as Defense Secretary derailed due to allegations of habitual and extreme alcohol abuse and improper ties to defense industry (1987)
Mario Biaggi convicted (1988) in Wedtech scandal of bribery, extortion, racketeering, filing a false tax return, mail fraud, and false financial disclosure; resigned from U.S. House before he could be expelled
Speaker of the U.S. House Jim Wright from Texas forced to resign after ethics committee investigation found dozens of violations of House rules, including alleged improper receipt of $145,000 in gifts by Wright's wife from a Fort Worth developer and large profits from "sale" of Wright's speeches (1989)
Anthony Lee Coelho of California resigns from U.S. House for unethical finance practices including "junk bond" deal (1989)
Alcee Hastings, federal district court judge impeached (1989) and convicted of soliciting a bribe; subsequently elected (1992) to U.S. House
Senator David Durenberger denounced by Senate for unethical financial transactions (1990)
Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) scandal implicates former Defense Secretary and Washington insider Clark Clifford (1991)
House Bank scandal (1992)
Mary Rose Oakar (1992) allegations of "ghost employees" on payroll
President George H.W. Bush's pardon of 6 Iran-Contra affair figures on his last day in office ( January 20, 1993), days before the perjury trial of Casper Weinberger was scheduled to begin.
Travelgate (1993)
Zoe Baird's nomination as Attorney General and Kimba Wood's subsequent near-nomination were derailed by past employment of illegal aliens as nannies. (1993)
Dan Rostenkowski and other Democratic Members of Congress in the Congressional Post Office Scandal (1991 - 1995)
The evident suicide (1993) of White House lawyer Vince Foster, together with accusations that documents from Foster's office relating to an investigation had disappeared mysteriously, fueled scandalous speculations, including the widely publicized suggestion (dismissed by investigators) that Foster's death had not been suicide.
White House Coffees and Lincoln Bedroom sales -- political donations linked to access to President Clinton, including the apparent sale of "coffees" with him, and what amounted to the renting out of the Lincoln Bedroom.
Walter Fauntroy, Delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia, guilty plea regarding lying on financial disclosure form (1995)
Commerce Secretary Ron Brown investigated (1995)
Americorps head Eli Segal investigated (1996)
Wes Cooley (1996)
Filegate -- Misuse of FBI resources by White House Security Chief under President Bill Clinton, allegedly to compile an enemies list (1996); investigation found insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing
Walter R. Tucker III of California resigned before bribery conviction (1996)
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich financial improprieties leading to House reprimand and assessment of $300,000 sanction (1997)
Secretary of Agriculture Michael Espy forced to resign from office despite ultimate acquittal on criminal corruption charges (1998)
Labor Secretary Alexis Herman investigated (1998) in connection with alleged illegal fundraising and other financial improprieties, ultimately cleared (2001)
Bruce Babbitt, Interior Secretary, independent probe (1998-2000) of alleged lying to Congress concerning influence of money in 1995 American Indian tribe casino decision finds no criminally prosecutable perjury by Babbitt
Vice-President Al Gore (1998) allegations of improper fundraising and "no controlling legal authority" defense
Whitewater scandal (1994-2000)
Teamstergate Ron Carey's and Bill Clinton's 1996 campaigns for the Presidency of the union and the United States, respectively, swapped Teamsters' Union general treasury funds into Clinton's campaign, for Clinton Campaign funds into Ron Carey's campaign warchest. The Teamsters' political director was jailed. No Clinton officials were charged. Carey's re-election was invalidated; James Hoffa, Jr. was elected when Teamsters election was rerun.
Henry Cisneros resigns as Housing Secretary and, after lengthy probe that began in 1995, pleads guilty (1999) to lying to the FBI about money he paid former mistress Linda Medlar a.k.a. Linda Jones; later pardoned by President Clinton in 2001 (Possibly reclassify or cross-reference to Sex scandal)
Pardongate (1999 - 2001) -- Bill Clinton appeared to write out pardons, during his lame duck tenure, in response to massive contributions linked to the pardoned. This included a scandal which has become traditional for departing presidents; the sudden flurry of pardons during the final month in office, which would probably not have been deemed tolerable at any other time.
[edit]
2000 -
Linda Chavez, nomination as Secretary of Labor derailed by past employment of illegal alien (2001)
Enron collapse (2002) leading to investigation of Kenneth Lay, a top political ally and financial donor to the election campaign of President George W. Bush; Lay, who had been named as a leading candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, eventually indicted (2004)
Jim Traficant (D-Oh.) financial corruption conviction and expulsion from House (2002)
Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) bribery scandal (2002)
Trent Lott (R-Miss.) resigned as Senate majority leader amid racial controversy
Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), becomes Senate majority leader and is alleged to have been deeply involved in campaign finance improprieties. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating insider-trading issues in connection with Frist's July 2005 sale of Hospital Corporation of America shares immediately before the stock's value fell precipitously.
Yellowcake forgery false evidence presented in case for 2003 invasion of Iraq (2003); related Valerie Plame affair (2004), eventually implicating White House aides Scooter Libby (indicted 2005) and Karl Rove
Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal (2004-2005)
Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), reprimanded twice by House Ethics Committee and aides indicted (2004-2005); eventually DeLay himself was indicted (October 2005)
Bernard Kerik, nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security derailed by past employment of illegal alien as nanny, and amid allegations of various other ethical improprieties (2004)
Former Clinton administration National Security Advisor Sandy Berger pleads guilty (2005) to unlawfully removing classified documents from the National Archives in October 2003
Bush administration payment of columnists including Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus (2004-2005)
Downing Street Memo minutes of U.K. government secret meeting (dated 23 July 2002, leaked 2005) include summary of MI6 Director Sir Richard Dearlove's report that "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and the facts were being fixed around the policy."
Duke Cunningham (R-Cal.) resigned from the House of Representatives and pleaded guilty on November 28, 2005 to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. Prosecutors said Cunningham admitted to receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes.
Jack Abramoff, Republican lobbyist and key figure in Tom DeLay scandal, is indicted on wire fraud charges (August 2005). Representative Robert Ney (R-Oh.) is named as "Representative No. 1" in the indictment of Abramoff associate Michael Scanlon. Other members of Congress associated with Abramoff include Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Rep. John Doolittle (R-Cal.) and Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.).
Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal A separate grand jury investigation involving Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist
Source - Wikipedia
-Jack
No riots, Shea :)
Mercer '06!!!!
Thanks, Jack. I was hoping someone would do that research that I was too lazy to do 8^). I agree that the dems have their scandals, too. And of course, those older scandals from the 1800's probably involve other parties from the old days, I'm guessing, before the big two came to dominate.
It seems to me that the opportunity for some corrupt activity could be legislated away, like making lobbying illegal. But they'd never do something like that!
Should teach us first and foremost that our trust is always misplaced when placed in government.
-Jack
Which, if I may try and read between what Jack states, is a reasonably logical argument for limited government. Its the 'human argument' Jack will present- humans are imperfect and corruptible any way you look at it. A big government is excessively empowering a small group of individuals over the overwhelming majority. Then agaaain, limited goverment would still be made up of those very individuals so my question is, would it lessen corruption? Or would the powers that be just find other means of circumventing what is just and lawful?
Now I just confused myself, great.
Jack's statement leads to an idealistic conundrum, as Chickenhawk points out. If government is inherently bad, then what is our alternative? The lack of government would be anarchy (which is advocated by a friend of mine).
I still believe that good government is possible, if citizens take control of it (not corporate interests); if they maintain strict ethical guidelines (often decried by republicans as "too much regulation"); and if they can overcome apathy and greed (the most difficult ingredient in the recipe).
I agree with Shea. If politicians represented people rather than corporations the world would be a better place.
Which is what democracy is all about, Mochi.
CH, always remember that the Constitution was about limiting the powers and SCOPE of government--something we have conveniently dismissed for expediency's sake.
-Jack
Just as I feel inclined to vent mercilessly, I read Jack's comment. I concur. Politics corrupts, and the liberals' house of glass is as vulnerable if not more so than the most corrupt Republican. I suspect we will soon see plenty of mud to throw at both parties. I can't wait to read Jack's "I told you so" when that time comes.
Republicans, Nixon era: "You guys just wait, we'll show you!"
Republicans, Reagan era indictments: "You guys just wait, we'll show you!"
Republicans, Bush era: "You guys just wait, we'll show you!"
Someone said madness is repeating the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Ever compared that to the definition of conservative?
I'll be curious to see the results of the Barret report. Hopefully the portions redacted to allegedly protect the Clintons will be published as well. That'll be a fun read.
The real test, for me, will be how Shea comments on the next Democratic administration and its scandals. I can't help but wonder if he'll paint the Democrats with the same broad brush he uses for the Republicans.
Thanks, Sean, it's flattering to know that such importance is placed on my opinion 8^)
By the way, it sounds like you're anticipating a democratic administration soon...?
Here's something that might surprise you (or not): I am not a democrat!
I've talked about the party-politics thing here occasionally, but to recap, my position is that 1) I am an independent; 2) while I prefer the democratic party to the republican party, I do not offer them my unquestioning loyalty, the way I have seen some poor souls do for both parties. I am really a pluralist; I pick and choose political ideas from wherever, or I make them up.
Another thing that I like to explain when this subject comes up ("Shea is too biased against republicans") is that I do deliberately focus my criticsm almost exclusively on the republican party and republican politicians (that's who I generally refer to when I say "republicans", I apologize if it sounds too general).
The reason I do that is because right now, the republican party is the dominant political party controlling all three branches of our government, and they do horrible, horrible things, and the party itself has sold its soul to the immoral and decidedly non-conservative machinations of the neoconservative movement. Many democrats have been seduced by the neocon movement, but not all. Some republicans, also, have resisted the same seduction.
You did not know me until you visited this blog, Sean, so you cannot know how critical I have been of democratic politicians aling with republican ones. I am opposed to evil, unjust, immoral, hypocritical, exploitive, diabolical political schemes from any political party. But the reason I started blogging in the first place is because the Bush administration (not just him, but the lot of them) and the neocons are so vile that I could not remain silent. That's my mission with my own blog and this one too.
I apologize if this posts more than once ... I'm having some problems with posting.
I understand all that Shea. But the Democratic Party also has some politicians in D.C. They may not be in the majority, and they may not occupy the White House, but they still affect politics. They have their bomb-throwers and corrupt idiots who have sold their souls to special-interest groups as well. Yet, nary a peep about any of it. I would just expect an independent to be more balanced.
And quite frankly, the vitriol you type about the Republican Party seems to be in lockstep with the sentiments of the fringe Left. That's why I tend to lump your point of view in with their's. I apologize if my categorization is incorrect.
It isn't that I expect a Democratic Administration in 2008, but I would be silly if I didn't acknowledge the possibility. Hopefully this blog will still be providing commentary when the Administration changes Parties
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
That's true, I am not balanced, at least not at this time. Maybe that reflects the "balance of power" -- maybe if we had one party in the administrative branch and another in the legislative, maybe I would be more balanced. If that was the case, I'll bet this blog would be way critical of irresponsible pork-barrel spending and other dumbass domestic policies.
It's been a while, but I've done some posts critical of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry (back when he was relevant), and maybe some others. Who know what bizarrity the future holds..?
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