Nancy Pelosi’s high ethical standards
I didn’t see this coming: The House ethics panel has recommended a tough punishment for Charlie Rangel, the 80-year-old former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Despite his tearful plea for mercy, the panel recommended censure, which is the second toughest punishment at their disposal.
There are a couple of obvious ironies here. The first is this: Rangel might have avoided this embarrassing public spectacle and received a lesser punishment if he had taken the plea deal the ethics committee offered him over the summer. But he rejected it. As a former prosecutor, Rangel should have understood the risk of rejecting the plea.
The second irony is this: It was the iron will of outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pledged to “drain the swamp” and elevate ethics in the House, that led to Rangel’s predicament. Over the strenuous objections of incoming House Speaker John Boehner, Pelosi insisted on establishing an independent Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate misconduct by members of the House.
Boehner plans to eliminate the OCE. From The National Journal:
Boehner and most of the other House Republicans voted against the OCE’s creation two years ago. Anticipating its closure, the office’s staff director and chief counsel, Leo Wise, has announced that he is leaving for a job with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.
Under Wise, the OCE has looked into 69 complaints and recommended action on 13 of them. It has operated as an inspector general of sorts and has won praise for reviving the House’s notoriously moribund and secretive ethics process. Among others cases, the office brought to light allegations of wrongdoing by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is now on trial in the House on charges related to fundraising, financial-disclosure, and tax irregularities.
Asked about the OCE, Buck said that Boehner will “take a look at current ethics rules” but that ethics “has really not been the focus of our transition efforts.” GOP leaders probably won’t vote publicly to kill the OCE but will simply quietly defund it next year, said John Wonderlich, policy director of the Sunlight Foundation. The foundation has been working with GOP transition leaders on their transparency agenda and has lobbied for the OCE’s preservation.
Some tea partiers want the OCE to remain open, and an Ohio group has warned Boehner not to shut it down: (h/t ThinkProgress
The Ohio Liberty Council, the main umbrella organization for 58 Tea Party groups in the state, supports efforts to strengthen the OCE and is warning House GOP leaders that any attempt to weaken it will upset Tea Party activists.
“I[f] they move in the opposite direction of transparency that this office provides, I think we will be very upset about that,” said Chris Littleton, president of the Ohio Liberty Council and the Cincinnati Tea Party. “Symbolically, it’s a huge problem for them … they should be as transparent as they can be. Any opposition to that would be inappropriate on their part.”
The tea partiers will lose the fight. Boehner will quietly shut down the office, and House members can resume business as usual.
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206 comments Add your comment
Finn McCool
November 19th, 2010
10:51 am
I’m sure Boehner won’t fly himself and his buds around in a tax-paid jet, either.
You people are soooooooo funny.
Call it like it is
November 19th, 2010
10:52 am
Interesting, most of posters on this site take great joy in bashing the Tea Party or Tea baggers as they love to refer to them. Hmmm the Tea Party supports keeping the OCE thus keeping the house under check. Where’s all of the snide comments now?
STEVE
November 19th, 2010
10:55 am
Cynthia,
You are truly delusional…after the mid term sweep for the Republicans you are in the denial phase of the grieving process.
I am just amazed at some of the unjustified “junk” that you write.
George W
November 19th, 2010
10:59 am
Pelosi is a venom in the democratic party. When she got relected as minority speaker she sealed the fate for Dems in 2012.
Jesse Jackson has a scheme for you......
November 19th, 2010
10:59 am
Nancy Pelosi’s high ethical standards
LOL LOL LOL….Hey CT….Marijuna is ILLEGAL…..stop smoking before you post….it makes you out to be an idiot….
nothing new
November 19th, 2010
11:03 am
Nancy Pelosi is a great American lady, of that there can be no doubt. She’s the grande dame of accomplishment, grit and perseverance. The low grumblings of the perpetually-unhinged on the conservative fringe are simply poor manners, and most patriots would agree that it’s unseemly to watch the crude, rude and socially unacceptable behavior of the nobby-headed schmoes on the right.
Paddy O
November 19th, 2010
11:04 am
Some: Eliminate NASA, freeze for 5 years all federal employeed making in excess off $75,000; eliminate 4 aircraft carrier groups, goal is to reduced military spending by 250 billion; terminate 100% of non-dedicated federal grants; reduce congressional salaries to $50,000; senatorial to $75,000; terminate pension benefits for all of congress elected & appointed. You not only need to balance budget, you also need to have 500 billion in surplus, pay down debt & repay SS trust fund. I would immediately adopt import tariffs, both standard ($1.00 per unit imported) plus protective, “Wage Equalization Tariff”; plus, I would increase a max of SS payments to $250,000 from current $97,000 cut off. I have listed this previously.
Good Grief
November 19th, 2010
11:06 am
Call it like it is – Most of the Tea Partiers also support individual responsibility, cutting spending, lower taxes, insuring that budgets and bills conform to Constitutional authority, and overall limiting of government. And we know that Democrats refuse to support those ideas.
barking frog
November 19th, 2010
11:06 am
President Pelosi is much more likely than President Palin.
Good Grief
November 19th, 2010
11:08 am
I kind of like the idea that no Congressional member should make a higher salary than any member of the American armed forces.
barking frog
November 19th, 2010
11:10 am
Enter your comments hereGood Grief
November 19th, 2010
11:08 am
I kind of like the idea that no Congressional member should make a higher salary than any member of the American armed forces.
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nor have a higher pension.
Paddy O
November 19th, 2010
11:11 am
I would not be surprised of Ms. Tucker provided Pres Clinton with a guide of how to adopt policy initiatives and guidelines – “float an idea into the public realm & see if the public embraces it or rejects it” (also known as focus groups). Clinton based a lot his public policy on this system – some ideas were roundly rejected and quickly disappeared from newspapers around the nation, other ideas that showed traction were more fully developed.
George W
November 19th, 2010
11:11 am
Barking…..you think so? Pelosi is hated! From both sides.
Paddy O
November 19th, 2010
11:12 am
also, eliminate 100% of federal subsidies/economic & humanitarian assistance – divide the globe into “spheres of emergency assistance” US would take Mexico & South America, China & Japan would so Asia; Europe would cover Africa. All these costs would be use to offset the UN dues.
Paddy O
November 19th, 2010
11:13 am
nothing new – no, there is nothing new in your typical liberal manipulation – you can see through it like a ladies slip – try it on kindergardeners, maybe they might be persuaded by your sophmoric insult and demean crap.
MAC
November 19th, 2010
11:14 am
LMAO!!
“It’s not a lie if you believe it” George Costanza
__________________________________
” It was the iron will of outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pledged to “drain the swamp” and elevate ethics in the House, that led to Rangel’s predicament.”
barking frog
November 19th, 2010
11:19 am
George W
November 19th, 2010
11:11 am
Barking…..you think so? Pelosi is hated! From both sides.
————————————————-
I don’t think the Dems hate her, The Repubs hate stems
from her efficiency. Her age is her only problem. Palins
age is her big plus. If she maintains a public presence
she may lose prestige. Populism is her best bet.
Pablo
November 19th, 2010
11:19 am
Nancy Pelosi’s high ethical standards? “…but we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it…” sounds very ethical to me… not. I really needed the laugh. Thanks, Cynthia!
killerj
November 19th, 2010
11:25 am
Take a good look cynthia,see anything wrong? Go Tea Party,Sounds to me there is more than one.
Good Grief
November 19th, 2010
11:43 am
Pablo has a bit of a point there, but I don’t think her answers on these issues say anything about her ethics. They certainly don’t bode well for her credibility. Telling us that a bill had to be passed so we could find out what was in it hurts that credibility. As does responding with an incredulous “Are you serious? Are you serious?” when asked about the Constitutionality of ObamaCare.
WAW
November 19th, 2010
11:43 am
A friend’s comment applies to both sides of this discussion:
The arrogant brooks no weakness in himself and may even secretly rejoice to find flaws in others. But imperfections are inherent in being human, so the arrogant, like everyone else, always has feet of clay, however well hidden they may be. Fearing exposure, haughtiness forms a hard shell masking inner emptiness.
Laurie
November 19th, 2010
11:45 am
“Boehner and most of the other House Republicans voted against the OCE’s creation two years ago….Boehner will quietly shut down the office, and House members can resume business as usual.
“. Sounds like Boehner and crew have something to hide. Rangel deserves worse than what he got. There should be 0 tolerances for corruption in our government. I had no idea Pelosi established this ethics committee. I almost feel bad for disliking her so over the past couple of years.
barking frog
November 19th, 2010
11:53 am
WAW
November 19th, 2010
11:43 am
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imperfect empty people are arrogant….o.k….
TnGelding
November 19th, 2010
11:53 am
Business as usual? And what is that? Pelosi is no heroine. She’s as slimy as the rest. She needs to ride off into the sunset like the rest of the over the hill gang. I hope she refuses her pension or donates it ti charity.
Kamchak
November 19th, 2010
11:54 am
2. Term limits.
We already have term limits, they’re called elections.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CT, You need to watch the Steve Wilkos show.
There’s your sign.
Derwood
November 19th, 2010
11:55 am
I think tax payers should be allowed to monitor and try an elected offical on ethics charges. Have you ever tried to get a physician to testify against a colleague? They really don’t, they jsut talk circles. If I had done what this dude has been accused of doing I would be joining TI in jail. Yep tw sets of laws and punishment, one for those elected adn one for those not elected. He should be forced out, give up his retirement and/or serve time.
Mike
November 19th, 2010
12:04 pm
“Boehner plans to eliminate the OCE”
Every time the Republicans pull a knucklehead stunt like that they drive away more loyalists. There’ll come a day when nearly everyone is an Independent and the Dem/Republican parties consist of nothing but a handful of lefty and righty wackos.
Jim
November 19th, 2010
12:08 pm
Liberal Chicks are UGLY @ 9:50 – Actually, I think an even better comparison would be to say that Nancy Pelosi is ethical just like Joseph Stalin was tolerant.
CBRP
November 19th, 2010
12:09 pm
John Boehner has talked about how the Republicans will be so much better than the Democrats. He will bring a new perspective to the Speaker’s job. Will he be any different now that he is boss! I doubt it – he will push his ideas through just as others have done before him. Mr. Bohner is not a humble person nor does he bring out that characteristic in Republicans. That is neither good or bad.
The two years he and others have spent saying no will push the Republican leadership. Power and being humble do not match.
The amount of criticism given about Nancy Pelosi is unwarranted. Every Speaker uses power as that is the way of government Reading history would be a good idea for the critics. That being said I am sure that Nancy Pelosi is not perfect. It is another case of putting the blame on one person instead of placing blame on all who were in leadership positions from both parties.
When I read comments and view some of the quotes I wonder where the views are being printed. No member of the Air Force who has the responsibility of flying dignitaries or working on the scheduling or maintenance of the planes would be out there giving their views. Just another red herring being tossed around.
What is clear is that politicians do need some parameters as they go about the nation’s business. Power is a very strong motivator for good and bad. The Republicans have had their share of politicians who have overstepped their bounds. Oversight is necessary for both parties because people do not always use power for the good of the country.
Pablo
November 19th, 2010
12:12 pm
Good Grief:
I see your point, but let me explain why I think this does speak against her ethics. I do not think anyone in their right mind would go to a lawywer’s office and sign a blank piece of paper with the assurance that they would find out what they signed for at a later date. If the bill was that good, it would have been discussed in the open, instead of the way it was done. The mere thought that I have to accept something from a politician just because they think is good, but I cannot see it until it is a done deal has the delicate aroma of rotten fish. By the way, the republicans will set themselves up for failure if they decide to eliminate any and all mechanisms to keep the members of Congress in check. They need to keep very present that the American electorate voted NOT for them, but against democrats…
Gm
November 19th, 2010
12:15 pm
Enter your comments here
Big G
November 19th, 2010
12:16 pm
Cynthia, what is truly ironic is that you think censure is a tough punishment. With all the waffling, spinning and outright lying that goes on in Washington, a little public rebuke from Congress won’t be any issue for Rangle. He’ll pay his back taxes and move on. Sadly, there is no one on either side that cares about ethical behavior of congressmen. They need to have an outside office for ethics investigations that they can’t defund and give them power to actually punish the liars and cheats we send to Washington. Censure would humiliate most people, but not a politician. Their power needs to be taken away. They need to be sent home without the ability to be elected again and they probably need some time in jail if they broke laws.
Cynthia McKinney Tucker
November 19th, 2010
12:22 pm
LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!
LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!
LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!LOL!!
High ethical standards!! That is a scream!!! Funniest thing I have read in days!!
Thanks!!
Gm
November 19th, 2010
12:23 pm
Thanks Nancy And President for not listening to those Anti President of the United States at Fox, I have yet to hear those bigots at Fox give these two people credit for bringing back life to the Auto Industrial.
Gm, Ford are making profits, they are trading shares of stock for the first time, had we listen to these Anti American Rep, millions of jobs in the supply area and auto plants would have been lost. Please Mr. Presidnt do not run in 2012, these people in America are not worth it, you should have let the banks fail, auto fail , wall street fail, these conservatives bigots like Rush L, Sean 3 time college drop out Hannity dont realize when you fail America fails.
Bunch of hateful idiots.
Cynthia McKinney Tucker
November 19th, 2010
12:24 pm
CMT -
Look, crack is whacked okay.
Put down the glass pipe and back away slowly!!
BeeJay
November 19th, 2010
12:29 pm
Nancy Pelosi’s “high ethical standards”??? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Just A Grunt
November 19th, 2010
12:35 pm
Whoooo Censure. The congressional equivalent of a strongly worded letter from the UN. Call me when Mr Rangel faces criminal charges like any of the great unwashed would be facing if we pulled a similar stunt.
BTW Scooter Libby was unavailable for comment although I hear Martha Stewart had some choice words.
Nothing Is Free
November 19th, 2010
12:36 pm
Everyone have a great weekend.
I am heading for the mountains.
(You, too Ms Tucker)
Rick
November 19th, 2010
12:37 pm
“Nancy Pelosi’s high ethical standards” ??????????
The only thing high about it must have been you when writing that headline.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
November 19th, 2010
12:42 pm
OCE serves no purpose other than it protects the membership from criminal charges (don’t you know that Wesley Snipes wishes he was congressman from Harlem.) Shut it down, along with the pretense.
Go Dems
November 19th, 2010
12:43 pm
Ms. Tucker,
Why didn’t you tell the truth in your piece. The truth is the Mr. Rangel was found guilty because he’s a successful, attractive black man. Period. If he’s white like his hair, he’s off and skipping. The House still can’t take off their “white” glasses to see that Afro Americans have the same rights as we do.
The truth hurts…but it’s the truth.
Avenger
November 19th, 2010
12:51 pm
free. “Ethical Standards.
For democrats?
I’ve never heard of such a thing” What a surprise – double talkers don’t deal in facts.
joe
November 19th, 2010
1:03 pm
Her “high ethical standards” are only surpassed by her out of touch, uber liberal, quazi socialist, one world order, one world currency agenda.
Blue
November 19th, 2010
1:04 pm
Ahhh…Cynthia…the queen of spin! I’ve been waiting for you to rip Rangel. But, alas…only you could take something egregious on the Left side of the aisle and twist it into a “this proves our integrity” story. Well done, m’am…WELL DONE. THIS is Pulitzer worthy…
DawgDad
November 19th, 2010
1:06 pm
Another case of symbolism over substance. Pelosi upholding “high ethical standards”? Please. She’s the antithesis of ethics, committing trillions of dollars of other people’s money and credit to advance her personal political agenda against the will of the majority of the people.
DawgDad
November 19th, 2010
1:09 pm
Gm: Yes, he should have let them fail.
Good Grief
November 19th, 2010
1:10 pm
I see your point, Pablo. Great explanation, by the way. Nice analogy about going to a lawyer and signing a blank paper. Of course, that feels like exactly what Washington has been doing to us for years now.
Amy
November 19th, 2010
1:25 pm
“Nancy Pelosi’s high ethical standards”? She pushed censuring
(Which is a joke) because the American people are sick and tired, and vocal, about politicians acting like laws don’t apply to them. This is a last ditch effort to make it appear as if she gives a rat’s butt about what the American people want. She is nothing more than a hypocrite. She ascribes to the teachings of the Catholic church. She holds this as her faith; but, espouses practices counter to her own professed religion. Hypocrite. Priests in her own parish do not let her take communion because of this. That’s a character flaw. She is not deserving of the label, “High ethical standards.”
Enough Kammy
November 19th, 2010
1:25 pm
Kammy,
Please change your repertoire, it is getting old and is beginning to stink, ie
“There’s your sign”
“There, fixed your typos” (I don’t remember anyone asking you to do so either)
“Squirrel”
“Sport”
“St Ronnie and the Ray Guns” (As compared to Bozo and the Czarettes)
“Not into you”
“Tic-Tic-Tic”
When you learn to use constructive creative new terms, maybe someone will pay attention to what you say.
All you do is sit back in your mid town apartment and talk down to others. Before you say, I don’t remember appointing you as the blog speaker, how about just STUF or come up with some new cute little thingy lines……………..
By the way, hired any illegals lately?
big steve
November 19th, 2010
1:27 pm
Watching Pelosi is like watching “Death becomes her” all over again… Not only are her 6 face lifts failing, but clearly they have muddled her brain… Tucker’s attempt at putting Pelosi on a pedestal for her Championing of Ethics is like saying Obama is growing the govt to help us out of the goodness of his heart rather than trying to create his Socialistic utopia…
Tucker, I ask again, how does it feel to bail water with a cup on a sinking ship?
Your feeble attempts to think that your literary prose is somehow going to sway any of the clear-thinking, conservatives that are the majority of Georgia (and the country) is laugheble…
Isnt there some liberal think-tank up there in DC you can dive into?
Perhaps you should spend your time talking about how Obama’s fiscal policies are the exact replication of Carter and that the exact same results of stagnation, (and soon to be) high inflation and interests rates and continued unemployment are to be expected for two more years…
And in two years Obama and his minions can slink back into the shadows…