Ethics probes may be least of Congress’ problems
“House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.”
The probes are apparently in various stages of investigation, and many could end up dismissed. But one major focus involves seven members of a defense appropriations subcommittee, including its chairman, Democrat John Murtha of Pennsylvania. The question is whether members or aides inserted budget earmarks for campaign contributions and other considerations.
In addition to the ethics probes, the Justice Department has been sniffing around Murtha and his subcommittee, which could mean criminal prosecution.
It’s impossible to know whether indictments will be or should be issued in the case. Prosecutors will go where the evidence takes them. But the earmarking practice is so fraught with temptation that corruption seems almost inevitable.
Earmarks for a project in your district — a bridge, a highway, etc. — are bad enough. But in this case we’re talking multi-million-dollar earmarks not for a project but for specific private companies. Those companies don’t have to prove their worth to the Pentagon or go through any assessment process. Murtha and his colleagues have the power to just write those appropriations into the defense bill, and a whole lobbying enterprise has naturally sprung up to “encourage” them to do so. Much of the Justice probe apparently centers around one particular lobbying company, the PMA Group, which had close ties to Murtha.
While the cases of individual members play out, Congress as an institution has to act. The American people already hold it in deep distrust and even contempt, gauging from the polls, and this news is not exactly going to help matters. At the very least, it ought to ban all earmarks to private companies, period, because it is an inherently corrupting practice.
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271 comments Add your comment
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:40 am
Bosch –
“I’m tellin’ ya’ cheesy shrimp grits are as close to heaven on earth as it gets.”
and he added bits of sausage to the concoction … oh. my. god. at any rate, it made me laugh and think of you
seriously, though, the cookbook is pretty rockin – I was impressed.
Del
October 30th, 2009
10:40 am
USinUK
You must have got that information from some left wing Kool-Aid dispensing Web site because that is plain bull $hit. I served in the Marine Corps 61-67and know for absolute certain that John Burtha enjoys zero respect. Semper Fi
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:43 am
USinUK,
Well, thank you very much! Glad I could make you laugh. Sausage you say? Oh do tell. I remember this one show I saw of his – he made like what I consider drunk food – he even said he made it for his mates after a night at the pub. It was like sausage and bacon, and potatoes and eggs, and all this stuff just sort of mashed together. It looked excellent.
What They Are Saying: 10.30.09 | AnnotatedOpinions.com
October 30th, 2009
10:45 am
[...] Ethics probes may be least of Congress’ problems [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] [...]
Normal
October 30th, 2009
10:46 am
Bosch, “I’m tellin’ ya’ cheesy shrimp grits are as close to heaven on earth as it gets.”
You just have to share your recipe…PPUULLEEESSSEEEEE
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:47 am
delboy –
what part of “from wiki” seems to be eluding your grasp??
and, while I respect your service, I have zero faith that you speak for all Marines.
hoo-rah.
Normal
October 30th, 2009
10:48 am
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:43 am
Is this a younger British guy that was always cooking for friends and some really fine, but too young for me, ladies. He had kind of a punkish look to him?
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:49 am
Bosch –
“It was like sausage and bacon, and potatoes and eggs, and all this stuff just sort of mashed together”
that’s either called a Full English (not to be confused with a Full Monty) or just a fry-up … all I can say is that a trip to your cardiologist after it would be like a visit to a confessional … Forgive me doctor, for I have really, REALLY sinned …
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:50 am
Normal,
Ya’ take some quick grits and cook them with chicken broth instead of water. Add some milk and butter until their creamy – gelatinous like WH, and then throw in some cheese and shrimp. Whatever kind of cheese ya’ like – you can throw in couple of beaten eggs and bake it for a while if you like and I also usually throw in fresh parsley and some green onions if I got any lying around, salt and pepper, and Crystal’s hot sauce.
Abracadabra!!! Cheesy shrimp grits!!! Good enough for the gods! The only time I do recipes is if I’m baking something that requires chemistry and precise measurements. Otherwise, my take on cooking is like a science experiment.
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:51 am
Make that NOT gelatinous like WH. Yuck.
AlG
October 30th, 2009
10:51 am
Good grief! A Jay blog that I agree with word for word. Who’da thunk it! Proof that corruption is not a party or idealogical issue–it is an issue every one of us has to refuse to accept.
Paul
October 30th, 2009
10:51 am
Kamchak
I trust my 10:31 clarified that.
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:52 am
Normal,
Yeap, that’s the one!
Jimmy Carter
October 30th, 2009
10:52 am
I don’t know the full story about Murtha’s Marine experience, but I don’t recall him exaggerating his experience. I may be wrong but I don’t remember anything that jumped out. What really ticks me off are those jerks who want to make a big deal about their actual military combat experience when they actually have nada. Take this one for example:
Actor Brian Dennehy, one of the stars of the Rambo movie “First Blood,” said he served five years in Vietnam. He’d been hit by shrapnel. Combat, he told Playboy magazine, was “absolute f—ing chaos.”
The truth: Dennehy had been a Marine, but his only overseas assignment had been as a football player on a service team in Okinawa.
After a long delay, Dennehy admitted his lies.
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:52 am
Normal –
that’s the one – his name is Jamie Oliver and he’s actually a pretty darned good cook as well as an active philanthropist (he has a series of restaurants called Fifteen, which takes troubled kids and teaches them how to cook, giving them a chance to learn a skill and turn their lives around).
Del
October 30th, 2009
10:52 am
USinUK
I don’t know if you’re in the US or the UK but your brain most be lodged up where the sun never shines because everyone knows the the WIKI can be changed by anyone who wants to distort facts. About the Marine Corps attitude as it pertains to Murtha…ask around.
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
10:53 am
And yet another democrat.
So don’t expect anything to happen to him any more than we can expect justice about Dodd;s connections with Countrywide or Charlie Rangle’s tax problem.
Good job libs. Sounds like you really cleaned up Washington. LOL!!
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
10:53 am
“Full English (not to be confused with a Full Monty)”
Oh dear – for real.
Okay, thanks for that. I did not know that.
Yeah, after a night of heavy drinking where you NEED something like that to settle your stomach, I’d say it’s a pretty good bet, you might wanna talk to your priest afterwards.
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:54 am
not jimmeh – the White Shadow lied??? dude. that’s just wrong.
bosch – 10:50 – you are welcome over for a visit ANY TIME YOU WANT, as long as you bring a bottle of Crystal and make that dish!!!
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
10:55 am
Jimmy Carter
. . . Or John Kerry and his purple hearts for bandaid wounds.
stands for decibels
October 30th, 2009
10:56 am
the cookbook is pretty rockin – I was impressed.
I had sort of lost track of Mr. Oliver until I had an opportunity via a NYTimes Magazine cover story, few weeks back, to re familiarize with what the fellow had been up to. Were you aware that his estimated net worth is thought to be around $65 million these days? And that he has about 2100 people working for him?
I still had an image of him as a guy with some sort of scruffy TV show over in Cable Hell somewhere, who might have managed to have amassed a couple of decent vintage scooters. Wowser.
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:57 am
delboy –
what???? you mean wiki is … (gasp) … OPEN SOURCE??? nooooooo …
oy.
prove wiki wrong, then.
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
10:58 am
dB –
I read that article, too – he’s a pretty amazing guy (I didn’t know about the dyslexia and ADHD, although, I’m not surprised).
Del
October 30th, 2009
10:59 am
Jimmy Carter
I never said that Murtha exaggerated his service. I’m saying that from a post directed at my comments, someone is exaggerating his service.
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:01 am
Paul @ 10:31,
Sure you did. Uh-huh. Caught…easy catch, at that.
By the way, Einstein, Bayh and Lieberman are Democrats.
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
11:01 am
Nothing is Free,
Please please tell us about your military experience and training.
Normal
October 30th, 2009
11:02 am
I used to watch his show on The Food Channel, I think it was, and my “Sunday Only” breakfast is the one above I borrowed from him. Is
his show still on?
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:04 am
NIF,
I, too, would love to read your military stories. Do you, to this day, bear scars?
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:05 am
Marsh
Do you ever offer anything of substance? Just wonderin’
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:07 am
Marsh
I wasn’t going to point it out, but Bosch says I’m too subtle.
Lieberman’s an Independent….
Best to move out of the glass house….
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
11:09 am
Paul! That 11:05 was a little harsh for you….just sayin’ – tone it down Chief.
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
11:12 am
Bosch, Marsh
Whether or not I have been in the military is none of your business.
Whether or not I have been in the military has nothing to do with whether or not I can criticize slimy politicians who make untrue claims.
Libs love to control what others say. I’m going to say what I want to say, but thanks for showing how you think.
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:13 am
Bosch
Duly noted.
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:14 am
Paul @ 11:05,
Such a sore loser you are. By the way, are you related to mike?
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
11:14 am
NIF,
So, I’ll take that as a “I wasn’t in the military but I mock those who served in combat just ’cause I don’t like their politics.’
Yeah, I thought so.
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:16 am
Kinda sorta on topic.
Listening to NPR. Seems SecState Clinton’s really ticked off the Pakistanis. They’ve made America the bogeyman for their problems. Hillary said, look, we’re in this together, you guys need to admit what you’re doing wrong so we can move forward. Pakistanis say ‘what?!!? Us?!!? Wrong?!!? Admit we did wrong?!!? Why you lousy… remember when you…”
I’m having a difficult time putting my finger on it… why does the Pakistani response sound familiar?
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
11:17 am
Bosch
Actually you can take it and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, fascist. You are not going to dictate what other people say on here.
DO YOU GET IT!?
Turd Ferguson
October 30th, 2009
11:17 am
From Peloshyts behavior I would think she is long overdue for a good “probing”.
“We’ve got a planet to save, George”
Jimmy Carter
October 30th, 2009
11:17 am
Del
October 30th, 2009
10:59 am
I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I was merely saying I didn’t know the extent of his background. ANY Marine gets a snap salute from me if for no other reason than the 13 weeks you spent on Paris Island. I just hate a-holes who pump themselves up with lies about their military credentials.
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
11:19 am
Bosch –
I la-la-LOVE how people who are the first to squawk “support our troops! support our troops” are the same ones who are the first to mock someone else’s service.
John Kerry.
John Murtha.
Max Cleland.
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:21 am
Paul @ 11:07,
You are making this waaaaay too easy.
Lieberman is an Independent Democrat and, unlike you, I have provided a source.
http://lieberman.senate.gov/about/
Gotcha, again.
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:21 am
Marsh
The fact you go through life looking at things as win or lose is quite indicative…..
Now, back to Lieberman the Democrat…
Einstein?
sorry, Bosch…
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:23 am
Marsh
So you’re saying Lieberman was elected as an Independent Democrat? Really? And Lieberman the Independent Democrat is recognized by the DNC and Congressional leadership as a Democrat? I never knew Democrats recognized that.
But I’m willing to learn.
Any Democrats care to join in?
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
11:24 am
USinUK
I just la la love how far liberals will go to defend the crooks they send to Washington.
BTW. Max Cleland is a family friend. The next time I see him (which will be he release party of his new book) I’ll let him know that you care. BTW. Have you gotten invited to the release party? I arranged the PR firm that is sending out the invites. I’ll be sure you get one.
Normal
October 30th, 2009
11:24 am
Did somebody just pass gas
Nothing Is Free
October 30th, 2009
11:26 am
Paul
Looks like that “Independent Democrat” is going to filibuster against the health bill with the Republicans.
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
11:26 am
NIF@ 11:17 –
“Bosch
Actually you can take it and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, fascist.”
Nothing Is Free
October 29th, 2009
4:36 pm
“Do you realize that when you need to resort to your asinine, adolescent little attempts at insults, it just says that you have no argument and this is the best you can do?
No. I didn’t think so.”
I didn’t have to do a thing!!
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:27 am
Paul @ 11:21,
Quite indicative of what, Paul, er, I mean, Einstein? Finish your thought, I know you can. Come on now.
stands for decibels
October 30th, 2009
11:27 am
BTW. Max Cleland is a family friend.
Hasn’t the man suffered enough?
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
11:28 am
I’m grabbing a cup of tea and heading upstairs …
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:29 am
Paul @ 11:23,
You mean you didn’t read the complete biography? My, my, my! Whatever shall be done with the likes of you?
Taxpayer
October 30th, 2009
11:29 am
Paul
October 30th, 2009
9:48 am
Taxpayer
Shall we hit ‘reset’?
Do you agree or disagree with Jay’s column? The assertions? The recommendations?
Oops, Paul, I did not mean to leave you hangin’ on that one. I had an unexpected business emergency that demanded my immediate attention and I just now got back to where I had left off. Anyway, I most certainly do agree with Jay. I have no problem takin’ down the crooks. However, I do have a problem with things like not lookin’ for them to begin with and some folks thinkin’ that they’re above the law and other such stuff that is just too much to list. Any of these folks that are proven guilty need to be punished to the full extent of the law and in some cases they might even need to have better laws just so some can be better punished and I don’t care what political camp they hail from. But, you see, that’s not what you had prodded the sleeping blog for with your earlier posts.
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:32 am
NIF @ 11:17
Resorting to name calling…a sign, but not a good one!
Del
October 30th, 2009
11:34 am
Jimmy Carter
Roger that…I’m out
Wow! busting lib’s on this blog can become addictive but it sucks up to much productive time.
Marsh
October 30th, 2009
11:34 am
NIF,
I’m still waiting on your war chronicles….
USinUK
October 30th, 2009
11:36 am
“I just la la love how far liberals will go to defend the crooks they send to Washington.”
and who here is defending anyone, hmmm??? who. name and quotes, please.
thought not.
“I arranged the PR firm that is sending out the invites. I’ll be sure you get one.”
kind of you. you going to make the canapes, too?
Taxpayer
October 30th, 2009
11:36 am
Oops, I forgot to mention one other thing regarding an earlier post, Paul, I had to use the word “twice” with that list of some of my standard ‘diversions’ because that posting counted as the “once”. It was just a technical thing that was intended to cover all the bases. It had no link back to anything that you had previously posted.
Right is right and left is wrong
October 30th, 2009
11:37 am
Taxpayer, “an unexpected business emergency that demanded my immediate attention”? You are suppose to deliver the newspapers in the early morning.
Taxpayer
October 30th, 2009
11:37 am
Wow! busting lib’s on this blog can become addictive but it sucks up to much productive time.
Well, it could be because you just suck at it. Practice, dude. Practice is the key to efficiency.
Taxpayer
October 30th, 2009
11:39 am
You are suppose to deliver the newspapers in the early morning.
I know! I was running behind and I thought that if I used my potato cannon to speed up deliveries, well, needless to say, it did not go over too well for many reasons.
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:42 am
Marsh
You’re pretty new here, yes?
The Einstein reference was obvious. You used it as a namecalling tactic to point out a supposed error made by me. But in the same post you used it you referred to Sen Lieberman as a Democrat. No qualifications. Now you’ve started the hoop-jumping to prove he really is a Democrat. I guess just like Specter’s really a Democrat.
Which is why I asked if you offered anything of substance. Jay starts out with issues facing the country, your engagement is… this. But I’ve noticed over a couple weeks that’s par for the course for you.
Have fun.
Bosch
Better?
Taxpayer
No problem on left hanging. Some of us, gasp, do have lives outside the blogosphere!
I agree with the rest of your post. I’m a bit frustrated with Democratic leadership on this, though. I don’t see them as cautious, more as resistant and protecting their own. I’d hope they’d come down harder on their own, make and example and say “See? This is how it’s different when Democrats have the leadership.”
And, yeah, I was kinda proddin’…. it was a little slow this morning….
Hey, is Lieberman really a Democrat? I realize it’s just an opinion, but my curiosity is piqued as to how Democrats see him. Not how he sees himself.
Jimmy Carter
October 30th, 2009
11:42 am
All this talk about military service brings to mind a certain politician with whose policies I strongly disagreed. That being said, he is a true gentleman and decorated WWII hero. I never heard him use his military background and accomplishments to gain political favor. He is a decent, modest man whose life is the stuff of books and movies. Again, I strongly disagreed with much of his political philosophy, but I admire him greatly. Who am I talking about? 1972 Democratic Presidential Nominee George McGovern. If you’re not familiar with his life, look it up on the internet. I truly believe you will come away impressed.
Dusty
October 30th, 2009
11:43 am
Hey, hey, is the music still going?
Wasn’t “Santa Claus is coming to town” played during Obama’s campaign?? Just ask Santa what you want and he will bring it.
Murtha??
I thought they took pictures and caught him in the act of accepting bribes. ( If somebody put in a link with that, I don’t usually open links!)
Bosch,
Putting shrimp in grits was an old Carpetbagger trick used to reject Southerners happy with eggs, bacon and grits, or sausage in hog’killing time. The only revenge the CBs got was indigestion and high cholesterol. How are you feeling?
Veterans??
My father(army medical), my husband (Navy), my son, (army). Do I get any points here? I even place my hand over my heart when I pledge allegience. Yep, I’m a Republican. (Will Jay modeerate my posts again?)
Pelosi
Will never drain the swamps, Paul. Don’t even ask. Her best friends live there quite profitably..
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:44 am
Make that, just like Specter’s really a Republican.
Headin’ upstairs.
Bosch
October 30th, 2009
11:44 am
Paul,
“Bosch
Better?”
Actually, I thought that was pretty clever of me. I saw that jewel yesterday, and thought, “Oh, I gotta save that one.”
Repukes and DummyCrats are ALL Scum
October 30th, 2009
11:49 am
Everyone in Congress is corrupt, that is why we need to limit terms in office to ONE only. Kick the would-be AmeriKan aristocrats out on the street after one term, no pension, no health care, just a good swift kick in the panties and out they go. Make it so….
Jimmy Carter
October 30th, 2009
11:49 am
Paul
October 30th, 2009
11:42 am
*Hey, is Lieberman really a Democrat?*
If you were to ask me this question 30 or 40 years ago I would say yes. Back in those day I voted democrat most of the time. Unfortunately, the party abandoned me and those with similar political leanings.
Bringing it closer to home. Do the modern GA gub. democrat candidates resemble George Busbee, Joe Frank Harris or Zell Miller? I know, I know, you libs hate Miller. Just sayin’. Also do any of the modern GA democrat senate candidates resemble Sam Nunn?
When my parents (depression era) began voting Republican, well, I knew the Democrat party had changed.
Del
October 30th, 2009
1:33 pm
Taxpayer
Yeah you’re probably right, however, the Lib’s just get their facts distorted and I’m only one of others on this blog who try to get them straight. Oh well, I guess the revolution and then the re-education camps.
Del
October 30th, 2009
2:06 pm
Did y’all know that today marks the 40th. year for the internet. Don’t you just love Al Gore and for the last few years he’s been hard at work out there inventing global warming. See, lib’s can be productive on occasion. Thought I’d post this to show how fair minded I really am.
yinglan
October 30th, 2009
2:52 pm
Government officials have access to sensitive information that can inevitably lead to complications when this information is leaked or misused. At the very least, it is encouraging to know that this newly established (since 2008) “quasi-independent” OCE is actually investigating cases that I thought had been swept under the rug, such as the potential conflict of interest in stock investments certain Congressional representatives had (like Waters) given their role in the bank bailouts.
(see who and how much$$$: http://insidertrading.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=002662)
Of course, ultimately, disciplinary actions are still left up to Members of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to decide. But at least now we know there are investigations, and if we never hear about the results, then we can be our own judge of how effective the OCE is in curbing congressional breaches of ethics.
John Ellison
October 30th, 2009
7:57 pm
Political corruption is the biggest threat to our country. It’s time for the AJC and other news media to treat it as such.