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June 10, 2006
Rush is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
I could not disagree with Rush more today when he supported the Congressional Black Caucus' stand for William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana, saying he was innocent until proven guilty and, therefore, should not be removed from the Ways and Means Committee:
"A drive by the Democratic leadership to strip the embattled William Jefferson (Democrat-Louisiana) of his committee post [that would be the House Ways and Means Committee] has triggered a backlash. This happened yesterday." With everybody else paying attention to al-Zarqawi and his assuming room temperature, the Democrats were trying to get rid of Congressman William Jefferson (Democrat-Louisiana). The Congressional Black Caucus stood up, opposed the move, and said the that Democratic lawmaker deserves a presumption of innocence. The caucus chairman is Representative Mel Watt of North Carolina, and he said that "some black voters might ask why some action was sought against a black member of Congress when there was neither precedent nor rule for it."
Now, haven't we heard the Democrats accuse the Republicans of running the House "like a plantation"? We have heard that said. That was one of the mantras that the Democrats tried, that the House was run like a plantation. Well, excuse me, but who is it that seems to be running the Ways and Means Committee and their own caucus like a plantation? It sounds to me like it is the Democrats doing this. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Okay, the Black Caucus is asking for the presumption of innocence for Congressman William Jefferson (Democrat-Louisiana), and they're saying that we shouldn't rush to judgment out there. They don't think anything should happen to Congressman William Jefferson (Democrat-Louisiana) at all.
Now, I know, this is quite a different view being taken by Democrats when it came to Tom DeLay. They wanted DeLay to step down right away after he had been indicted, but that was because the Republicans caved to pressure to show the Democrats how fair they could be when they were in the leadership. So the Republicans wrote a rule for themselves that the Democrats have not adopted, and that rule says that if any of the Republican leadership is ever indicted, then that member will step down from his leadership position. There was no reason to do this. It was again Republicans trying to show how nice they are, how cooperative and how fair they would be once they assume power.
There is nothing more dangerous to my community than its coddling of criminals. There is no weaseling out of taking bribe money from an FBI agent on camera. This is just as insane as black people supporting R. Kelly peeing all over a teenage girl in a sex video. This is just as insane as black people supporting crack-head Mayor Marion Barry who was caught smoking rock an cavorting with a prostitute on camera. This is just as insane as black people supporting Bill Clinton (the first black president) for lying under oath knowing full well he molested his intern.
Innocent until proven guilty [corrected, thanks DoDo] is a legal term and only applies in court. Republicans are right to have the rule that if you are under indictment, you need to step down from leadership positions. This is not to say that people are guilty and cannot return to their position later, but it forces people to avoid any perception of impropriety that could lead to an indictment even if they are exonerated later.
Question: If OJ Simpson was on the Ways and Means Committee, should he have been allowed to continue to serve in that capacity while on trial for murder? How about after? He was legally exonerated from criminal charges, wasn't he? This demonstrates the seriousness that Republicans have for ethics. Tom DeLay is gone and if he is proven innocent, then he can come back to the table. No one really asked he resign from congress, but from his leadership position. Nixon resigned instead of dragging the country through impeachment (unlike another president). Libby resigned instead of fighting his legal battles from the Vice President's office. There is a reason for this; we don't want to tie a cinderblock around our necks.
I understand Rush's larger point: Democrats will throw any black person under the bus after they are used up for all their racial preening (see here, here and here). But black people need to stop standing up for these people! It makes us look ridiculous and it takes away the thunder of reporting actual racism.
What do you think?
Posted by Aaron at June 10, 2006 01:58 AM
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Comments
Hmmmm. I scanned this blog for 'DeLay' and saw not a word of criticism regarding him. It is not possible to find a Congressperson who has more evidence of corruption against him. So, one must wonder why you think Rep. Jefferson should resign from his committees without having been indicted, but Tom DeLay is untouchable. To anyone with any sense of fairness, the same rules should apply to both. If Rep. Jefferson is indicted, he should then resign from his committees. Until then, it is proper for him to remain on them.
BTW, black people are standing up for what they believe in. It just happens that most don't believe in your slavish devotion to the far Right.
Posted by: Mac Diva at June 10, 2006 05:31 AM
Most of the charges have been dropped against DeLay.
Rush was recently put through the press for the past two years as being guilty of something when no charges were against him (until a month ago) For two years people said Rush was guilty. Like Delay, Rush and others Jefferson is innocent until proven guilty.
Posted by: DoubleU at June 10, 2006 08:31 AM
Aaron:
I disagree with you.
You wrote, "Guilty until proven innocent is a legal term and only applies in court."
Shouldn't that be "innocent until proven guilty"?
Also, Tom DeLay didn't lose his House position until he was indicted.
In order to give Jefferson equal treatment, he cannot be removed from any leadership position until he himself is indicted.
Now, if Jefferson is indicted, and if the CBC continues to support him afterwards, then you could make a valid argument against the CBC.
Posted by: Dodo David at June 10, 2006 08:51 AM
Mac Diva:
On 09/28/05 I briefly commented on the indictment of Tom DeLay, and I didn't defend the man. The title of that post is "DeLay Indicted" and its URL is http://www.lifelikepundits.com/archives/001567.php
Here is what I wrote:
"So, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been indicted by a Texas grand jury.
DeLay has accused the district attorney involved in the case of conducting a political witch hunt.
The Dodo doesn't buy that argument.
First, the grand jury had to have sufficient evidence in order to indict DeLay.
Second, the fact that the district attorney is a Democrat doesn't automatically mean that the district attorney is letting politics influence his work.
Third, being a Republican doesn't mean that one is incapable of committing a crime. Republicans aren't more saintly than Democrats.
Power can corrupt a politician no matter which side of the U.S. House of Representatives that the politician sits on."
Posted by: Dodo David at June 10, 2006 09:07 AM
First, the grand jury had to have sufficient evidence in order to indict DeLay.
Thanks to the Duke rape case, we now know this is not necessarily true.
Posted by: MagicalPat at June 10, 2006 09:15 AM
mac diva, try doing a search of the site. You will find a lot of criticism of republican corruption.
Just not Tom DeLay because I haven't seen any evidence that proves Ronnie Earls claims.
Posted by: aaron at June 10, 2006 02:57 PM
Democrats are the most part are complete frauds and infantile liars. They prove it every time they open their mouth or when their lapmutt's give them millions in free "AIR(LIE) TIME" .
When the Democrats admit to their Lies and Corruption as normal opperating procedures dating back years and years, maybe they will have earned some credibility. However we all know that is impossible because it causes instant political death to the perpetual fraud democrat.
I once thought that a used car salesman was the lowest of the low. Until I began to pay attention to politics. Democrats are the most Grotesque of scumbags and make all the rest look like girlscouts. Democrats have more in common with Child Molestors than they do with the Average American Citizen.
Democrats shit on everything and everyone. Everything they cry about or pretend to care about is nothing more than their own admitted "SAY ANYTHING" and "DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES" to regain "POWER". These are the facts straight out of horses arse. Our Country does not need or deserve these Democrats.
Posted by: Rob in LA Ca. at June 11, 2006 06:36 AM