Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Annals of Congressional corruption: The "friends" loophole
The House Ethics Committee have quietly "clarified" one of their new ethics rules to permit gifts of private jet travel to Congressmen as long as they are from "friends."
My question: Can these gifts come from a "friend of mine," or must it be from a "friend of ours"?
Glenn Reynolds: "I love this story, because it combines both "culture of corruption" and "greenhouse hypocrisy" angles all in one!"
Yep.
Private jet travel costs well in excess of $1000 per hour of flying time. If we allow this, what shouldn't we allow? Private jet travel is so expensive and so wonderful compared to the alternative that it is hard to believe that your average Congressmen would prefer any other gift. Except maybe unmarked bills or uncut diamonds.
14 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue May 08, 10:31:00 AM:
If a friend pays for my massage and happy ending, even if during work hours, or in a governmental facility, is it (a) legal, (b) immoral, (c) sex, (d) all of the above, (e) none of the above, (f) some, but not all of (a), (b) and (c).
By 
Purple Avenger, at
Tue May 08, 10:55:00 AM:
Anyone who owns their own jet is by definition my "friend".
By , at
Tue May 08, 11:54:00 AM:
If you know someone who can take an uncut diamond off my hands, maybe I'd agree that this is a desireable form of graft. As it is, an illegal rock is only valuable to a fence.
By Georg Felis, at
Tue May 08, 01:32:00 PM:
It appears you misspelled “Annals” Subtract an “N” and it makes more sense, particularly when talking about the Dem Congress.
By , at
Wed May 09, 12:50:00 AM:
More paying favors between these crooks in office there is absolutly no difference between ether party
By Christopher Chambers, at
Wed May 09, 10:37:00 AM:
But I thought it wasn't a problem or an issue last year? Oops...there's a Democratic Congress. My bad.
And Georg--that "Annals" comment. Brilliant! You should be on Def Comedy Jam on HBO. But wait...on second thought, the brothers might not "cotton" to your sense of humor, eh?
By , at
Wed May 09, 10:52:00 AM:
Mr. Chambers,
Seeing as you are also a Princeton alumnus, I take it as an article of faith that you are a bright fellow.
Surely you are aware that the Democrats campaigned relentlessly with a "culture of corruption" message - one that resonated with voters largely because it was true. When these same people then - Surprise! - turn out to have been lying about all of that ethics reform stuff, that should be considered a big deal.
The Republicans, you know, *lost* in part because of stuff like this.
I'll throw you a bone though - Georg's "joke" was pretty lame (not sure what Def Comedy Jam has to do with it...)
By , at
Wed May 09, 11:57:00 AM:
Would he kind of people who watch "Def Comedy" know what an Anus is? Which is to say, would it be more like "Booty Hole"?
As for corruption ... of course it's on both sides of the aisle. No one gets a pass on that.
By Purple Avenger, at
Wed May 09, 03:30:00 PM:
No one gets a pass on that.
Unless they're a democrat named Reid, Pelosi, Murtha or Jefferson that is.
By Frederick, at
Wed May 09, 07:39:00 PM:
This is the best you can come up with after the 109th?
By , at
Wed May 09, 07:59:00 PM:
"Seeing as you are also a Princeton alumnus, I take it as an article of faith that you are a bright fellow."
Actually, if you read his blog, you will learn Chambers is actually a hyperventilating ass.
By TigerHawk, at
Thu May 10, 06:42:00 AM:
Frederick: This Congress is still young. Give it time. The fun in this story is less the sleaze than the rank hypocrisy of the majority party.
By Purple Avenger, at
Thu May 10, 07:48:00 AM:
The 110th is apparently "comfortable" in leaving Jefferson in place. That speaks volumes about its tolerance for patently obvious corruption when its a democrat.
Foley - gone
Cunningham - incarcerated
DeLay - gone
Frist - gone (although subsequently exonerated by SEC)
Jefferson - still there.
By , at
Thu May 10, 09:13:00 AM:
This Congress is still young. Give it time.
There's a difference between 'still young' and 'stillborn,' subtle as it may be.
