UPDATED: The Hill called Jefferson "first lawmaker to be indicted since 2001" -- but DeLay was indicted in 2005
A June 5 article in The Hill falsely reported that when Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was indicted on June 4, he became "the first lawmaker to be indicted since 2001, when the Justice Department indicted then-Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio), who is still serving a prison term." In fact, as The Hill itself reported on September 29, 2005, in an article headlined, "DeLay indicted, steps down: Rep. Blunt takes over temporarily as majority leader," then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) "temporarily resigned his leadership position ... after an indictment by a Texas grand jury over his connection to a political action committee in that state."
A later version of the June 5 article appeared on The Hill's website with the false paragraph removed. The false paragraph, however, was still included in the front-page article in the print version.*
However, in another later version of the June 5 Hill article posted online, the sentence was put back in the article, but it was altered from the original version. The new sentence reads: "Jefferson is the first lawmaker to be indicted on federal charges since 2001." The following sentence appeared at the bottom of the online article: "The web story has been changed from the print version to point out that there has not been a federal indictment of any lawmaker since Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) in 2001."
Further, a correction on page 3 of the June 7 print edition stated: "Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) is not the first member of Congress indicted since 2001, but the first indicted on federal charges. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) did not write a letter mentioned in his indictment. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) is not available to serve on investigative subcommittees, but Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is."**
From the June 5 article in The Hill:
Jefferson is the first lawmaker to be indicted since 2001, when the Justice Department indicted then-Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio), who is still serving a prison term. Former GOP Reps. Duke Cunningham (Calif.) and Bob Ney (Ohio) pleaded guilty during the last Congress before being indicted.
From the September 29, 2005, article in The Hill:
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) temporarily resigned his leadership position yesterday after an indictment by a Texas grand jury over his connection to a political action committee in that state.
Ronnie Earle, the Democratic district attorney of Travis County, Texas, indicted DeLay on the final day of his two-and-a-half-year investigation of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee (TRMPAC), which is accused of funneling corporate contributions to Republican Statehouse candidates during the 2002 election.
Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was unanimously elected to succeed DeLay temporarily as majority leader in an afternoon vote by the entire Republican Conference.
In addition, Blunt's chief deputy whip, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), will take on an expanded role within the whip office and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) will work closely with committee chairmen to monitor legislation coming to the floor, a role DeLay previously filled in his capacity as majority leader.
This arrangement will hold through the end of the year, depending in large part on developments in Texas.
* This paragraph was added at 2 p.m. ET on 6/5/2007.
** This paragraph and the previous paragraph were added at 11 a.m. on 6/8/2007.
Jefferson, still a scumbag though. Although I don't believe MMFA is defending him in any way, shape, or form. But Delay's indictment was purely "political"... Yeah, right...
Magnolia: Why did you falsely state that MMFA is defending Jefferson? That makes no sense.
She didn't.
If Jefferson is indeed guilty, he should serve a long prison sentence.
It is a terrible crime to betray the public trust as it appears Jefferson did.
Agreed. Money has truly become the scourge of American politics, and money's lure is universal.
I agree, Party affiliation should have nothing to do with criminal behavior. The Hill is wrong however and should retract. They are trying to say that Democrats are indicted. There is something subliminal here
You are correct about the Hill. Anything less than a retraction is unacceptable.
Rush is having a feild day with this one right now.
Meanwhile liar Scooter Libby is sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
Sweet!
Not all that sweet. His lying derailed an investigation into the outing of a covert operative that may have endangered American lives. Two and a half years isn't enough for what went on there.
Exactly, Scotter Libby committed treason . Pure and simple.
I hear he is rooming with Susan McDougal.
She is not in jail anymore, why the smear and lie?
Well, you heard wrong. McDougal has been out of jail for years now.
He should actually. I mean, this one, unlike many of his other tirades, probably has some basis (I'm sure he's stretching it in some spots) in truth. But then again, I'm sure like his bretheren when Duke Cunningham got nabbed, he talked about how could they send a great war vet like Duke to jail...
Dave, I actually just caught some of Rush, he's whining about the "rogue investigation" and "rogue conviction" of Scooter, while insisting that Jefferson got off with a slap on the wrist (somehow, before it's all over). He's also carrying on about the Dems "circling the wagons" around Jefferson.
This is what I've heard;
Last night- driving around, turned on the Air America station, where the host announced the Jefferson item, not defending him at all.
A few hours later, I flipped by Air America again, heard Ed Schultz reporting on Jefferson, calling him corrupt.
This morning, on the Stephanie Miller Show, announcing Libby's sentencing.
Then, Rush, wailing about the lack of attention Jefferson is getting, and that Libby was convicted, for political reasons, when there was no crime, and crying about the liberal media defending Jefferson.
I still hear people calling Rush's show with their "dittos", and have to wonder who they are.What does it take to still take that guy seriously?
All it takes is a lack of critical thinking skills.
"All it takes is a lack of critical thinking skills"
I think you could even leave out the "critical"
You just hit my least favorite Rethuglican talking point about Libby, that he did not commit a crime. This line of reasoning goes that even though he lied to the grand jury, it was OK because Valerie Plame was not a covert agent and therefore outing her was not a crime. This infuriates me because whether she was or was not a covert agent is still very much in debate. And I seem to remember when the Rethuglicans thought that lying about consensual oral sex in front of the grand jury was a crime, even though consensual oral sex between adults is not a crime.
There's no question about whether or not she was covert. She was covert.
HBL
Unfortunately, a large portion of Rush's dittohead listeners get ALL of their 'news' from him & the talking heads at Faux.
The poor boobs just don't know any better.
He's going on about the Dems are rallying around him and that NO, after Katrina, has no one left to help the victims. He did mention De Lay also.
It does not look like any posters here are rallying to Jefferson's defence, but then again, I don't think Rush has proven to be a reliable observer of what is really happening on planet Earth.
Who particularly is defending Jefferson's actions according to Rush? The usual unnamed democrats and boogeymen?
The Fox News reporter was just talking about this, and suggesting that Pelosi might not want to remove Jefferson from office and implying that she should.
Until he's convicted, she shouldn't remove him. While under indictment, he should have severly restricted duties and responsibilities. The Democratic leadership did much of that already, and she's already talking about removing him from the one committee he's still on, but the Fox News reporter implied that Pelosi might choose to not do the right thing. It was disgusting the way she put it.
Sue,
If Jefferson has any decency, he will remove himself.
I like how CREW put it: "he should resign immediately; anything less is unacceptable."
I do not believe he should resign until he is convicted. We are a nation that believes in Innocence until proven guilty.
I didn't say he should resign, that is up to him.......but he should remove himself from all committees he is currently serving on.
He already did, the story is at think progress and raw story.
here's the link. http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/05/jefferson-to-drop-his-only-committee-seat/
He is a public servant, and the public is best served by those not embroiled in a scandal such as this. Guilty or not, the evidence has warranted an indictment. This is a huge distraction for him, his party and the business of the people. This matter needs his full time and attention, while the public needs legislators who are focused on their job.
I am holding Jefferson to the same standard that I held Tom DeLay.
Well said.
It seems that when politicians get their hands caught in the cookie jar for whatever misdeeds they've done, they try and take shelter in the most partisan wing of their party......when they begin to realize that their is no safe haven there either and are being held to the same standards as anyone else, perhaps they will think twice about where to stick their soiled hands.
"..think twice..."
Sadly, I doubt it.
Tommy
Sorry, Tommy I think you are correct about Sue. I remember Sue and later Ellie and there is quite a resemblence.
Rightwingers of a feather flock together.
Paranoia reigns supreme amongst you all! Why are you so afraid of the truth that you try to combat it by making unfair smears of posters here and liberal politicians? Why is that your way? Are you copying Rove's playbook, as I documented in another thread, of attacking the opponent's strengths? It's too bad that so many rightwingers have such fear of Media Matters that they refuse to hold their own leaders to account. That's why Tommy and others here are claiming that the Democrats won't hold their own leaders to account - they're so used to the Republicans not doing it. The leadership there failed to hold Foley to account - in fact, they basically forced him to run again even after they knew he had been harassing former pages. They passed a rule whose sole intent was to allow Delay to retain his leadership position after he was indicted!
Sue
Point out where I am a right winger in any of my posts? Thats right you can not. You are Sue/Ellie. Sue used to attack and call people right wingers. How could I have not seen this before.
This one's pretty good http://mediamatters.org/items/200704110001
http://mediamatters.org/items/200704100015
Here's my favorite one, where you direct posters to OlbermannWatch, a site that unfairly smears Keith. http://mediamatters.org/items/200704300004
I have a golf outing this afternoon, so I won't waste any more of my time, but there are lots of examples.
You repeat rightwing talking points. You distort reality, and support others who do so. You unfairly went after MeFirst and Brabantio on a thread a few months ago. Now you choose me. I support Olbermann and Media Matters echoing of his world's worst person awards, and you don't, so you're now attacking me with unfair smears.
Sue
You provided no proof, for one supporting Olbermann is not the mandate to be a "Liberal"
However , I was being fair about MSNBC and the Imus situation. It was time for MSNBC to clean house with the other hates.
My reference to OlbermannWatch was in sarcasm. (Obviously Sue you do not see that)
Keep playing the Right wing game, you defended Peg and attack good people because of Olbermann?
I never once defended Peg.
I don't believe your reference to Olbermann watch was sarcastic. Right after you did it and then were called on it, you said
"Far from hate speech. Hate speech is what MSNBC and Olbermann engage in on a nightly basis."
http://mediamatters.org/items/200704300004
In all the comments that followed and ridiculed your posting of that site, you never once say "I was just joking." You claimed that Olbermann does engage in hate speak after you posted that link. Someone who was being sarcastic wouldn't do that!
Georgie/Sue
You did defend Peg. You defend anyone who smears people you do not like. You supported a right winger.
Then you do not know sarcasm Sue, you just know how to smear and hate.
Sarcasm doesn't post a link to a site and then say about that site that it provides evidence of
"hate speech. Hate speech is what MSNBC and Olbermann engage in on a nightly basis."
That's what you said. Denying reality doesn't do too much good when the proof is there to be seen.
And only right wingers support someone like Peg who suppored Imus.
Sue,
Is Jefferson alledged stashing cash in his freezer an example of an "opponent's strengths"? Now play nice this time, your screenname "baby book" is running out of possibilities and the next time you get banned, what will you do?
No, your attack of a valid point by making an unfair smear is an example of it, you numbskull!
Your harping on the imagined flaws of Media Matters is an example of your attacking your opponent's strength.
Your inability to stay on topic is an example of the lengths to which you go to attack your opponent. Your inability to understand a logical argument, and then attacking your opponent for making a logical argument that you cannot understand is an example of attacking your opponent's strength! You do this to Solon and Tex all the time!
Sue, Sweety, help me out here.......give me one of your strengths so I can attack it fairly, please! Can't seem to get my arms around one of yours.
One of my strengths?
That I'm not Sue.
That's exactly what Sue would say!
Sue/Ellie used to also call people "Numbskulls"
I was just joking. I don't really care what the poster calls himself/herself as long as it isn't an obvious attempt to deceive.
Thats my Georgie calling people "numskulls" Smering good liberals and I remember how you supported Peg last week. S
I never claimed to not throw out insults. I embraced that action. I even said to somebody that I had not stopped namecalling so how could I start again?
I never supported Peg though. I'd like everyone to note your unfair smear. That's what a numbskull does when he cannot do anything else!
Ask my wife and kids. Numbskulls are bad drivers, or stupid people on game shows, or stupid pets, or even myself when I make a stupid mistake. I don't swear, but I use the word numbskull quite a bit as a all purpose replacement for curse words.
Great clairification Sue
Well, well, well
So Sue has returned. Great screen name, you are most certainly not George.
I'm just a tad disappointed I didn't catch on sooner. Your posts here have been so sueish.
The use of "numbskull" in many of your posts was a favorite of your evil twin Ellie717.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200610070005 [scroll down]
And on this "troll" post is right out of Sue/Ellie's playbook.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200706040008?offset=40&show=1#comments [should be top post]
Great documentation J,
Sue - she has more reincarnations than Cher.
The other day I did not think NotthatGeorge was Sue/Ellie but I now believe that Sue is back. I was a victim as you recall of some of the most hateful and vile attacks by Ellie. I stopped participating in Media Matters on a regular basis because of the hateful attacks by Sue/Ellie. I am sad to see Ellie back. There needs to be a better policing of these forums to prevent these haters from returning.
JLyons,
Don't let Sue/Ellie/?? drive you away, you are a welcome addition.......stick around.
Exactly , as a community we are going to hold Sue/ Ellie /Georgie responsible for smearing others.
The other day I did not think NotthatGeorge was Sue/Ellie but I now believe that Sue is back.
JLyon- I hate to say I told you so, but I did. I'm happy to see her outed. Good job everyone.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200706020001?offset=60&show=1#comments
No one tops our beloved Kernel Soupcan for his ability to re-invent himself. His last metamorphosis was as a dead Beatle.
Dang, King, I think I missed the Kernels latest identity.Which Beatle was he?
There was a poster Memorial Day Weekend who called himself JohnLennon. Each of his posts was similar to our video game hero. He was always saying what he did or what he would do in a given situation. He was also annoying as hell.
And he was incredibly stupid as well. At one point he was complaining about paying taxes and said that he had written "Taxman" because of the oppressive tax system in the UK at the time.
Anyone, with balls enough to pass himself off as a dead Beatle, should at least be up on his dead Beatles trivia. every fan knows it was George Harrison who wrote and sang "Taxman".
He should have stuck with "Metal Gear" characters. I'm not familiar with any of them, nor do I ever want to be familiar with them.
I'm already on the verge of suicide because I'm aware that some song I heard on the radio the other day is sung by Madonna. I no longer wish to live with that knowledge.
I looked through several pages of posts that included the words numbskull or numbskulls. Here's a list of 21 different posters who used that. Ellie came up once, as did Sue. Several posters had multiple times they used those words. Are we all the same poster?
I don't know why some people would think that using a common insult like that would be restricted to only one poster here! Anyone who did that would be a..... numbskull!
Sue,
Golf is over allready?
I do not know anyone who uses the word numbskull.
He could always purloin your next choice "Dumb-But-Not-George-Dumb". You wouldn't be able to use it anyway, since you are quite careful to avoid bannable posts, apparently preferring to instigate mob actions - lynchings - where you can.
Exactly where did I say anything about my not recommending that Jefferson do the right thing?
I was defending Pelosi from an unfair smear. You tried to change the subject because you cannot admit that your rightwing friends in the Republican leadership didn't ask their troubled colleagues to step down from positions of authority. The Republicans knew about Foley's disgraceful behavior, and they chose to have him run again. The Republicans passed a rule allowing Delay to continue as Speaker even after he was indicted!
I've never defended Jefferson. I defended Pelosi because that's the fair thing to do.
If Jefferson is maintaining his innocence, what should he do? The Republicans thought that after indictment, Delay should remain Speaker! The Democrats, after indictment, think that Jefferson should be sanctioned.
Is that all you're about, Tommy, those unfair smears? You attempt to unfairly smear me by saying I am apparently your arch nemesis Sue.
You have smeared Doris in the past and myself and took the side of a psycho right winger in Peg who defended Imus. You are Sue.
I didn't smear Doris though.
I documented her deceit, just like I just documented your deceit. It feels like an attack to rightwingers to get their own actions pointed out. This is a common attack method by rightwingers. It's used all the time against Media Matters. Rush et al says that Media Matters is attacking people by using their own verbatim words.
I had a bunch of loyal and regular lefty posters back up my allegations against Doris in regards to her hatred of Olbermann. You hate Olbermann too, as displayed by your linkage to the hateful OlbermannWatch site. There's a difference between unfairly smearing someone, which is what you're doing, and fairly pointing out previous behavior, which is what I did with regards to Doris and you.
Did you defend Peg, a ultra right winger who smeared this web site?Also Olbermann speaks for all Liberals? So Congressman Jefferson speaks for all Democrats, that is what you are saying?
No, I didn't defend Peg ever.
Peg attacked Doris. I pointed out Doris' hatred of Olbermann with her previous posts to back me up.
The enemy of one's enemy is not always one's friend, and I didn't defend Peghen anyway! That's another unfair smear from you. You're on a roll!
I love how you smear Casey and Doris because of an alleged hatred of Olbermann. You never mention that Doris is a good progressive who has been a leading voice on here against the Bush administration and supports me and others in our stance against this war. I also have had debate with Casey who I believe also dislikes the Bush administration.
You did support Peg, it is not a smear it is a fact. You are Karl Rove at his worst.
I didn't defend Peghen. It's not a fact. Saying that it is a fact is an unfair smear, but something I've come to expect from you.
You also make the unfair statement that because Doris is not pure evil on every topic covered by Media Matters my pointing out her deceitful remarks about her stance on Olbermann is unfair.
Media Matters points out conservative misinformation from all sources. Sometimes those sources are not full-time evil rightwing organizations. It doesn't stop them from pointing out the errors. It didn't stop me from pointing out Doris' unfair smears of Olbermann either! I don't think in black-n-white, like you seem to do. I understand that people are multi-dimensional and can be wrong on some topics but not on others!
I remember when Lynn said I had a stalker I thought she was refering to Peg, now I believe you are a stalker also. You just can not stop talking about me can you?
I do not need to defend my positions to you.I did not realize you are the Nazis who decide who is a real Progressive and who is not.
I do not remember Sue but it seems your credibility is gone on here. Stick to debating topics like I do and discussing this immoral war and msm support of Bush and stop smearing people and me.
Can't we all just get along? Who cares if it IS Sue or Ellie or whatever. His/her posts should be evaluated on their own. What good does a label/identification do anyway?
Are posters upset because they have been somehow deprived of the priveledge of prejudging notthatgeorge's remarks?
This is all way too childish and not worthy of discussion here. (Ding!!!!!) Now back to your corners!
A great sentiment, well expressed! Ready for round two!
A little piano music please
::clears throat:...and sings:
Every party needs a pooper that's why we invited you
party pooper party pooper
Just joking Open_Mind, yes we may seem a tad childish unmasking Sue/Ellie, but you've been here long enough to remember how she used to disrupt these threads with personal attacks and her constant harping about trolls. So basically I have zero empathy for her.
She deserves whatever she gets. She likes to dish it out. Let's see if she can take it.
Sue
You say
I don't think in black-n-white, like you seem to do. I understand that people are multi-dimensional and can be wrong on some topics but not on others!
Yet you smear me and Doris and countless others because we may or may not like a Televison host? You are black and white. You smear Doris and call her a right winger (that is a smear) even though her positions on the war make her far from a right winger.
Sue you have been caught. You have been outed. You and your smears are no longer going to be tolerated on this website. You may agree with me politically ( I assume we both despise the war and the Bush administration). That does not give you the right to smear fellow posters because of your love affair with a television host.
Hope you enjoyed golf Sue.
Sue you are the queen of smears, you allowed Peg to spew her hatred toward other posters and you remained quiet. Yet you but your nose into other peoples debates. You are Sue, it is loud and clear.
You did smear Doris.
Honey, Don't run from it, embrace your inner "Sue".....it's not a smear from me at all. It's an affectionate hug to my old friend Sue, hardly a worthy nemesis.
It's like your brain is running out of your mouth but you don't grasp that.
Alleging that some poster is Sue's sockpuppet is clearly an unfair smear. Contrary to your denials, it seems clear that you hated her almost as much as you hate Tex. He makes great posts and yet you denigrate him every chance you get! You attack your opponent's strengths just like the Rove doctrine I documented on another thread. The authors of "Bush's Brain" back that doctrine up with comments from Rove's former colleagues. He has disseminated his doctrine throughout the rightwinger forums, and they continue to use it.
They attack Kerry's military career because they cannot have his records fairly compared to Bush's.
They attack McCain's sanity because he was in prisoner of war camps when his sanity is less in doubt that alcoholic Bush's sanity should be.
They attack Edwards sincerity in helping decrease poverty by mentioning his haircut and his home because a fair look at his record would eclipse anything Bush has done to help the poor, and Edwards record is undeniably terrific on that topic!
Attacking opponents' strengths is a clear pattern, and one you don't deviate much from. You attack Media Matters repeatedly when you say "why is this here". You claim that their postings don't amount to a hill of beans. One of their strengths is that they do document all these examples to show patterns in behavior. If they followed your direction, those patterns would not be documented! Individual episodes can be discounted, but repeated examples cannot be.
Sue used the word Sockpuppet all the time.
Sockpuppet? I never intimated that one of your orafices was infiltrated with a foreign object, or even Sue's hand. Where would your head be then?
Sue, we love you and welcome you back, whatever your reinvention is.
I don't. I think Notthatgeorge should hit the golf course and never come back. I don't care if it's Sue or not. The style is the same but it's possible that there are two egomaniacs out there with the same grating posting style. It's nauseating.
Correct, go play some golf with Papa Bush and let us stick to the topics.
I agree, it appears that Jefferson like many congressman before him used his office to illegally enrich himself and if he did so he is an awful awful person. If found guilty he should go directly to Jail, maybe he could bunk with the Dukester, and Scooter.
Right on, Tommy! I love the American system of justice as much as the next person, and I believe that one is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But in the court of opinion, and in my book, $90K in cash in your freezer means that you can't be an effective civil servant. And if for no other reason, he ought to step down because he can no longer be an effective advocate for New Orleans, who so desperately needs one right now before the white southern "gentility" succeeds in ethnically and economically cleansing New Orleans.
He should get what he deserves. I'm sure the right will have a field day with this and it doesn't really bother me that much that they will.
(Posted, by accident)
It just that they will use this to frame all Dems.
http://alternet.org/blogs/video/53124/
They've already started, and they're not even attempting to be accurate. Check out the link.
Holy Sh**! That's friggin' blatant. I guess we all look the same to Faux. Send this link to MMFA. I'm sure they'd love to be made aware of this.
Thanks For Posting the link!
Why are Cunningham and Ney not included? Were they not indicted, even though both are in prison?
I think that both of those guys admitted guilt, and went straight into prison (more or less), no indictments were required. Something like that.
From the June 5 article in The Hill:
They waived indictment. The charges were included directly in their plea agreements.
Whew! So the Republicans dodged a bullet on that one.
I'm not defending him, but uh, am I being unduly cynical to think that the announcement, long-anticipated, of his indictment on the Monday before Scooter is sentenced on a Tuesday is kind of suspeicious in a Roveian way?
Also, the 200-year collection of possible sentences will bear some watching. Might it not end with maybe 10 years?
Still, kick him out now that the indictment's here.
Olbermann had a great 15 minute segment on last night with the same subject.
Bad press about the Bush administration, or good press about the Democrats followed by new terror warnings to take over the news and distract us. He had countless examples of it.
I think in this case it's much more likely to be a coincidence, but who knows!
Well, it's not like the Hill is going to let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Now if only Coop and Libby would come back, we could have a reunion.
Coop could come back, but probably would be banned again by the third post (just can't help it, I suppose).
Notice, also, the indication of a Democratic lawmaker, but the not surprisingly absent "R-" in front of the other criminals' districts...
James Traficant (D-Ohio), who is still serving a prison term. Former GOP Reps. Duke Cunningham (Calif.) and Bob Ney (Ohio) pleaded guilty...
Propaganda at its finest...
It's all about the details in the art of propoganda.
I will give the right wing their day in the sun. It's only a matter of time before another scandal grabs a headline.
This may be splitting hairs, but they did write "Former GOP Reps." before writing their names.
I wondered too about that.
Putting GOP before the names seems somewhat deceptive, but there were two of them versus one Democrat, so putting GOP classified both of them.
It might just be a simple choice to describe them in different ways.
It would seem to me that The Hill has destroyed its credibility as a source of accurate, inside information.
Who reads The Hill? It's got to be political junkies, right? How many even moderately informed citizens don't know that DeLay was indicted? This is a mistake that wouldn't have gotten past the editors of a high school paper.
Will it also acknowledge the following....Pres. George Bush (R-Texas) is serving the final years of his 20 year sentence for being a lapdog for Vice Pres. Dick Cheney (THE DV-Wyoming)** at an Alabama prison, we think.
**THE DV-Wyoming (D...Devil)
What are the statistical odd of have so many media outlets giving Republicans a slide and getting it wrong on the Democrats. If we took all the articles and op-eds and counted how many times a Republican wasn't asked a hard question or how many times the paper gets it wrong such as the case of the Hill article having a selective memory laspe with respects to Delay it would appear that the biggest lie the media tells us is they are the fourth estate.
Media isn't a mom and pop operation like it was back in 1770's when you printed a pamphlet and sold it for pennies. Media today is a huge corporation that wants nothing better than to play with minds of the viewers.
Lincoln's comments needs to be changed. The media can fool most all of the people all of the time.
If you want to talk selling snake oil and suceed at it, look at how a guy that had zip for experience is way over his head to take on a job such as President of the United States, got sold to the public. Now that is some major snake oil sales ever.
Because the public got sold the lemon with the ok sticker we are now stuck with Project Everlasting aka the Iraq war.
We got sold a lemon alright. No hyperbole there. This guy is the biggest joke ever perpetrated on this country. Too bad it's not funny.
I personally wonder if the corrupted Department of Justice had any kind of input with regards to the Jefferson case?
I don't think we're getting the entire story.
If it is found that he is guilty, then he should pay the price BUT if this is something blown out of proportion or some kind of desperate framing by the hi-jacked DOJ then it should be exposed as well.
After what's been going on at the hands of Alberto "Torquemada" Gonzales (with credit for that from Mike Malloy) I wouldn't be surprised if there was something dirty going on here.
I firmly believe in the right of due process (etc) before suspending and individual's liberties. I completely oppose the Administration's frequent end-runs around the Constiturion. However, a reasonable person can still conclude that the simplest explanation in the Jefferson case - i.e., that the FBI netted a dirty congressman - is probably the most likely.
The Hill is right.
Delay wasn't a lawmaker, he was a capo in the Republican crime family.
ZING!!...nice
Did you all see this from FOX news? All them black people look alike? http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014462.php
What do you think the reaction would be if instead of it being John Conyers on Fox it was say MSNBC used some film of Colon Powell or CNN used film of Ken Blackwell? Just imagine the right wing noise machine kicking into high gear, it would go on for weeks. But it is expected of Fox so hardly anyone notices.
Politicians that take bribes should face the consequences no matter what party or position. Wish the legal bribery would be addressed, too.
Think it's time now to put in a plug for campaign finance reform, and taxpayer funded elections. Seems to be working well in New Mexico? Get the obscene money out of running for elections. The politicians spend most of their time collecting cash for the next election.
p.s. Abe Lincoln speaking of a politician said the only thing he wouldn't steal is a red hot stove!
Delay (obfuscate, deter, etc) resigned after his indictment. And yet here, almost two years later, no criminal charges have been filed, no court dates have been set. What happened? Two years ago, the Ds were crying for his head, and now Jefferson is "innocent until proven guilty." Some would see some uneveness in treatment here.
I think that hypocrisy goes both ways. No doubt Rush Limbaugh is at this very moment reminding his hungry listeners that Jefferson is "innocent until proven guilty". Yeah right.
Both sides have been hypocritical on this. The principle of "innocent until proven guilty" should always be the prevailing argument.
I live in New Orleans, and I refused to vote for Jefferson. He is a bastard. I voted for Karen Carter, who is also a dem. She should have won. Jefferson launched a smear campaign against her. That is one reason he won. Another reason is because he is sort of "pro-life" ani-gay rights, and many conservatives are willing to vote for him, especially considering a republican has little chance of winning in New Orleans, but a pro-life dem is better than nothing to them. Also, Louisiana politics is sooooo corrupt that many people don't take it seriously and it is not a surprise to us that any of our politicians, R or D, would be a slimebag.
Sorry, meant to say and anti-gay rights....
The Hill is correct. Jefferson is under indictment by the Justice Department, the first congressman since Traficant. Delay was indicted by a county district attorney in Texas.
No. You are observably incorrect.
The article makes no distinction about jurisdiction in it's general claim:
The article would have been correct if they specified "federally" indicted, but they didn't do that. Mediamatters is correct.