Comments on: Criminal pork?

By: snaggletoothie

snaggletoothie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:29:42 +0000

How expensive is it for the congressional ethics committee to get started up again after decades of near slumber?
What businnss is this of Boxer? Let her tend her own senatorial garden.

By: Al in St. Lou

Al in St. Lou — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:13:46 +0000

unclesmrgol on April 17, 2008 at 1:06 PM

I don’t get it either. How can the President be given a bill to sign that does not match what passed both houses after the conference report? Who has access to alter bills after they’ve passed both houses of congress and before they go to the President? That sure sounds like a broken process.

By: RW Wacko

RW Wacko — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:24:35 +0000

Yep, this is what the GOP has become. It’s why I went to the effort of unregistering as a Republican here in FL after the primaries, and why the RNC won’t get a penny of my money again until the party shapes up.

By: shibumiglass

shibumiglass — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:06:42 +0000

Its time to decrease the size of each District and increase the number of Barons Representatives so they each become accountable to the electorate.

SeniorD on April 17, 2008 at 2:35 PM

A wonderful idea! It can keep my term limits dream warm at night.

By: SeniorD

SeniorD — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:35:43 +0000

Since we live in a representative Republic (fortunately NOT a democracy) we have only ourselves to blame when those we 'hire' to represent us turn around and start representing those with the most money (and their respective Political Party). While it is, indeed, the right of all Representatives to spend Government money (see the Commerce Clause) it is also the responsibility of the electorate to select that individual with the highest Morals and Respect for the people they represent and serve. I hold to my perspective that the House of Barons (aka the House of Representatives) look at their Districts as a Fiefdom where the serfs are ignorant and malleable. Its time to decrease the size of each District and increase the number of ~~Barons~~ Representatives so they each become accountable to the electorate.

By: lowandslow

lowandslow — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:46:11 +0000

I would like to see some leadership from the GOP. This isn’t a personal sex scandal, this is a deliberate misuse of his position. McCain should be calling for his immediate resignation.

By: The Monster

The Monster — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:16:59 +0000

I bet he isn’t the first.

Of course. We know that most bills are passed with most of the people voting for them never having read the bill in the form it’s being passed. How would anyone know if it had been changed?

By: unclesmrgol

unclesmrgol — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:06:43 +0000

One wonders how he could even gain enough access to alter the text. There’s something more to this. I bet he isn’t the first.

By: Jaibones

Jaibones — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:33:47 +0000

Mrs. Boxer should be a little more circumspect in her pronouncements on jail time. I will happily lock the cell door on Young and his corrupt GOP cohorts, on my way to locking the door on Boxer, Feinstein, Murtha, Pelosi, and the various other criminals with D next to their names.

By: Asher

Asher — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:18:59 +0000

Go get him.

It should be humorous. I’m betting some of his biggest defenders will be ‘bipartisan’ just so they don’t get wrapped up for doing the same thing.

By: Romeo13

Romeo13 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:06:54 +0000

/Howard Dean talking to his staff…

“OK folks, our Presidential candidates are gettin smeared out there… any old Republican scandal we can bring up?”

By: its vintage duh

its vintage duh — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:59:11 +0000

Republicans should have dumped Young years ago. This exercise in legislative fraud shows why. A criminal investigation is appropriate, and the GOP had better find someone better to represent Alaskans in 2008.

Alaska's Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is running for Young's seat, and Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed him immediately after he submitted his papers.

By: Constitutionally Right

Constitutionally Right — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:49:54 +0000

Fraudelent Pork…

With all the talk in the last year of transparency with regards to earmarks, Rep Don Young (R-Alaska), reminds us why real reform is needed.
The Senate moved yesterday toward asking the Justice Department for a criminal investigation of a $10 million…

By: Mr. Bingley

Mr. Bingley — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:49:49 +0000

Yep, send him to jail.

After the tar and feathers.

By: apollyonbob

apollyonbob — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:49:39 +0000

It’s gonna be so hard to get Don Young out of Alaska. He’s been there so long, Repubs would have to fight really hard to get someone else nominated – which they probably wont do.

By: Ace of Spades HQ

Ace of Spades HQ — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:34:40 +0000

Illegal Earmark From Don Young (D-Alaska) Draws Criminal Inquiry…

He steathily inserted an earmark into a bill after it had already been passed by Congress but before it arrived on the President’s desk for his signature. Unless the president’s men went through the previous version of the bill to……

By: irishspy

irishspy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:26:50 +0000

“It’s very possible people ought to go to jail,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer

Yeah, starting with Boxer (D-Moron).

Wait… You mean being an idiot isn’t a crime?? Dang….

By: stenwin77

stenwin77 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:24:20 +0000

Is this the correct congressman Young? Don Young from Alaska or Bill Young FL10 from St.Petersburg FL?

meci on April 17, 2008 at 10:58 AM

I think Alaska is correct.

Don’t even get me started on the corruption in Florida government. Seems it has started gushing from the woodwork when Charlie became gov. I can’t wait to get out of this state – it is disgusting.

My husband just flew to Tallahassee to testify in FL house on an issue and the HMO lobbiests had the FL senate put a hold on the issue. So he wasted his time, the hospital’s money… and they do this consistently to discourage any public discussion of the issues.

Two days ago it was discovered that the State of Florida gave a huge grant to the Neilson Company to build a new facility. Neilson took the TAX-PAYERS MONEY, built the facility and they just recently (within weeks) layed off a bunch of workers (Florida taxpayers) and are replacing them with cheaper workers from…. (drum roll) INDIA !

Love to know the connection between Neilson and one of our wonderful Florida Senators or congressmen. I’m sure there are many.

By: Corsair

Corsair — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:22:03 +0000

At least the R side makes a small attempt at getting rid of the problems when they get caught. The D side sweeps it all under the rug and promotes them.

By: scalleywag

scalleywag — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:09:45 +0000

It’s a pattern … there just never seems to be any consequences for being a corrupt politician. The investigations go on and on and meanwhile, the public forgets all about it and re-elects them, enabling them to find another way to stuff their freezers with kickbacks or line their own pockets with pork. Look at all the things the Clintons got “investigated” for and what was their consequence?

By: meci

meci — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:58:20 +0000

Is this the correct congressman Young? Don Young from Alaska or Bill Young FL10 from St.Petersburg FL?

By: Harry Schell

Harry Schell — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:55:30 +0000

Well, Sharpe James got convicted yesterday, a reminder that this kind of BS among the political class is a local, state and federal problem.

The best solution is to retrench the role of government so that the various favor factories can’t do much. The less they can do, the less interesting lobbyists will find them.

We will always have bad guys on both sides of the aisle as long as they can make their way as Young appears to have. Sending Young to the showers will satisfy an urge for revenge, but I would let him go if we could roll back the reach of these clowns so they cannot do this kind of trash, period.

The alternative is Young ends up as somone’s bitch and the game continues, the clever players never getting caught. Not good enough.

By: funky chicken

funky chicken — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:55:25 +0000

Let Young and William Jefferson share the same cell at Leavenworth. They can regale themselves with tales of fleecing the idiot voters of their respective parties.

scum

And once the Dickie Scruggs investigations get over, maybe they can drag a cot in for Trent Lott.

scum

By: Limerick

Limerick — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:52:45 +0000

thuja on April 17, 2008 at 10:50 AM

Then I offer my apologies. Truly.

By: thuja

thuja — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:50:26 +0000

Orange jump suit. You can even put a big fat ‘R’ on the front and back for all I care. Ask him how he feels about ear marks after he gets out of the prison shower.

Limerick on April 17, 2008 at 10:41 AM

Prison shower remarks are utterly tasteless in any situation, but they are worse here. Ed has tried to educate us about the evil of prison rape.