House votes to ignore PMA pay-for-play scandal
posted at 12:32 pm on March 6, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Jeff Flake tried his best to get the House to clean up after itself in the wake of raids on the lobbyist group PMA and some of its clients. Flake got a vote on a resolution to begin an investigation into PMA and the hundreds of millions of pork dollars that has flowed to its clients from Representatives who have financially benefited from them. Unfortunately, only 21 Democrats went along with Flake — and a few Republicans defected (via Instapundit):
The House on Thursday night turned back another call to investigate the PMA Group, a once-powerful lobbying firm whose offices were recently raided by the FBI and which has close ties to Pennsylvania Rep. John P. Murtha (D).
Twenty-one Democrats, including nine freshmen, voted to proceed with debate on the measure offered by Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake (R) calling for an investigation of the lobbying firm. Most of the Democrats represent fiscally conservative districts.
Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska — the focus of an unrelated federal corruption probe — voted with the Democrats to table Flake’s motion. He was joined by Republicans Walter Jones of North Carolina, Dana Rohrabacher of California and Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, whose district abuts Murtha’s and who has been an outspoken supporter of his recently embattled neighbor.
I’d expect this from Jones and Murphy, but what happened to Rohrabacher? He’s usually considered a stalwart conservative, although amenable to pork. Even so, shouldn’t Rohrabacher back an effort to make pork more “clean”?
When the FBI tried to investigate William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson by getting a valid search warrant for his Capitol Hill office, Nancy Pelosi hit the roof, claiming it as a violation of the separation of powers. She claimed that the executive branch had effectively raided the legislative branch despite having procured a search warrant based on probable cause. Pelosi said that Congress had jurisdiction over any wrongdoing committed by Jefferson, at least on Capitol Hill, and sued to quash the evidence from the FBI search.
Unfortunately, Pelosi has no desire to fulfill her obligations in ending corruption in the House. She and Steny Hoyer managed to whip enough Democrats to block Flake’s efforts to get Pelosi to take the responsibility she asserted in the Jefferson case. I guess Pelosi, Hoyer, and the Democrats meant that they would be culturing corruption as a majority party when they ran on the “Culture of Corruption” slogan in 2006.
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What a shock.
If a Republican blinks wrong it’s a full court press investigation.
Democrat corruption? Neeeeevermind.
Montana on March 6, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Can we get a role call link when available, please?
Abby Adams on March 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM
The Democrat Party is an organized crime syndicate.
Investigate them under the RICO laws and jail the lot of ‘em.
Then watch the Dow Jones triple in a week.
NoDonkey on March 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Elections have dire consequences. America chose this.
ErinF on March 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Most ethic Congress ever…Democrat style. Appalling.
katieanne on March 6, 2009 at 12:36 PM
I wanna punch his fat traitorous face every time I see it.
MAKE IT STOP!!!
omnipotent on March 6, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Jeff Flake is a good man. I hope that he has a happy home life because his work life is like beating his head against a wall.
myrenovations on March 6, 2009 at 12:38 PM
This is driving me nuts. Three of our Philadelphia area Democrats took money and gave earmarks to PMA and its clients, but neither Philadelphia newspaper has run a single article about it. My Congressman, Patrick Murphy, campaigned last fall with Murtha in our district and raised money for Murtha when he appeared headed for possible defeat. You would think our local media would be all over this, but it’s been dead silence. I can’t even get Michael Smerconish to talk about it on his radio show.
As long as this media silence is enforced and it is only discussed on a few conservative blogs and written about in Politico, most of these Congressmen’s constituents won’t even know about the scandal so there is no public pressure on the Congressmen to oppose these earmarks.
rockmom on March 6, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Fools, the lot of them.
omnipotent on March 6, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Wow…. they are not even pretending to care anymore…
Not even bothering with the appearance of morality.
Hubris? or a realization that they control the power, so F the people?
Romeo13 on March 6, 2009 at 12:39 PM
A little from column A and a little from column B.
omnipotent on March 6, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Investigating corrupt Democrats is just a distraction from the real issue: how to shut up Rush Limbaugh.
rbj on March 6, 2009 at 12:41 PM
The American cookbook has a chapter titled ‘Books’.
Limerick on March 6, 2009 at 12:42 PM
just another point for ads.
marklmail on March 6, 2009 at 12:45 PM
This is insanity!!
How long will good Americans sit by and do nothing.
christene on March 6, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Hear that cash register cling? That’s the “change” from HopeNChange – The Messiah is all about C A S H
Cinday Blackburn on March 6, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Typical
Mark Garnett on March 6, 2009 at 12:54 PM
This Steele-Limbaugh nonsense is distracting from these extraordinary issues.
I’m tired of watching Steele limp around on his personal rehabilitation tour. The GOP needs to take the short-term hit; fire Steele; get a strong replacement; and get people such as Flake, Paul Ryan, Pence, and others on TV 24 hours a day citing the corruption and offering solutions to Obama.
By now, those three alone should be household names. They’re smart, and we should be listening to them. And I don’t care if they happen to be saying the same things as Limbaugh because they speak for themselves.
What is the mystery here? Things such as PMA are softballs that the GOP should be crushing. Yet Steele’s ineptness has crowded everything out. Limbaugh hasn’t. The GOP can deal with Limbaugh perception problems later; Steele’s ineptness needs to be addressed now so that these outrages don’t continue to be overlooked.
Steele, for the good of the damn country, get out.
BuckeyeSam on March 6, 2009 at 12:55 PM
What a surprise.
…from the most unethical congress ever…
ornery_independent on March 6, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Ya don’t say?! /sarc
CP on March 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM
At a minimum, Steele needs to stay off the air and work on the behind the scenes stuff. Those republicans, plus Jindal and Cantor, need to be the face of the party on the talking head circuit.
WashJeff on March 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Nothing short of a revolution will change anything.
We will have to turn every one of the bums out on both sides of the aisle.
We will have to put in some new regulations like
No Lawyers can ever be elected!
Impose term limits!
Abolish their seperate retirement package!
Abolish there separate Medical coverage!
Limit campaign contributions to 100 per person per year.
Outlaw contributions from all but private U.S. citizens.
TheSitRep on March 6, 2009 at 1:00 PM
These fn basta4ds are out of control!
Fire them all!
TheSitRep on March 6, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Smerconish is a lost cause. I stopped listening to him the moment he announced he was supporting Obama during the campaign.
Devrbd on March 6, 2009 at 1:01 PM
It’s ok, I am sure us Conservatives will RISE UP and march in the streets and DEMAND justice! Oh wait, 24 is coming on, I will get to it later.
At some point everyone is going to need to do more than sharing our outrage on a blog. I include myself in that indictment.
ClassicCon on March 6, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Oh, and thanks McCain for that campaign finance reform. Way to get to the heart of the real corruption. Way to go!
ClassicCon on March 6, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Why are they behaving as though the entire voting public is stupid, uninformed, illiterate and apathetic? Those Obama voters have given us a bad name.
sherry on March 6, 2009 at 1:04 PM
I agree. I also think it should be an unpaid position. Be a successful businessman, then run for office. Watching these guys vote themselves pay increases at midnight every year makes me vomit.
GunRunner on March 6, 2009 at 1:07 PM
HEAR, HEAR!
Lourdes on March 6, 2009 at 1:08 PM
May they all burn in hell.
Dr. Dog on March 6, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Note Nancy Pelosi’s ongoing hitting of various roofs at the very idea of any investigation of Democrats.
If the FBI would just pick up Nancy Pelosi and rifle-through her little “Favors Box,” probably about 3/4 of corruption in D.C. would be identified and a basis laid to correct it.
Lourdes on March 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Any word as to how The Inquisitor General Waxman voted ?
elgeneralisimo on March 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Why not brush it aside? There is no downside for the Dems. Nobody is paying attention to this because, well…Obama is black and he won. We can all go back to bed now. All is well.
SKYFOX on March 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Ha, you have to ASK?!
;)
Lourdes on March 6, 2009 at 1:11 PM
The MSM can go back to sleep, nothing to see here.
The “most ethical, most open, most honest Congress, evah!”
GarandFan on March 6, 2009 at 1:14 PM
No need to get rid of Steele, he just needs to get out of the media appearances and get to work on the foundational stuff.
What I really don’t understand is why the Republicans are not blaming Obama for the Depression? They should be marketing this fact forcefully. The GOP is hopeless.
True_King on March 6, 2009 at 1:16 PM
He seemed happy when I met him (he’s my congressman). He even charmed my little daughter & told her she would be the 1st female President.
jgapinoy on March 6, 2009 at 1:16 PM
I finally figured it out:
If a Republican goes wrong it is national news with all the TV’s and loudspeakers blasting.
If a Democrat goes wrong, it is treated as no big deal, glossed over, buried on page B-24 in the papers, because, since it happens so often, it isn’t news.
Now I understand….
DL13 on March 6, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Can she start tomorrow?
My daughter is still in diapers and I KNOW that she would be a vast improvement over who we have in there now.
NoDonkey on March 6, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Level of surprise: Zero
How did America vote this into power?
My faith in my country is waning like never despite everything I try to do to keep her great. I vote, I support conservative/traditional causes with my money, I served in the military, I work and pay my taxes, I write to my Congressmen to let them know my view and still I see my country slipping away. It doesn’t get much more depressing than that.
Yakko77 on March 6, 2009 at 1:18 PM
The majority watch silently as America bleeds out in front of them, somehow comforted by the knowledge that this is the CHANGE they demanded, that the joy of racial HEALING will keep them warm in their soon to be darkened and cold homes. As Americas once vital promises of independence, opportunity and freedom spill onto the gurney of social and moral relativism HOPE fades for any chance of a recovery.
Obama and die………
dmann on March 6, 2009 at 1:24 PM
The whole damn Congress needs to be investigated for Corruption. Not by the DoJ, Media or other lap dogs. It is time for We The People to DEMAND Congress follows the Law of the Land in the exact same manner we poor citizens.
It’s time to invade the marbled halls and offices of the most corrupt Congress ever. Let’s hold a Tea Party in every office, every Hearing Room, every where a Congresscritter holds forth. Return the Legislative Branch to its rightful owners (We The People) and get rid of these disgusting Congressional Prostitutes once and for all!
SeniorD on March 6, 2009 at 1:26 PM
We do have to get rid of these crooks! We need to get a Term Limit initiative started (maybe in conjunction with the Tea Parties)because the corruptocraps will never vote for this themselves.
FedUp on March 6, 2009 at 1:27 PM
For the first time in my adult life I am [not] proud of my country?? I’m thinkin’ America is still stronger-better than these slimy hacks. Look for a comeback in 2010.
swede7 on March 6, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Dave Ramsey is calling for Term Limits on the lot of them. Good place to start, no? He has a national audience. Of course they will try to “Rush” him.
bloggless on March 6, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Just further proof these educated morons don’t think they work for the people anymore. I really worry about what it is going to take for the people to regain control of our country and government.
Nuts4koi on March 6, 2009 at 1:31 PM
I believe term limits would need 2/3 vote in congress to pass. These are the folks who just gave themselves a raise and $93K each additional spending money. Nice to dream tho.
swede7 on March 6, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Waaaaait a second. Let’s go back and look at the facts here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/washington/24cong.html
This article doesnt say anything about Pelosi. Maybe she “hit the roof” as you say, and they just didnt bother to report it.
But the article does make it clear that *then-Speaker* Dennis Hastert and *then-Majority Leader* John Boehner were not pleased with the raid on Jefferson’s office.
Trying to make it sound as if Pelosi was on the front line fighting the raid on Jefferson’s office for partisan reasons is intellectually dishonest.
I feel as if every third post I read here I’m having to correct obvious problems, usually regarding the way past events are portrayed. I’m starting to think that this is not the conservative blog for me.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a better conservative blog for me to check out? I want one with a minimum of name-calling and pettiness and one that is intellectually honest. I strongly believe that these blogs exist, though I have not found them. I’ve heard good things about James Joyner, for instance, but havent read enough to get an opinion.
orange on March 6, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Not at all what I was trying to imply. I love my country but seeing it undone by so many so willingly and cheerfully is distressing to say the least and it’s happening despite my (all our our) efforts to prevent such. The majority, if only a slight majority, is against us and have put into power those who would undo what this nation was founded on and remake it into something it was never intended to be.
Yakko77 on March 6, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Yes, I am absolutely sure that the New York Times would never downplay anything that would ever make a Democrat politician look bad.
If you want, “just the facts” go straight to the New York Times.
Then go to the Wall Street Journal. They do a bang up job on the sports page.
NoDonkey on March 6, 2009 at 1:42 PM
I would be as furious as you about this if I lived in Penn. It’s time we held the media as accountable as the crooks they provide cover for. Go to the newspaper(s) and protest outside their offices. Pass out copies of Ed’s report here. It’s time we started doing the job the media refuses to do. Unless and until we start fighting back, it’s just going to get worse.
SoldiersMom on March 6, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Freaks you out, doesn’t it, that the Rep base holds everyones feet to the fire, not just the the guys and gals on the other side of the aisle? Hastert is gone. Many more will follow. We don’t lock step. We route march.
Limerick on March 6, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Here is my recommendation for when when we elect a new Congress, there should be new requirements like:
Can only serve two terms and after leaving office cannot run for another Federal office other than President/Vice-President.
Cannot possess a law degree.
Cannot live in or within one hour of the Washington D.C. area, unless they represent one of the surrounding states.
Congress can only be in session for four months. If it were to take longer than that to conduct business, it can be done with a secure online connection.
All Senators and Representatives MUST have the same health care plans and retirement plans as their constituents.
Congressional salaries would be cut by 2/3 from the current level, and any increase in salary must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the PEOPLE. There would no longer be any inflated expense accounts. While Congress is in session, the members would receive a $250.00 per day per diem, based upon receipts.
The Speaker of the House WOULD NOT be allowed the use of a government aircraft.
All “fact finding” trips and junkets would be at the member’s expense.
Nuts4koi on March 6, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Aaaaaaaarrrggg!!!! What is wrong with these people? If PMA had been closely tied to ANY Republican, their goose would have been cooked! I cannot grasp the concept of “guilt by association with a Republican – only”, the hypocrisy is deafening. I am getting to the point where when out in public, I meet someone who volunteers that they are a Democrat, (and vote that way), or that they voted for The One, I’m immediately turned off. Right now I think I am gonna throw up just talking about it.
Susanboo on March 6, 2009 at 1:49 PM
But Nancy Pelosi promised all of us…she was going to end corruption, and sweep in the most ethical and open Congress ever…
Or was that another Nancy Pelosi? Maybe another Congress? Another country?
coldwarrior on March 6, 2009 at 1:51 PM
When are people going to wake up and see that this is not just the Democrats?
Hellooooooo, McFly??????
Get a clue, people. The people in Congress, both Democrats AND Republicans no longer represent the American people in any way, shape, form or fashion. They are not accountable to you, nor are they answerable to you, for anything they do, say or legislate. You can write letters and make phone calls til your fingers fall off and it will avail you nothing. They ignore you because they can. And apparently, most of us are just fine with that.
They have become a legitimized crime syndicate of elites whose primary concern is lining their own pockets through the legislative instruments by which they pick yours. Their venal cabal exists solely to protect and enrich their own personal, private enterprise. The whole barrel of apples is rotten, and the entire execrable lot of them should be thrown out on the nearest available refuse heap.
To those who may object to my lumping them all together -in the misguided notion that all may not be equally egregious- I say to you that the only measurable difference between them is the degree to which they stink. The current climate, such as it is in D.C., only serves to attract and hold these miscreants and their ilk like bears to honey.
Unless and until the American people wake up, and use the constitutional means available to them the change the status quo, this will continue.
Although I desperately hope this will happen, I fear it will not. Like the proverb says; as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.
Puddleglum on March 6, 2009 at 2:03 PM
You know, that’s like asking a criminal to investigate himself. Of course they are not going to pass that…which is why the RAT board is going to hurt so much.
funsutton on March 6, 2009 at 2:10 PM
It’s not like people didn’t know who they were voting for.
neuquenguy on March 6, 2009 at 2:14 PM
I for one am sending a letter to each of the Rep’s that voted to table this motion and ask them for an explanation.
It’s time that we start asking questions and demanding an answer. I cannot think of one good reason why anyone with a clear conscience would not want to investigate this matter.
FYI – Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) is the person on the record asking to table the motion. You can watch the proceeding at the link below (starts at approx. 1:38 in).
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=284445-101&showVid=true
Check out H.RES.189 on the Thomas site (link below) to see the votes.
http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111query.html
sherryande on March 6, 2009 at 2:17 PM
orange on March 6, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Get a grip, if you have issues with this site, you know what to do. As for Pelosi, look up leadership, historical record and context, these terms may help you grasp the obvious.
dmann on March 6, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Someone decided somewhere that the end justifies the means. The political outcome is more important than how you got there. It’s okay to turn a blind eye to the soldiers on your side of the firing line so long as they’re shooting in the right direction.
We are in one sad state of affairs right now.
He should have been gone long ago.
hawkdriver on March 6, 2009 at 2:21 PM
Here are the current members of Congress who have collected contributions for their campaigns or leadership PACs from PMA Group’s PAC and employees since 1989.
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind) $271,500
Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va) $171,200
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa) $167,400
Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash) $130,250
Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa) $96,075
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa) $91,900
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) $91,750
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif) $83,618
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WVa) $69,620
Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-Mass) $69,000
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) $64,250
Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) $63,984
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif) $61,809
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla) $51,213
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) $44,800
Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn) $42,350
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) $42,162
Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-Pa) $42,150
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) $41,500
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) $40,300
Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa) $40,000
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) $37,991
Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla) $37,350
Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis) $34,000
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa) $32,250
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa) $31,500
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) $31,250
Rep. John L. Mica (R-Fla) $30,390
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb) $30,350
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn) $28,900
Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa) $28,750
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan) $26,750
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) $26,500
Rep. John M. McHugh (R-NY) $25,700
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) $24,000
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo) $21,250
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) $20,450
Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) $19,750
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif) $19,200
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass) $19,000
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) $16,839
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif) $15,800
Rep. Susan A. Davis (D-Calif) $15,500
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif) $15,500
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md) $15,300
Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan) $14,750
Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla) $14,250
Rep. C. W. Bill Young (R-Fla) $14,250
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) $14,250
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) $14,150
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) $13,650
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss) $13,500
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo) $13,500
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va) $13,250
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga) $12,750
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif) $12,500
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va) $11,900
Rep. Jerry F. Costello (D-Ill) $11,650
Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-NC) $11,500
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) $11,500
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) $11,500
Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga) $11,500
Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio) $11,250
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) $11,000
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky) $11,000
Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn) $10,750
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) $10,500
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif) $10,500
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) $10,350
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) $10,000
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) $10,000
Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill) $9,750
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga) $9,500
Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb) $9,500
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) $9,000
Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) $9,000
Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon
(R-Calif) $9,000
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn) $8,750
Rep. Doris O. Matsui (D-Calif) $8,500
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa) $8,500
Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D-NY) $8,500
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) $8,500
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) $8,450
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) $8,250
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Md) $8,100
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) $8,000
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill) $7,750
Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo) $7,533
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) $7,500
Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo) $7,500
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn) $7,500
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa) $7,500
Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ) $7,500
Sen. Christopher S. ‘Kit’ Bond
(R-Mo) $7,500
Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz) $7,375
Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla) $7,000
Rep. David Price (D-NC) $7,000
Rep. Steve C. Austria (R-Ohio) $7,000
Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga) $7,000
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla) $7,000
Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif) $7,000
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif) $7,000
Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif) $7,000
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) $6,750
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif) $6,500
Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) $6,500
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) $6,000
Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif) $6,000
Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) $6,000
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) $6,000
Rep. David Wu (D-Ore) $5,750
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) $5,632
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill) $5,500
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) $5,000
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) $5,000
Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) $5,000
Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) $5,000
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev) $5,000
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
(R-Texas) $5,000
Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif) $5,000
Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif) $5,000
Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY) $5,000
Sen. James Webb (D-Va) $4,750
Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash) $4,750
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) $4,500
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss) $4,500
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa) $4,500
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) $4,500
Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-Calif) $4,500
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va) $4,250
Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-SC) $4,250
Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) $4,250
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) $4,000
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) $4,000
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan) $4,000
Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Texas) $4,000
Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La) $4,000
Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind) $4,000
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md) $4,000
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash) $4,000
Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash) $4,000
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) $4,000
Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ) $4,000
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) $3,750
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) $3,750
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich) $3,750
Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn) $3,750
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) $3,500
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) $3,500
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash) $3,250
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa) $3,250
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) $3,250
Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill) $3,050
Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-Pa) $3,000
Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC) $3,000
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala) $3,000
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore) $3,000
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) $3,000
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif) $3,000
Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif) $3,000
Rep. Brian M. Higgins (D-NY) $3,000
Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala) $3,000
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) $3,000
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) $3,000
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
(D-SD) $2,500
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa) $2,500
Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif) $2,500
Rep. John A. Boccieri (D-Ohio) $2,500
Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WVa) $2,500
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa) $2,500
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass) $2,500
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind) $2,500
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) $2,500
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich) $2,500
Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio) $2,500
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind) $2,250
Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill) $2,250
Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) $2,250
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark) $2,000
Rep. Edwin G. Perlmutter (D-Colo) $2,000
Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla) $2,000
Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind) $2,000
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif) $2,000
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa) $2,000
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn) $2,000
Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind) $2,000
Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky) $2,000
Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr.
(R-Tenn) $2,000
Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont) $2,000
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo) $2,000
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan) $2,000
Sen. Jon L. Kyl (R-Ariz) $2,000
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) $2,000
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) $2,000
Rep. Pete King (R-NY) $2,000
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) $2,000
Rep. John F. Tierney (D-Mass) $2,000
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa) $2,000
Rep. Adam H. Putnam (R-Fla) $1,750
Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) $1,750
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa) $1,750
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla) $1,500
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) $1,500
Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill) $1,500
Rep. Steve Kagen (D-Wis) $1,500
Rep. Henry Brown (R-SC) $1,500
Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) $1,500
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) $1,500
Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark) $1,500
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) $1,500
Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky) $1,000
Sen. Deborah Ann Stabenow
(D-Mich) $1,000
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn) $1,000
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) $1,000
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) $1,000
Rep. Frank D. Lucas (R-Okla) $1,000
Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla) $1,000
Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn) $1,000
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) $1,000
Sen. John McCain (R) $1,000
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) $1,000
Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) $1,000
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) $1,000
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) $1,000
Rep. John W. Olver (D-Mass) $1,000
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn) $1,000
Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) $1,000
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) $1,000
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) $1,000
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif) $1,000
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) $1,000
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio) $1,000
Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif) $1,000
Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) $1,000
Rep. Timothy J. Walz (D-Minn) $1,000
Rep. Douglas L. Lamborn (R-Colo) $1,000
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va) $1,000
Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla) $1,000
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) $1,000
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky) $1,000
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif) $1,000
Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla) $1,000
Rep. Kenny Ewell Marchant
(R-Texas) $1,000
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo) $1,000
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla) $1,000
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) $1,000
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) $1,000
Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark) $1,000
Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-Texas) $1,000
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill) $1,000
Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif) $1,000
Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) $1,000
Rep. George Miller (D-Calif) $1,000
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) $1,000
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore) $1,000
Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif) $750
Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif) $750
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt) $750
Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) $750
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) $500
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) $500
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) $500
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss) $500
Rep. Stephen Ira Cohen (D-Tenn) $500
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn) $500
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo) $500
Rep. Diane E. Watson (D-Calif) $500
Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) $500
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md) $500
Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-Wash) $500
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) $500
Rep. Deborah Halvorson (D-Ill) $500
Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) $500
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn) $500
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif) $300
Rep. Timothy V. Johnson (R-Ill) $250
Sen. Michael O. Johanns (R-Neb) $250
Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky) $250
Rep. Jeffrey Lane Fortenberry
(R-Neb) $250
Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn) $250
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) $250
Rep. Charlie A. Gonzalez (D-Texas) $250
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del) $250
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) $200
sherryande on March 6, 2009 at 2:22 PM
This is not a party issue – they’ve all had their hands in the cookie jar.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/02/embattled-lobbying-firm-pma-ta.html
sherryande on March 6, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Speaking of cultures…Pelosi, et al, are tying up nitrogen that could be better used by the free living soil bacterium, Azotobacter chroococcum.
whitetop on March 6, 2009 at 2:43 PM
The RNC should be taking out television ad space about this stuff since the MSM won’t do its consitutionally protected job and report on this blatant and systemic corruption. Michael Steele is too busy basking in the glow of celebrity to do anything meaningful. Get someone who is an attack dog, just like Carville and Begala, only good looking.
College Prof on March 6, 2009 at 2:56 PM
MSM need not bother as Nancy is taking care of their job..
Wade on March 6, 2009 at 3:00 PM
It is really not a problem any longer as BO will not pass any bills with pork.
Wade on March 6, 2009 at 3:02 PM
NoDonkey has it right; Democrats have the corruption thing down pat: from Illinois
I wonder how many other thieves we have in this administration….this whole den of bandits has to collapse. The Washington Deal is only part of Emanuel’s problem.Take a look at what he is pulling in Chicago…His home is apparently owned by a tax exempt foundation. Ever wonder why every 5th store front in the inner city is a church?
Why doesn’t Rahm Emanuel pay property taxes?
Error! Filename not specified.According to the Cook County Assessor’s website, the Chicago home of four-term Democrat Congressman and new White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, doesn’t exist. While the address of 4228 North Hermitage is listed as Emanuel’s residence on the Illinois State Board of Elections website, there seems to be no public record of Emmanuel ever paying property taxes on this home.
The Cook County Assessor’s and Cook County Treasurer’s online records indicate Emanuel’s Chicago neighbors pay between $3,500 and $7,000 annually. However, Illinois Review has been una ble to locate any evidence that the former Clinton advisor and investment banker is paying his fair share of Cook County’s notoriously high tax burden.
Error! Filename not specified.
Why wouldn’t 4228 North Hermitage property owners Rahm Emanuel and wife Amy Rule pay property taxes?
One reason may be because Emanuel and Rule declared their 4228 North Hermitage home as the office location for their personal non-profit foundation called the “Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule Charitable Foundation”. As the non-profit’s headquarters, their home could be exempt from paying property taxes.
In January 2007, USA Today reported on Emanuel’s foundation:
“The Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule Charitable Trust” was formed in 2002, when the Chicago lawmaker was first elected. The former Clinton White House aide and his wife, Amy Rule, are its only donors. Emanuel was an investment banker after serving in the White House.
The trust reported having $2,900 on hand at the end of 2005 after receiving $34,000 from Emanuel and donating more than $31,000. During the past three years, Emanuel’s charity gave nearly $25,000 to the Anshe Emet synagogue and school [a private school that the Rahm/Rule children attend]…, and $15,000 to the foundation run by former president Bill Clinton. It also gave $14,000 to Marwen, a Chicago charity that provides art classes and other educational help to low-income children. Rule is on Marwen’s Board. (He doesn’t pay any property taxes and he gets income tax write-offs by donating $25,000 to the Synagogue and other amounts of money to his Foundation. This allows his kids to attend school tuition-free and allows him to ‘expense’ a lot of personal expenses. What a racket! Take all your income and donate it back to yourself via tax exempt organizations where you can spend it on expenses to operate your car, pay the electric and water bills, etc. I guess if you are a hypocritical “liberal” democrat who advocates raising taxes on everyone else, this is all permissible.)
Emanuel’s 4228 North Hermitage home is one of the largest in the neighborhood, with a side yard that appears to be a vacant lot, making the Emanuels’ property the largest portion on the block. Other North Hermitage homes on Emanuel’s block are valued in the $500,000 plus range. According to Cook County Treasurer’s website, the Chicago owners of nearby 118 year old 4222 North Hermitage pay almost $6800 annually. The family at 4224 North Hermitage pays $6000 each year in property taxes.
President Obama – himself a connected, Chicago insider who has benefited from questionable land deals – may find it difficult to explain why his very own Chicago-based chief of staff doesn’t pay property taxes like the “little guy” he claims to represent. Or perhaps allowing his wealthy friends to avoid taxes is part of Obama’s trickle down redistribution economics.
It’s certainly the kind of “change” we Illinoisans can believe in…since we’re quite familiar with it here in the federal indictment land of Daley, Blagojevich, Madigan, Jones, Cellini, Rezko, etc., etc. (and most recently Roland Burris)
Keemo on March 6, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Okay, now that I see how many Repubs were also taking money from PMA Group’s PAC, I feel even sicker, especially since my Demo Representative, and both of my Repub Senators are on that list. There are over 250 congressmen and women on that list! They even gave money to New York’s new Senator, they sure don’t waste any time do they?
Still, I have to wonder if the Republicans were in charge, would they have held their peers responsible? They have a better record when it comes to rooting out corruption, and usually do not circle the wagons like their Democrat friends have a tendency to do.
Whoever said we should throw them all out and start over was right!!
Susanboo on March 6, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Every bit as likely as the Banking Queen waking up on the floor of the House to leg irons, though he’d no doubt enjoy being Gus’ girl.
Speakup on March 6, 2009 at 4:27 PM
The really big money is at the top of your list though with all of them there D’s.
hawkdriver on March 6, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Conservatives and Republicans need to recognize that this is not about Steele, Palin, or Rush. The Obama, Progressive, Liberal, democrat plan is to attack and destroy the conservative who presents the greatest danger to their cause. Once mission is accomplished, the move to the next person on their list and repeat the process. This has been going on since Reagan, George H. Bush, Dan Quayle, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, MIchael Steele, and Bobby Jindal is next. Rush has always been high on the list, but because he is not an elected official, they do not know what to do with him. He can not be defeated at the ballot box through lying/cheating/stealing. Rush has success at the ultimate democratic arena, the market place. Listeners tune in and sponsors pay money. If we keep throwing our own overboard so quickly as a result of Democrat attacks (Quayle, Bush, Delay, Palin, and now Steele) we are playing right in to their hands. The reason there are so few conservative political leaders is that Republicans dump them so quickly, thereby scaring other potential candidates away. This is how Carvel, Begala, Emmanuel, et al play politics. Dumping Palin and Steele is just what they want at this time, preventing anyone from gaining traction and building a foundation leading up to 2010/2012. Republicans need some backbone and defend conservatives, even if they make some mistakes along the way, giving them time to grow and mature in the public arena. Palin, Jindal, Steele are all good candidates for 2012. Destroying them now, would preclude anyone else from making much of a challenge in 2012. Reagan took over four years to prepare for 1980 (two national campaigns). Democrats are trying to win the 2012 Presidential election right now, and Republicans are playing right into their hands.
jerseyman on March 6, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Just how many examples will people need before they realize the Democrat Party is the Culture of Corruption?!?
I meet so many p-eople who are scared to talk about this issue. They are always amongst those afraid to get involved in grass roots politics. Most of those I meet work for a living, but are otherwise ‘too busy’ to get involved in the state affairs of their country that they supposedly love.
As you’ve probably already guessed, these people impress me not at all.
For those looking to attack me, I met with my elected conservative state representative earlier in the week. She knows me, recognised me, and it appears I’ve made my impression. What have you done lately?
DannoJyd on March 7, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Speaking of the culture of corruption, when will the investigation into the democrats who aren’t paying their taxes, then are not paying fines for this lack, begin?
DannoJyd on March 7, 2009 at 9:16 AM
if i didn’t know any better i would think there all crooks come to think of it they are crooks
wade underhile on March 7, 2009 at 7:29 PM
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