They still haven’t learned the lessons of the Culture of Corruption

May 11, 2007

After all the scandals and corruption-related difficulties congressional Republicans have experienced the past few years, you’d think they’d eventually learn a few lessons. Especially after having lost both chambers of Congress, the GOP leadership on the Hill could use this opportunity to clean up their self-created mess and start demonstrating to voters that they care about ethics and forthrightness in government.

That, of course, would take maturity and some common sense. The Republican leadership has neither.

Take the House Appropriations Committee, for example. Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) was forced to give up his seat on the powerful committee after the FBI raided his home as part of the Abramoff scandal. To replace him, the GOP leadership tapped Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who was himself recently named one of Congress’ most corrupt lawmakers.

Made huge personal profits off his own earmark. Calvert pushed through an earmark to secure over $9 million for freeway and commercial development near property he owned in California. After the development of the area, Calvert sold his property for a 79 percent profit.

Personal firm received commission from earmark. “In another deal, a group of investors bought property a few blocks from the site of a proposed interchange, for $975,000. Within six months, after the earmark for the interchange was appropriated, the parcel of land sold for $1.45 million. Rep. Calvert’s firm received a commission on the sale.”

Rewarded K Street firm under investigation with pork projects. The Copeland Lowery lobbying firm is currently “enmeshed in a federal investigation of Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA).” “Rep. Calvert has helped pass through at least 13 earmarks sought by Copeland Lowery in 2005, adding up to over $91 million.” The lobbying firm has been Calvert’s largest campaign contributor.

Traveled to Saudi Arabia with convicted Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) in 2004. They were accompanied by Thomas Kontogiannis, an alleged co-conspirator in the Cunningham controversy.

“Clearly the House Republicans have decided that ethics simply do not count in Congress,” CREW’s Melanie Sloan said. “Why would the minority choose to replace one member under federal investigation with another member also under federal investigation?”

Even some conservatives are starting to ask the same question.

I noticed this striking post from Erick at RedState, one of the leading far-right blogs, under the headline, “An Open Declaration of War Against The House Republican Leadership.”

The House Republican Leadership just does not get it and they will not take us seriously until we flex our muscle against them. We must fight the House GOP and we must fight today.

Today, I declare war on the Republican Leadership of the United States House of Representatives. We must scalp one member. That member’s name is Ken Calvert.

When John Doolittle had to step down from the House Appropriations Committee because of a corruption investigation, the House GOP gave the nod to Calvert.

In 2005, Calvert and a partner paid $550,000 for 4.3 acres of land. Calvert then used his earmarking powers to secure $8 million in funds for an interstate exchange on the property. He then sold the property for about $1 million.

Also in 2005, a business partner of Calvert’s bought additional land that Calvert’s earmarks benefited. When the property was sold, a firm financially connected to Calvert received a commission for the sale.

In 2006, Calvert engaged in other shady land deals. The list goes [on].

I won’t even go in to his arrest for soliciting a prostitute.

This is the man House Republicans chose to replace John Doolittle. They just don’t get it. So now I declare war. Who is with me?

So far, some other conservative heavy-hitters are with him. James Joyner isn’t fond of the “declaration of war” rhetoric, but he nevertheless concluded, “I do, however, concur that the House Republican leadership continues not to ‘get it’ and find Calvert a worthy target of scorn, for reasons Erick’s posts details.” The American Mind linked to the RS piece approvingly, as did the Jawa Report. Patrick Hynes added, “I am not personally in a place to declare war on House Republican leadership, but I am deeply troubled that the GOP still does not appear to get it with respect to the corrupting influence of pork. I’m sick of it. Sick and tired. We are either the party or small, clean government or we are the party that merely rewards a different set of friends than the other party.”

Kudos to all of these guys for recognizing the failings of the House GOP’s bankrupt leadership. The only way to fix the Republican Party is for its supporters to say, “Enough.”

RedState’s “declaration” is a good start.

Charles Schultz once cynically commented, through the mouth of his character Sally, “Christmas is about getting all you can get while the getting is good.” I suspect the R’s have decided that while they still hold some tenuous grip on power that they’ve got to take the country for as much as they can.

Kudos to the RW bloggers for pointing out the hypocrisy of their leadership. Think of how nice our system of government would be if there was a non-partisan collective willing to shout ‘corruption!’ wherever it may occur.

  • When asked what ‘victory’ would look like in his war on House Republican’ts (can’t keep their noses clean), Erick from Red State replied:

    “I think victory looks like a GOP that’s self-governing, that is basically democratic, reflects the will of the Right-wing moonbats and is capable of providing for its own, at which point we’ll be able to significantly reduce our activities against them. We don’t want to fight a day longer than we have to, but we’ve got to get the GOP to the point where they can take care of our affairs and protect themselves against the media coverage that they’ve been subjected to. So it’s a fairly straightforward proposition. It’s not likely ever to be a corruption-free society.”

    He later thanked VP Cheney for providing content for his statement.

  • Yep, even the stopped clocks at RedState are right twice a day. They should be commended for wanting to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic the way they do.

  • Oh, by the way…how do those conservative bloggers feel about the rest of the corruption in their party….y’know: Cheney and his oil buddies, Condi and her oil buddies, Rummy and his defense contractor buddies, Stevens and his bridge-building buddies, oh the list goes on and on and on and on….

    And it only took them 6 years to figure out something stinks in the GOP…kudos(?) to them.

  • “Why would the minority choose to replace one member under federal investigation with another member also under federal investigation?”

    do they have any other kind?

  • just bill: “do they have any other kind?”

    I guess there are two types of Republicans, those indicted for a crime and those who haven’t been caught yet.

  • I suspect this declaration of war will have the same result as the meeting of the GOP 11 with Bush Brat. A sound and fury that amounts to nothing.

    Update (?) Calvert replied to one of the RS Warriors. I’m too lazy to work the link function but it is posted in reply #34.

    “The assertion that I have an ethical problem is completely false.”

    Right, you’ve got ethical problemS.

  • Of course they haven’t. It isn’t corruption when they do it (it’s only corruption when Dems do it) it’s capitalism.

  • just bill: “do they have any other kind?”

    I guess there are two types of Republicans, those indicted for a crime and those who haven’t been caught yet.

    Comment by gg

    How may Rs in the 109th congress are under investigation, indicted or in jail.

    Its got to be close to 10%.

    And this is just the number of them that have been caught.

  • Erick the Red may be waging war on fountain of corruption that is the Congressional GOP, but I’ll think better of him when he decides to take on the blasting firehose of corruption shooting out of the White House.

  • You folks don’t understand GOP-speak.

    Anything the Rethugs do is ethical because they do it. Anything that others do to thwart them is by definition, unethical, immoral, and illegal.

    Everything is so much simpler that way. Just ask the boy-king, and his leash handler Rover-boy.

  • I live in Calvert’s district, and over the years we have fielded many excellent democratic opponents against him come election time. The problem here is our local democratic party chapter is very weak, and ineffective. Riverside California, and Corona California used to be the largest producer of navel oranges in the nation. Not any more.

    • Comments are closed.