Those who can commit crimes, do; those who get caught, teach

May 30, 2006

In the [tag]New Hampshire[/tag] [tag]phone-jamming[/tag] [tag]scandal[/tag], [tag]Charles McGee[/tag], the former executive director of the state [tag]Republican Party[/tag], pleaded guilty to conspiracy and served seven months in jail for his part in the scheme to have a telemarketer to tie up Democratic and union phone lines in 2002. Now that he’s served his time, where does he go? Where else? To a campaign school to help train Republican candidates on how to win.

[McGee is] back at his old job with a Republican political marketing firm, Spectrum Monthly & Printing Inc., and will be helping out at the firm’s “GOP [tag]campaign school[/tag]” for candidates.

Richard Pease, the firm’s co-president, said that McGee would be available to advise candidates at the two-day event, planned for next weekend in Manchester, N.H. McGee’s role at the school was reported Thursday by the New Hampshire Union Leader.

“Chuck will work with the candidates in any way they want,” Pease said. “If they want his advice, if they want his . . . experience, it’s there for them to take or leave.”

Pease said he had no problem with McGee, who is a vice president in the firm, returning to advise politicians. “He made a mistake. He admitted to it. He served his time,” Pease said.

Indeed, he did, and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone who tries to put their life back together after getting out of jail. But the circumstances here are disconcerting.

When it comes to James Tobin, who the regional chairman of Bush’s presidential campaign, the mastermind of this little scheme, the Republicans paid his legal bills. When it comes to McGee, they’re not only willing to pay him again — as opposed to, say, distancing themselves from his felonious past — they invite him to teach others about political campaigning.

I’ll give them one thing: this takes chutzpah. Dems might feel embarrassed about associating with someone who went to jail for orchestrating a scheme to criminally interfere with an election process. Republicans — the law-and-order party — bring them right back into the fold, regardless of appearances. It’s impressive, in a depressing kind of way.

The fact that the republicans don’t seem to find this wrong says something about the modern republican party. At it’s heart it has become corrupt and has no moral foundation. I know, I know they likely say it was some sort of liberal vendetta or some such liberal boogeyman and so the crime wasn’t “real” all so that they can justify keeping these guys in good standing. Talk about moral relativism. They would have litters of puppies if a Democrat had done this.

  • He brings some important traits:
    He knows how to get the job done.
    He knows the dirty tricks.
    He is a prime example that there are not lasting penalties for using the dirtiest tricks, or even breaking the law.

    That last point is key. The Republicans will turn further and further away from the law as they become more extreme. The need a hero like McGee to pave the way. While it may not save the Republican’s control of Congress, it will play a very large part.

  • This is one of the (many) problems when religion and a political party get too intermingled. Basically, the GOP (the party of the American Taliban), allows these jokers back because he is still part of their “faith”–sort of like sinning, repenting and being born again. All is well and his past is his past, no need to look backwards, only look forwards. However, for those who are not part of the GOP, their’s is an infidel “faith” and they can never really repent and be “born again.” So they should never be allowed to take a place at the “alter” ever again and should suffer damnation forever, unless and until they join the GOP. Typical fundamental religious hypocrisy mixing with traditional political hypocrisy. A dangerous combination.

  • Hey, the ballot is a tremendous responsibility, and it’s not always exercised correctly.

    We saw in 2000, in Florida, what happens when a whole lot of people fail to excercise their franchise in the right way.

    McGhee and Tobin are just responsible adults, patriots trying to make sure that votes are always cast in ways that are helpful.

    (Can I have the Fox gig? Can I? Can I?)

  • God, how I long for a left-wing noise machine.
    The fantasy of cutting commentary documenting “their” corrupton, softball interviews for “our” leaders.
    Why does the right have this, and we don’t?
    And the (poisoned) cherry on top is the myth of “the liberal media.”

  • And the Republicans boast of being the party of moral values. Who do they think they are kidding? They are playing the game of opposites: They have no sense of morals; they just mouth the words but their actions belittle them!!!

  • I have long viewed this sort of thing as a part of the Rethug strategy — not unlike Goebbel’s “Big Lie” theory. If the Rethugs take positions and actions that are just unbelievably audacious (a) people dont know how to react – they can’t imagine there is anything wrong because no one would do something bad so audaciously; (b) the public becomes numb to the real day-to-day wrongdoing or bad policy; and (c) when public opinion or semi-vertabrate Democrats force the Rethugs to “back down,” the “meet in the middle” compromise is far to the right of where it would have been had the Rethugs’ opening gambit been less audacious.

    Given that it works, apparently the lesson is anything worth doing (or not worth doing, but being done anyway) is worth doing in the biggest, wildest way possible (see also Swiftboating.)

  • Rethug quote: “Pease said he had no problem with McGee, who is a vice president in the firm, returning to advise politicians. “He made a mistake. He admitted to it. He served his time,”
    Guess we can use that argument next time Rethug controlled states want to disenfranchise ex cons permenantly from voting.

    What this says to me, in addition to the fine comments already here, is that future Rethug crims should know if they keep their mouths shut, the party will take care of them when they get out. (And probably take care of their families while they’re in–just like the Mafia). And yes, of course, God likes the GOP best.

    Zeitgeist: everything you said… ++++++

  • If a criminal act is a choice, I have a hard time ever calling it a “mistake”. I think all politicians, before taking office, should be subject to an exhaustive background check (fact findings revealed to the public); and once in office, each office holder should be subject to annual random lie detector tests. I’m a Republican and I would not favor Republicans nor Democrats in any way in this requirement. If they are in the know about classified information, then they should be held more accountable and be checked even more thoroughly than someone in government employ. Any politician in a position in which they might be offered any bribe for any influence atm any time should be checked & double-checked -whether local or national.

  • A couple of problems with your idea, CG. First, lie detectors are snake oil, and we certainly shouldn’t be using them for something like removing people from office (we shouldn’t even be using them for what we now use them for). Second, don’t you think there’s a wee chance that background checks might be corrupted by political considerations if your proposal were implemented?

  • ‘…impressive, in a depressing kind of way.’ Tell me about it. I live in NH and have to live with a guy named Sununu as my senator who quite possibly may not have have won but for that little scheme.

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