Soon-to-be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is wielding her unwieldy power. She wants Congressman John Murtha to be House Majority Leader and Congressman Alcee Hastings to chair the House Intelligence Committee.
Remember when I told you I was going to enjoy watching and blogging Democrats’ missteps? Well, the circus has begun. (More peanuts, please!)
Murtha and Hastings are a couple of crooks. And liberals love crooks!
The more corrupt the politician, the more they want him. The more bribes he’s accused of accepting, especially bribes caught on tape, the more they must have him on their team.
Remember “Abscam”? Back in the late 1970s, FBI agents set up a sting operation posing as Arab sheiks from Saudi Arabia who sought U.S. asylum. A senator, six congressmen, and others were involved, including Murtha. He turned down the bribe and wasn’t indicted or convicted. Blogger Patterico watched the Abscam tape, and the evidence seems to show that although Murtha turned down the bribe at that time, he was very interested in continuing the process, but the scandal was exposed. Read Patterico’s post and you’ll see how involved Murtha was. “The guy is dirty,” indeed.
Alcee Hastings, member of the Congressional Black Caucus, is a disgraced and impeached former federal judge. Tried for bribery, a jury found him not guilty, but his judicial colleagues wanted his sorry butt out. Hastings was impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate for bribery and perjury in 1989. He ran for Congress, and the rest his history. His biography makes no mention of his crookedness. How odd!
Hastings has led a relatively quiet existence in the House, but thanks to Pelosi, he’s back in the national spotlight. A known crook is going to have access to national secrets. 
Although Congresswoman Jane Harman is next in line to chair the House Intelligence Committee, Pelosi is passing her over for Hastings, a less senior man. Will feminists raise a stink? Probably not, methinks. Of all the people at her disposal, why would Pelosi willingly choose corrupted men like Murtha and Hastings to lead? Well, I suppose the little woman is doing her best.
While it’s fun to make fun of Democrats, I believe most politicians are corrupt. It’s the nature of the game.
Where are the honorable men?
Bloggers: Dan Riehl, Democracy Project, Ed Morrissey (and here), Anchor Rising, Hot Air, Ed Cone, Michelle Malkin (with videos!), James Joyner…
Sources:
- Dick Morris makes the case that while ultra-liberals are in charge of things, it was the recent wave of newly elected moderate Democrats who made them leaders.
- Meet the New Boss
- In Backing Murtha, Pelosi Draws Fire
- Murtha decries ‘swift boat-style’ attacks on ethics
- Unfit for Majority Leader
- Ethics already at issue for House Democrats
- How Democrats Clean House
