Boomerang: The Democrat culture of corruption
My syndicated column today looks at how the Democrat “culture of corruption” boomerang has returned to smack the donkeys right back in the face.
Snort-worthy: Guess what big national event is taking place in Chicago this week? The 30th annual COGEL (Council on Governmental Ethics Laws) Conference.
The wheels on the bus go thump-thump-thump.
***
The Democrat culture of corruption
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008
Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi can stop clucking now. For the last three years, Democratic leaders cheered GOP ethics woes. Dean accused Republicans of making “their culture of corruption the norm.” Pelosi touted cleanliness as a liberal virtue. But with the eye-popping pay-for-play and bribery case against Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich topping a year of nationwide Democratic scandals, the corruption chickens are coming home to roost.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called the breadth and depth of charges against Blagojevich and his Democratic Chief of Staff John Harris “staggering.” That’s an understatement. Anything that breathed was a potential shakedown target. It’s the Chicago way. Democrat Blago’s so dirty he’d hit up a children’s hospital for money. Oh, wait. He’s accused of doing that, too.
Democrat Blago allegedly conspired to use his power to appoint President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat as a bargaining chip for financial payment. He explored trading on that authority for an appointment as Health and Human Services secretary or as an ambassador or for installment in a cushy union position. (He discussed his trading scheme with an unnamed “SEIU (Service Employees International Union) official” and unnamed “various consultants” in Washington.)
According to the criminal complaint released yesterday, he also tried to leverage his influence over the sale of Wrigley Field (owned by Tribune media company) in an attempt to get Chicago Tribune editorial writers who called for his impeachment fired — which illustrates the very perils of media/government entanglements I warned about in my newspaper bailout column last week. His wife, Patricia Blagojevich, was apparently in on the thuggery, too. Taking a break from her first lady duties advocating “on behalf of women and children,” she is heard in taped discussions about the Chicago Tribune/Wrigley Field deal telling a governor’s aide “to hold up that f**king Cubs sh*t. … F**k them.”
Pelosi, champion of women as political cleaner-uppers, was unavailable for comment.
Fitzgerald says President-elect Obama was not implicated in the plethora of charges against Democrats Blago and Harris. The national media went out of their way to absolve him, too. But declaring Team Obama’s hands clean — especially with Blago crony and indicted Obama donor Tony Rezko in the middle of it all — is premature. (And if you’re wondering why I keep putting “Democrat” in front of the accused corruptocrats, it’s because the mainstream newspapers can’t seem to remember to identify their party prominently the way they do when Republicans are nabbed.)
Chicago’s Fox affiliate reports that Obama Chief of Staff and Chicago hometown heavy Rahm Emanuel was the catalyst for the Blago takedown and suggests Rahm-bo tipped off the feds. If so, this raises more questions than it answers about who on the transition team may have talked to Blago and his shakedown artists about what and when. Needless to say, if it were the Republican Bush administration tied to the Blago bust, the White House press corps would be frothing like a pack of Michael Vick’s pit bulls.
Democrats and the media can no longer rest on the old rationalization that Blago is an exception to the “we’re cleaner than thou” rule. 2008 was the year of Democratic Reps. William “Cold Cash” Jefferson, Charlie “Sweetheart Deals” Rangel, and former Detroit Mayor Kwame “Text Me” Kilpatrick. It was the year Democratic Massachusetts State Senator Dianne Wilkerson got caught stuffing bribes from an FBI informant down her shirt. It was the year 12 Democratic leaders and staffers in Pennsylvania’s state Capitol were stung in a massive corruption scandal involving cash, sex and abuse of public office. And it was the year of multimillion-dollar embezzlement scandals at Democratic satellite offices of ACORN and the SEIU.
The Democrats have met the culture of corruption, and it looks like it ain’t just elephants among the jackasses soiling public office.
***
Reader k. e-mails: “How could you leave out Elliot Spitzer from your blog of Democratic scandals in 2008?” Ah, yes! Client Number 9 is in a category all his own.
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Trackbacks
- Obama, I know nothing, nothing… « Riggword Weblog
- Kerfuffles :: The Audacity of Blagojevich :: December :: 2008
- The Latest From Blago-Gate: President-Elect Obama Contributed To The Downfall Of Crooked Illinois Governor | THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™
- Speaking Of Corrupt Democrats… « The Forum
- UrbanGrounds » Blog Archive » The Year of the Democrat (Culture of Corruption)
- PAXALLES
- The Other McCain: BlagoGate, Day 2
- Obama, Blago Who? | BigMouthFrog
- About Ill. Gov. Blagojevich | Generic Rant - NOT always Politcally Correct!
- For Sale – One US Senator Post from Illinois « Samaritans Scalawags Scoundrels Fleecing the Sheep
- Malkin on Democratic Corruption «
- Jules Crittenden » Worm Mulls A Turn?
- Right Wing News
- PoliGazette » Hoist On Their Own Petards III
- Michelle Malkin » Boomerang: The Democrat culture of corruption « If it weren’t so Sad, it’d be Funny
- Illinois First Lady Patricia Blagojevich, Obama, Antonin “Tony” Rezko « Goodtimepolitics
- Democrat Culture of Corruption | Political Vindication
- Here's 91 Reasons You Can't Trust Democrats | Political Vindication
- Add another one to the list « Lindy’s Blog: Where Mom is Always Right
- Werner Patels - A Dose of Common Sense
- The French Connection–Chicago Corruption Cesspool–Climate Change–Big Al and BO–Gore Obama–The GO Team! « Pronk Palisades
- Sorry So Quiet « Obi’s Sister
- Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » “Blagojevich Arrest Shakes Obama Presidency to Its Core”
- JABbering Stooge :: As Canadian Cynic says*… :: December :: 2008
- Chicago Corrupt? NO! Short roundup. « DaTechguy’s Blog
- Obama/Blagojevich or Podcasts? | The Anchoress
- The Irascible Chef » Culture of Corruption and Hypocrisy
- Political Party Poop
- Bailout Nation? « Designated Conservative
- Boomerang: The Democrat culture of corruption « Conservative Thoughts and Profundity
- Plumb Bob Blog » My “Me Too” Blagojevich Post (Updated)
- Barack “Pay to Play” Obama and the Democrat’s “Culture of Corruption” « The Swamp Hermit’s Report
- Ace of Spades HQ
- Obama Did Meet With Blagojevich On 5 November 2008 | BigMouthFrog
- Name That Party! MSM Almost Always Omits Mention Democrat Party Affiliation of Convicted Politicians « BUUUUURRRRNING HOT
- The Baltimore Reporter
- Papa Mike’s Blog » Blog Archive » Boomerang: The Democrat culture of corruption
- Michelle Malkin » Snort: Blago staff leads ethics classes
- Republican Views - Corruption as a Core Value | Conservative News and Opinion - Articles and Comments
- Republican Views - Democrat’s Corruption as a Core Value | Conservative News and Opinion - Articles and Comments
- Republican Views - Democrat Corruption as a Core Value | Conservative News and Opinion - Articles and Comments
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Categories: Corruption
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The media would report that it is actually beneficial for little girls to have puppies bludgeoned before their eyes.
Besides, this was an extremely unpleasant puppy.
With all the eggs they have cracked it is going to be ONE BIG OMELET…
How can you be a Vegan and a socialist?
I just read that Obama’s people just kicked Blago under the bus. They’re going to have to raise the frame on that bus if they intend to throw anyone else under it.
That snobbish, “you’re my subjects and I despise You” look on Obama’s face is so typical of him, and if the media and Americans had paid any attention this jerk would not have been elected dog catcher.
I know that puppy and he was just asking for it…
Boston City Counseler Chuck Turner was arrested in the same federal probe that Dianne Wilkerson got caught in.
Previously, he was best known for claiming that a militarily themed porno movie was evidence that US servicemen were sexually assaulting Iraqi women.
Like a typical AP report, I didn’t include his party in this post.
People need some extra background on him. You might have forgotten his vanilla name but you probably did not forget about THIS from back in May 2004 -
THOSE WERE FROM HIM! … Chuck Turner. He defamed our soldiers with FAKE allegations that were very possibly hatched by and received directly FROM THE ENEMY!!!
(His name is 4th from the bottom.)
Sorry wendy, I didn’t read the thread before posting.
Are you local?
“Mr. President-Elect, you have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you desire an attorney and cannot afford one, an attorney will be obtained for you before questioning. I’m sorry sir, but I’m going to have to put these bracelets on you; its standard procedure. Yes sir, I know they’re tight; watch your head Mr. President-Elect.”
The more the merrier!
fixed
“Mr. President-Elect, as messiah you have the right to say anything you want. If you give up the right and remain silent, we’ll make up something for you and make certain that absolutely nothing is eveer used against you in a court of law. You have the right to lie, cheat and steal. You can have the best attorney that money can buy along with any press apparatchiks that you need to refute any allegations made against you. I’m only sorry that I cannot do even more for you mein messiah.”
It is just mind-boggling that the media was so all over the “trooper-gate” “scandal” before the verdict was even in. Now compare that to this unbelievable corruption! To say that journalism is dead is an understatement. The corpse is rotten and very stinky.
With regard to Eliot Spitzer, his lechery is just the tip of the iceberg. His conduct in public office is where the real scandal lies, only it hasn’t been reported very much, if at all. Once his bedhopping became news, reporters started blurting out, “I always knew he was a schmuck.” If so, why were they silent when he was running for governor?
Axelrod is on TV on NOV 23 basically saying that Obama and Blago communicated about the senate seat etc. Obama says there was no comunication and then Axelrod misspoke?
Are you kidding me. So Axelrod’s nov 23 Fox words are one fabrication made out of whole cloth. Axelrod is a liar, Obama is, who is?
Truly remarkable what is unfolding!
WarEagle82 said (#76):
Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, and the rest are not my ideological buddies. Reagan did support Saddam, though.
Reliable reports (photos on Fox) show that Americans have killed in the process of “enhanced interrogation”.
1. Is this moral equivalence?
2. What makes us different from them is that we do not torture.
On Rush this a.m. he mentioned that there also is a record of an appointment that had been set up for Obama to meet with Bozo to discuss the senate seat, back in November. Was that appointment ever kept? This needs to be investigated! Maybe it is just a rumor, but if true, it would be very damaging to The One’s “truthfullness”.
Remember folks…this particular troll is NOT worth feeding. Let it die.
Did Obama and Blagojevich Meet Nov. 5?
Blagojevich, Rezko and Obama are the quintessential product of the Chicago democrat political machine. Rezko seems willing to take the fall but I hope to God Blagojevich starts spilling his guts or demanding a pardon because he ABSOLUTELY knows enough to bring Obama down.
I am not a constitutional expert, but “high crimes and misdemeanors” clause in the articles of impeachment looks like it only applies to crimes while in the office of the presidency but a full blown scandal could weaken Obama enough to postpone his more egregious plans, hopefully long enough to elect more Republicans to congress. (It’s a thin hope, but that’s what’s left.)
LGM,
If you have proof of such acts then post the link. Saying something does not make it true.
And you may not want to admit that Pol Pot, et al. are your buddies but it is hard to reach any other conclusion based on your other posts here.
Just because I like to make up stories, how about this?
Obama: “I want Michelle to fill my seat.”
Blago: “Show me the money.”
Mrs. Blago in the background: “Yeah, show him the F’ing money.”
Obama: “I can’t do that, it’s illegal.”
Blago: “I’ll call Jesse. He’ll give me money, and cut your balls off. DLTDHYOTWO”
Mrs. Blago in the background: “Yeah, don’t DF’ingLTDHYOTWO”
Obama: “Rahm?”
Emanuel: “Hello, FBI?”
Bozo ratting out Obama in 3..2..1…
Ohhh, it’s just going to get better and better.
On December 10th, 2008 at 1:59 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:
Here is another report stating the same thing:
If this were happening in some 3rd world dictatorship this might be funny.
On December 10th, 2008 at 2:10 pm, WarEagle82 said:
Been to Chicago recently?
And let’s not forget those overzealous Obama supporters in Ohio that wanted to make sure mean ol’ Joe the Plumber was making his child support payments.
Who’s gonna be first to start up the “BlagoGateBlog”?
Donald Young was unavailable for comment.
Another thing…If Blago was calling Obama foul names and saying Obama wouldn’t give him anything except a big “thank you” for the Senate seat appointment, doesn’t that prove that he had been in contact with Obama or his people? Otherwise, how would he know Obama wouldn’t “play ball”? If Obama or his people knew about Blago’s corruption, why didn’t they report it???????
OBAMA: Well, you know, … answering any question truthfully and with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
Note how lgm totally ignored my post #41. He has no response to substative questions.
He has also never responded my commenting on his lack of outrage over captured Americans being butchered without expection by Iraqi and Al Quiada.
Intellectual cowardice.
Y’all do know, don’t you, that Chicago is home to the Communist Party USA:
From ABC News
Well said
You mean the home built on the exclusive Chicago property that was purchased at $300,000 below it’s market value? That one?
Too snarky to pass up, sorry……
Official statement from Obama for Wednesday
oh man…why why why did Candidate No. 5 have to be a black guy.
hahahaha
On December 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pm, faraway said:
They are in full damage control mode.
They have to get all of the Communists in one room, and ensure the room is not bugged, before they can even talk with each other.
Electronic communication is too risky for them at this point.
It would be very revealing, though, to know who is in the room…
I firmly believe we should repeal the 17th Amendment.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Our founders knew that, and that is why Article 1 Section 3 specified (until superseded by the 17th Amendment) that the State Legislature would fill the vacancy, with the Executive (Governor) only allowed to make temporary appointments if the State Legislature is in Recess:
If U.S. Senators were still chosen by the Legislature of their home state, then the electorate would pay more attention to whom they elect to their State Legislature.
The 17th Amendment was a mistake, and really should be repealed.
ITTRP – Send them to Klink’s office.
LOL
Jesse Jackson Junior is trying to save his ass – big time! Watching Neil Cavuto now. Junior is renouncing “pay to play politics”. Doesn’t that just all choke ya up?
The senators were supposed to represent the interests of the states, not the people. That’s why senators were elected by the state legislatures. The House was elected directly by the people as their representatives.
The 17th Amendment simply made the Senate into another House of Representatives. It was a mistake then and it remains a mistake.
So is this what that loser in Ohio meant when he said he wanted Obama to do his “thug thizzle” ?
Good article, Michelle. I find it ironic how the Dems think they’re so “clean” and “above it all” (an attitude I’ve seen in liberals my entire life) yet they’re knee deep in the muck.
The problem is, corruption, kickbacks, and looking the other way can be found in both parties. Growing up in New York state, Cuomo was just as unethical and corrupt, enriching his cronies in Albany and the downstate region (New York City) while the upstate struggled to survive his ineptness. Yet, he’s some shining example to Dems of “real leadership.”
More ironic is how Jesse Jackson Jr. thinks he’s the best person for the open IL senate seat because he’s got the most “seniority” (apparently more than any other Dem or Republican) and because he got support from the community and glowing write-ups in the local papers, that must mean popular appeal will equal capable government servant. My question is, didn’t this guy get his Congressional seat because of who his daddy is? I thought family dynasty politics was no longer en vogue now that Shrillary has been denied her destiny. What the hell has Jackson ever accomplished except riding on the same coattails as Obummer?
Hey, Nancy, don’t look now but that swamp you promised to clean up is now OVERFLOWING!!!
Can we combine those first two words to be more descriptive…?
More ironic = Moronic
I think lgm is a bot – http://www.frontiernet.net/~dlcowart/main.html
This is just another example of POS who call themselves Americans.
I bet George Washington would have the whole lot of them shot at dawn for Treason. I like that idea.
Even bots have more authenticity than lgm. Got a good giggle over that one.
I just listened to Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr (Shuck and Jive Jesse’s little boy) explain he was Shocked, Shocked he said, that there was corruption in Illinois. He thought he has the Senate seat sewn up but he was outbid! (No, he did not say that, but I thought it fit)
If by chance, a slim one, the Guv does go to prison he will be put in positions he did not bargain for.
Yes, I was raised better than that.
I’d highly recommend that investigators look into the connections between members of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
One particular point of interest: Michelle Obama and William A. Osborn, Chairman of the Board of Northern Trust Corporation (the mortgage company for the Rezko-assisted Obama home purchase).
Candidate #5, J.Jackson,Jr., trying to make sure we all know his name is clear.
It is interesting that his attorney said he would not be surprised if someone did try to do something on Jr’s behalf… without his consent of course.
Words. Just words.
Isn’t it interesting how blogs can affect the archives of MSM news…
This link, after being mentioned in this blog entry (and linked to from my earlier comment here), has now suddenly gone down the memory hole.
Here’s what it used to say before Ms. Sowers tried to erase all evidence of its existence:
Just a little food for thought-
Anyone want to make a bet that the AG investigating el Blago gets the ax once the annointed one takes office.
The msm made a big deal when Bush fired 6 AG’s, didn’t say a word when Clinton fired all 93 and one can only wonder what the annointed one is going to do.
GSP
“This is Sparta!”
So, what was the “pay-to-play” back in 2004 when Obama won an election (to become U.S. Senator) and turned over his IL Senate seat to Kwame Raoul?
What Do Barack Obama and Kwame Raoul Have in Common?
You hit the nail on the head Brother! Spent most of my life manning the parapet looking outwards. I think we need to start looking inwards. Against all enemies foreign and domestic!
Semper Fi
Though this event is really beginning to stink up, I certainly hope that Obama isn’t involved…and can prove it. Lord knows, all we need is a newly elected President forced down, because of corruption. It would make one heckava mess Constitution-wise. No, Biden can’t be President, if the President hasn’t taken the oath of office. It would be thrown up to the Electors or into the House for decision. Bush would have to remain President until a decision is reached. Shades of 1800. Though I throughly disagree with Obama, I fear for the upheaval that it would cause for our country.
BHO was politacally raised in the Chicago cesspool for years. Surely he has $#!& on his boots.
No, the 20th Amendment says:
#139,
I agree 100%. Where are our Marine Corp Generals on this issue. They have the power to set things right.
It appears overdue!
Leatherneck, after Al Gray most of the GO’s are pretty political. Unfortunately, the folks that actually have a stake in this country are now outnumbered by the sheeple who elect folks that don’t have the best interests of the country as their number one priority. Dark days ahead. Stock up on beans and bullets. Semper Fi
Re #108
Looks like it is too late to click on the article; the press is scrubbing evidence of the Obama/Blagojevich meeting off their websites.
Hope and change.
The MSM scrubbing shouldn’t be a surprise…it’s Business as Usual for Obama.
You’ll find that a phrase that shows up frequently in Obama’s defense is:
Well, in order to use that defense, all evidence must be destroyed.
That is why Obama’s entire past is sealed.
The only two documents that have been produced (the COLB and the draft registration) are both forgeries!
You don’t even need to destroy evidence in order to use that defense – as long as the evidence is buried or locked away somewhere. Another good thing to have in your corner is a compliant media that doesn’t even want to look for the evidence or is complicit in burying it.
Along that note: Its pretty convenient that at this exact time in history, the newspaper industry is going under, media outlets are scaling back on employees and even NPR let 64 people go today.
So even if real journalists wanted to do in-depth research and analysis to expose deeply buried scandals, they are going to be too busy covering Paris Hilton’s chihuahua instead of exposing Watergate through Deep Throat.
Paris Hilton has a chihuahua? OMG!!
Flyoverman #116:
LGM doesn’t respond to you cause she doesn’t have room for truth in her whacked out ideas.
She perfectly adapts to the O.J. policy, “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes truth”
That reminds me of an old saying: “When you’re up to your a$$ in alligators you forget the objective was to drain the swamp.”
SanFran Nan is so busy trying to keep the kids in line that she hasn’t the time to wipe their butts too.
The “most ethical congress in history” has to be the comedy line of the decade.
I find this scandal sad for Illinois and the whole Country. This Governor is a POS and deserves to go to prison. But I am hoping that Obama is NOT in any way connected to this. Reading the posts on this blog I wonder if that is true for everybody.
What this Country doesn’t need is its Presdent-elect caught in a major corruption scandal, before he is even sworn in. There are too many on both sides of the aisle salivating for the next big scandal. I have scandal fatigue already; just f***ing sick of all the negativity in our politics of the day. As conservatives, we should not play down to the base level of Dems and root against our own Country. Hoping that there is a connection between Obama and this Governor mess, before a connection is established, is rooting against our Country. Like it or not, Obama is going to be sworn in as OUR next President of the United States. Do we really want to see him disgraced? How will that help this Country deal with the tough issues that we face, militarily or economically?
He’s not President-elect.
The Electoral College hasn’t elected a President yet.
I’d rather see the truth revealed BEFORE the Electoral College votes then AFTER.
Wouldn’t you?
A quick search brings up 36,600,000 hits of “Predisent-elect Obama”. Excuse me for my using the phrase.
The point is lets see what unfolds. If you are sitting at your keyboard pining for ObamaGate (as one poster put it), then you’re as bad as the mindless morons on the Dem side of the aisle.
Repeat the lie often enough, and people accept it as truth.
Menwhile, over at the office of (NOT) Presdent-elect,
Change.gov hiding questions on Blagojevich scandal
hell yes!! these democrats deserve it, big time!!
there is little doubt…all these ILL politicians dance on Daley’s strings…he runs the chicago outfit (the mafia)
by stopping him from turning this country into the USSA. his agenda is terrible for whats left of this country…I hope his agenda is defeated soundly….or it passes…and his supporters are the ones that suffer the most under the disaster that will surely follow….
If I’m “pining” for anything, it’s for us to
Recommit Ourselves to Our Constitutional Republic
sound like you’re the mindless moron…a ‘moderate’ who’s done so much damage to this country…like bush.
Stop gasbagging and send an email to your two senators to say no to bailout.
Doesn’t ” I didn’t have contact with that man” remind anyone of “I didn’t have sex with that woman” Chicago, Chicago, and all that Jazz.
http://rattlergator.typepad.com/rattlergator/2008/12/chicago-politics-never-fails-to-amaze.html
I, for one, am not necessarily pining for an Obama scandal. I do, however, want the truth to come out, no matter what that means for whomever. I don’t relish the prospect of a scandal, but being watchful of one is not rooting against your country.
The fact that KHQA is scrubbing its own stories to provide cover for Obama’s statement should at least raise your eyebrows, seeing as their original story backs up David Axelrod and further contradicts Obama. “Misspoke,” my a$$.
The main question is if the evidence will survive long enough to become public.
Recall the Clinton-Years-Epidemic that seemed to cut short the lives of so many interested folks?
Thanks for proving my point.
On December 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm, elgringoviejo said:
Yes.
Those days may be here again. That’s exactly why I previously posted this: