The Culture of Corruption

From the in-box comes this Top 15 list of the latest corrupt Republicans in Congress.

14. Major Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-C.A., caused an uproar on the hill and in the national media when she played politics with accusations of torture by the Bush administration. When confronted with fact that she herself knew but failed to raise issue concerning waterboarding (which she considers torture – on terrorism suspects) back in 2002 when first informed, she insisted that the CIA failed to inform her and was known to mislead the congress. Leon Panetta, who served with Pelosi in Congress as a fellow California Democrat, had issued a memo to CIA staff Friday reiterating that agency records show "CIA officers briefed Pelosi truthfully in 2002 on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing the enhanced techniques that had been employed.

13. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee in at least four areas, including his reported failure to properly report income taxes on a Caribbean villa in the Dominican Republic; use of four, rent-controlled apartments in Harlem; questions about an off-shore firm asking Rangel for special tax exemptions; and whether Rangel improperly used House stationary to solicit donations for a school of public affairs named after him at City College of New York.
http://www.foxnews. com/politics/ elections/ 2009/01/04/ rangel-ethics- probe-incomplete -despite- pelosis-predicti on/

12. Obama's auto industry adviser, Steven Rattner is linked to NY pension fund pay-to-play probe: http://abcnews. go.com/Business/ wireStory? id=7361490

11. In the ongoing federal Blagojevich corruption case, candidate Jesse Jackson Jr. is under investigation for offering to raise $5 million for Obama's vacant senate seat. Excerpt: "At first he denied it, but now it seems his denials were in vain." http://www.puma08. com/2009/ 04/13/jesse- jackson-jr- barack-obamas- campaign- muscle-offered- blago-6-million- for-obamas- seat/

10. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Obama's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services in now under investigation concerning misuse of $713,000 in extra Medicaid funds . . . at a time when no Medicaid funds existed? http://www.noquarte rusa.net/ blog/2009/ 03/19/kathleen- sebeliuss- political- cronyism- problem-obama- appointee- to-hhs-may- have-misused- medicaid- funds/comment- page-1/

9. Impeached/ removed governor Blagojevich appointed candidate Senator Roland Burris who now acknowledges a deeper contacts with Blagojevich allies after initially portraying himself as a surprise pick for the controversial seat the former governor is accused of trying to sell. http://irishspy. typepad.com/ public_secrets/ 2009/02/culture- of-corruption- watch.html

8. The infamous and soon to be convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and ousted, has been indicted on charges he engaged in a "wide-ranging scheme to deprive the people of Illinois of honest government." http://www.foxnews. com/politics/ 2009/04/02/ blagojevich- indicted- federal-corrupti on-charges/

7. Upon the announcement of Obama's Labor secretary nominee; Rep. Hilda Solis, her husband rushed to resolve a 16 year tax liens against his business paying $6,400.
http://www.usatoday .com/news/ washington/ 2009-02-05- solis-husband- taxes_N.htm

6. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; Obama's initial choice as Commerce Secretary, stepped aside because of a federal grand jury investigating of kickbacks of a financial firm which improperly won more than $1.4 million in work for the state of New Mexico shortly after making contributions to political action committees of Bill Richardson.
http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2008/ 12/15/AR20081215 02940.html

5. Treasury Secretary designee Tim Geithner’s on Nov. 21, 2008, Geithner paid $25,970 in these overdue taxes plus interest after being notified in 2006 by the IRS that he owed self-employment taxes and interest for 2003 and 2004.
http://blogs. abcnews.com/ politicalpunch/ 2009/01/a- rocky-road- fo.html

4. Health Secretary Nominee Tom Daschle’s abruptly withdrew his nomination following an admission that he failed to pay about $140,000 in back taxes. $70,000 unpaid taxes.
http://abcnews. go.com/Politics/ President44/ story?id= 6795650&page=1

3. Obama's nominee to be chief performance officer; Nancy Killefer, withdrew her nomination following the revelation that she had a $946.69 lien on her property in 2005 for failure to pay taxes.
http://blogs. abcnews.com/ politicalpunch/ 2009/02/another- tax-pro.html

2. Senator Christopher Dodd was among several high-profile federal officials who got loans on favorable terms from now-failed mortgage giant Countrywide Financial Corp., he's been sought to set the record straight by releasing his mortgage papers but after 6 months still hasn't.
http://www.courant. com/news/ opinion/editoria ls/hc-doddmortga ge.art.artfeb07, 0,1266337. story

1. Democratic senatorial candidate Al Franken who's Minnesota Senate seat is in dispute has admitted to owing $ 50,000 in back taxes, interest, and penalties.
http://www.topix. com/us/politics/ 2009/02/al- franken-admits- 50-000-tax- debt

Oh and let's not forget Senator Roland Burris (D-Blago) who, come to find out, DID offer to raise money for disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich after swearing (under oath) to the Illinois legislature that he did no such thing.

What's that you say????? They're not Republicans????? You say they are all Democrats?????? But that can't be - after all Nancy Pelosi swore that she would personally "drain the swamp" of corruption.......

Back to the drawing board eh?