AIN'T THAT SWEET???

Michigan’s hyperpartisan representative John Conyers has admitted that he “possibly violating House rules by requiring his official staff to perform campaign-related work, according to a statement quietly released by the House ethics committee late Friday evening”, according to this Hill Magazine article.

The top Republican and Democratic members on the ethics panel, Reps. Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Howard Berman (D-CA), said in a statement that Conyers acknowledged a “lack of clarity” in communicating what was expected of his official staff and that he accepted responsibility for his actions.

“[Conyers] agreed to take a number of additional, significant steps to ensure that his office complies with all rules and standards regarding campaign and personal work by congressional staff,” they stated. “We have concluded that this matter should be resolved through the issuance of this public statement.”

Regardless of the “additional, significant steps” taken, this is proof of the Democrats’ own culture of corruption. It smacks me as hypocritical if further steps aren’t taken by incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Whether she realized it or not, she set the bar by bypassing Alcee Hastings for the House Intelligence Committee Chairmanship because he was impeached by a Democratic House and convicted by a Democratic Senate. How can Conyers chair the House Judiciary Committee in light of his admitting his unethical behavior?

I’d further suggest that the Ethics Committee’s work isn’t finished, contrary to their statement saying that “We have concluded that this matter should be resolved through the issuance of this public statement.” Issuing a public statement and putting in place some undisclosed “additional, significant steps” isn’t nearly good enough. This behavior isn’t nothing. Instead, it’s rather disturbing. Conyers’ actions were deliberate and they were repetitious in nature.

This is an early test of Ms. Pelosi’s veracity, too. She’s already letting John Murtha, one of CREW’s most corrupt Washington politicians chair the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. If she’s willing to let a corrupt person like John Conyers chair one of the most powerful House committees, how can we take her seriously when she says that she’ll run the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history? That a nice soundbite but it isn’t based in reality, at least based on the facts I’ve presented thus far.

The finding by the ethics panel could spark debate, and perhaps eclipse, the first week of the incoming-Democratic majority’s plans to change the House ethics rules, as well as raise questions about Conyers’ standing to chair the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. Pelosi isn’t the only person on the hot seat over this issue. If the editors at the Washington Post, the NY Times and the LA Times don’t give this serious coverage, then we’ll have additional proof that these media outlets aren’t serious about reporting important facts about Democratic corruption. This wouldn’t be shocking but it is more ammunition that the major media outlets aren’t serious, reliable news-gathering outlets.

A spokesman for Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Conyers will remain chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

The Hill is a respected Capitol Hill magazine. They generally employ trustworthy reporters. Let’s see how the ‘Big Three’ newspapers react to the Hill’s article. Let’s see if they take Ms. Pelosi to task for keeping Conyers as Judiciary Committee Chairman. Let’s see if the major media outlets will start questioning Pelosi’s ability to lead. Let’s see if they start questioning her judgment. Based on the decisions she’s made thus far, it’s safe to say that she’s a walking disaster for the Democratic Party. She’s giving Republicans a ton of ammunition to campaign on already and she hasn’t even been sworn in yet.

The Hill reported last March that two former Conyers’ aides alleged that he repeatedly violated House ethics rules by requiring aides to work on local and state
campaigns, and babysit and chauffeur his children. Deanna Maher, a former deputy chief of staff in the Detroit office, and Sydney Rooks, a former legal counsel in his district office, shared numerous letters, memos, e-mails, handwritten notes and expense reports with The Hill.

It’s obvious that Conyers knowingly and repeatedly violated House ethics guidelines. I don’t see why a slap on the wrist is in order for such a willing disregard for the House ethics rules. What’s more alarming is that Conyers is the clown that’s all bent out of shape over President Bush’s infamous Sixteen Words, claiming that that sentence, combined with the Downing Street Memos, constitute grounds for impeachment.

Let’s also remember this bit of Conyers history:

Working with Conyers, the Ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Democrats have introduced legislation to end racial profiling, limit the reach of the Patriot Act, and make immigration safe and accessible. Leader Pelosi is a proud cosponsor of the End Racial Profiling Act, the Security and Freedom Ensured Act (SAFE), and the Safe, Orderly, and Legal Visas Enforcement Act (SOLVE).

In other words, John Conyers has a history of caving into his Muslim constituents by attempting to gut the USA Patriot Act. That official statement was made prior to the Democratic National Convention in July, 2004. If you think that’s ancient history, think again:

Turns out among those attending their conference was Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, (D-MN), who will be the first Muslim sworn into Congress (with his hand on the Quran). Two days earlier, Ellison, an African-American convert who wants to criminalize Muslim profiling, spoke at a fundraiser for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim-rights group that wasted no time condemning US Airways for “prejudice and ignorance.” CAIR wants congressional hearings to investigate other incidents of “flying while Muslim.” Incoming Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, (D-MI), has already drafted a resolution, borrowing from CAIR rhetoric, that gives Muslims special civil-rights protections.

Part of this legislation is to make racial profiling illegal, thereby gutting the USA Patriot Act.