Democratic Party Immersed In Culture Of Corruption By Herb Denenberg

Source: http://www.thebulletin.us/articles/2009/02/27/herb_denenberg/doc49a4eeee0f7ea036192322.txt

February 27, 2009

You may not know it if you read only the mainstream media, but even The Associated Press put out a story headlined “Analysis: Democrats self-destructing over ethics.”

I’d change that headline to read “Democrats self-destructing over ethics and criminality.” The Democratic Party of retreat and defeat, anti-military and anti-family values, is rapidly becoming the party of tax cheats, of the corrupt and of the ethically challenge. When the head of the IRS is an admitted tax cheat, you’ve got to admit the party is self-destructing.

Who has done all the talking about the culture of corruption? Rep. Nancy “San Francisco Values” Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, who hold themselves and their party out as the great models of morality and as having high ethical standards. We are indebted to them for creating that terminology, which now so aptly applies to the corrupt culture of their own Democratic Party. And who promised the most ethical Congress in history? The same Rep. Pelosi.

Yes, the Democratic Party’s culture of corruption continues in full force, with the latest addition coming from the new senator from Illinois, Roland Burris. He is now under a criminal investigation in Springfield for perjury and is subject to a U.S. Senate investigation in Washington, D.C. This is perhaps the most important Democrat to commit perjury since President Bill Clinton’s perjury and impeachment (leading to acquittal by the Senate). Both Democrat and Republicans are demanding Sen. Burris’s resignation, including Gov. Pat Quinn, the new Democratic governor of Illinois. Even the White House got into the act, by asking him to take time out and think his position over.

The new senator was supposed to be that rare, clean Chicago politician. That’s what he told the legislature and they believed him. Perhaps when vetting Chicago politicians by Chicago politicians, the word “clean” has to be thought of as relative.

Sen. Burris is a former attorney general of Illinois, so when he testified before the Illinois legislature, he surely knew what he was doing when he failed to answer questions fully and truthfully about his contacts with Rod Blagojevich and members of his staff.

This adds further emphasis to one of the great corruption scandals of recent years involving the ex-governor of Illinois, Mr. Blagojevich, who was recently impeached for trying to sell the senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. This also puts the spotlight on the Obama-Blagojevich connection, as Mr. Obama supported Mr. Blagojevich in both of his gubernatorial runs, even after knowing, in the most recent, run that the then-governor was under investigation. But then-Sen. Obama has a record of not only associating with crooks and those under investigation, but also entering into business deals with them.

Of course, I’m referring to the now-convicted felon, Tony Rezko, who entered into a questionable land deal with Mr. Obama. The fully story on that smelly transaction is still to be revealed, as is so much of the Obama record. Another crony of Mr. Blagojevich, the impeached governor, is none other than Mr. Rezko. So we might use the old New Jersey slogan and say Messers. Obama, Rezko and Blagojevich … perfect together. And until the details of the criminal investigation of Mr. Blagojevich are made pubic, we won’t know of the role of Mr.Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel or others in the Obama fold.

The Burris-Blagojevich scandal also should spotlight the corrupt Chicago political machine, which seems unable to produce an honest politician. So remember that your president came out of the sewage and slime that has always been the main ingredient of the Chicago political culture, considered the most corrupt political machine in the U.S.

Also remember that Mr. Obama supported this corrupt political machine throughout his career and refused to support a move to try to reform the political machine. With that history and connection to the corrupt Chicago political machine, don’t set your ethical and political expectations too high.

And don’t assume Sen. Burris is the only recent addition to the parade of corrupt Democratic politicians in the news. Another new addition is Rev. Al Sharpton, a key figure in Democratic politics. You’ll recall that when Caroline Kennedy made her disastrous, brief run for an appointment to the U.S. Senate, she paid homage to Rev. Sharpton, as all New York politicians and Democratic presidential candidates routinely do. That says something about the state of New York politics and the culture of corruption of the Democratic Party.

Rev. Sharpton is in the news now, as he is protesting a New York Post cartoon that showed two policemen shooting a berserk chimp, with the caption reading, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”

Rev. Sharpton seems to think the chimp is meant to be President Obama. The cartoonist and the Post editors knew that Rep. Pelosi and her liberal elite in the House drafted the stimulus package, not President Obama. They also knew that a chimp or monkey is often used to represent someone that is not too bright.

I would think a cartoonist, under those facts, would be entitled to the benefit of the doubt. But the Rev. Sharpton protest has one useful purpose: It spotlights that the old race baiter, race hustler and shakedown artist is at work again.

This Democratic stalwart is also in the news, as he is on a speaking tour in Syracuse, N.Y. with the subject of personal responsibility and a call to service. Well, it turns out that Rev. Sharpton ought to exercise a little personal responsibility himself by paying his taxes. He’s been in the news for years for owing millions in taxes to New York City and State.

The only surprising aspect of that report is that as for some reason this prominent Democrat and tax cheat wasn’t nominated for a position in the Obama cabinet, so he could keep company with the other tax cheats, both nominated and confirmed. Of course, Rev. Sharpton should have been knocked out of public life by his involvement in the Tawana Brawley scandal, which ended with Rev. Sharpton being on the losing end of a defamation lawsuit brought by a prosecutor.

That prosecutor had been falsely accused of kidnapping and raping Ms. Brawley, the teenager whose allegations of rape turned out to be a hoax. Only in the Democratic Party could such a politician survive and prosper after being involved in the Brawley outrage. But remember Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., who was elected to Congress after he was impeached while serving as a federal judge. He was defeated in the last election.

The Blagojevich scandal was probably even a more shocking scandal than that involving the resigned governor of New York, Elliot Spitzer, another outstanding Democrat who, like Mr. Blagojevich, had presidential aspirations. He was involved with call girls after posing as the great moralizer as attorney general and governor. But Mr. Spitzer’s resignation in New York was only the beginning of the cult ure of corruption there.

His successor, Gov. David Paterson had a chief of staff, Charles J. O’Byrne who had to resign over tax problems. He suffered from the non-filer syndrome. He didn’t pay his taxes. But Gov. Patterson’s office is in such disarray that he said he was going to bring Mr. O’Byrne back. So apparently, the tax cheaters are so talented and effective that they are essential in Democratic administrations, even if they are tax cheats. As one wise man observed, being a tax cheat is almost a prerequisite for the Obama cabinet. Maybe it is for Mr. Patterson’s circle, too.

You’ll recall the noted tax cheat, Tim Geithner, who was the only man who could do the job as Secretary of the Treasury. But the Democratic Senate had no problem in confirming a tax cheat, who has conclusively proved now on the job he is not as brilliant as he was claimed.

Incidentally, Mr. O’Byrne decided not to come back to his old job. And former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., was also billed as so talented he was the only man who could manage the passage of universal health insurance. He stepped down, too, over his tax and conflict of interest problems.

Why do so many brilliant Democrats have an aversion to paying their taxes? They have no aversion to raising taxes.

There’s one thing worse than having a tax cheat as head of the IRS. And that’s having a Democratically-controlled Senate that confirms his nomination. This Democratic Senate is obviously in the business of giving consent but not advice when passing on presidential nominations.

Another in the long list of Democratic would-be office holders with tax problems is Nancy Killefer, who was to head a newly created office to eliminate inefficient government programs. She stepped down when her tax problems were discovered. Too bad, as with her record, she would probably have tried to eliminate the IRS.

Depending on the outcome of the U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, the Democrats may get another office holder who doesn’t seem to be able to pay taxes. Even before Al Franken ran in Minnesota, it was discovered he failed to pay $70,000 in taxes owed in 17 states.

Of course, the Democratic leadership in Congress may think that citizens should be able to cheat on their taxes. I’m referring to Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the tax writing committee of Congress.

He’s the subject of an ethics investigation, focusing on his failure to pay taxes, his financial disclosures, and his fund raising practices for a college center named for him.

We can count on Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., to come into this picture of ethical self-destruction by the Democrats, as he has long been under an ethical cloud going back to ABSCAM. The latest bit now in the news, as reported by the AP, involves Federal agents raiding a lobbying firm with strong Murtha connections, apparently on the suspicion of illegal campaign contributions to a number of Congressmen. Rep. Murtha has been responsible for $1 million in federal funds going to the lobbying firm’s clients. And the lobbying firm, headed by a former top Murtha aide, has been responsible for giving him $143,600 in contributions.

Rep. Murtha, when not busy with his ethical problems, spends his time slandering American military personnel. Remember his comment about how certain members of the military had murdered people in cold blood. And when proven wrong, you know he’s not going to apologize. We’ll have to wait to see if anything comes of this latest investigation. Remember that Mr. Murtha has a knack of escaping from these ethical challenges.

While on the culture of corruption, we can’t forget New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who was nominated to be Secretary of Commerce but had to withdraw as he is under investigation in his home state.

I’d say that the Attorney General’s part in pardoning terrorists and Marc Rich, the fugitive from justice, also raises ethical and corruption issues.

There are also organizations associated with the Democratic Party that also raise culture of corruption issues. Perhaps the best example is ACORN, the community organization, long associated with committing voter fraud and intimidation tactics against banks.

To round out the picture, there’s the former Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, who stepped down when facing perjury charges. He was finally convicted of obstruction of justice. Then he served jail time and is now out on five-year probation.

And who can forget former Louisiana Rep. William “Cash in the Fridge” Jefferson, who has since been defeated for Congress. He was accused of bribery, and when the FBI raided his home, they found a freezer stuffed with cash. Well, you have to keep cash cold, as it gets hot in Louisiana.

Finally, there is Massachusetts State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson who was nailed by the FBI for bribery.

As I was finishing this column, reports came out that a mutual fund controlled by the Vice President Joe Biden’s family has connections with Alan Sanford, the Texas financier responsible for the $8 billion mini-Madoff financial scandal. But it is too early to tell if the Biden family members, his son, Hunter, and his brother, James, have been involved in any ethical missteps in this matter.

Now that sounds like a damning lineup of the corrupt and the ethically challenged and questioned. But it is still a small part of the Democratic Party’s problems. Its main problem is that it has become a far-left, radical, leftist, socialist party that is weak on defense and national security and strong on higher taxes, more regulation and bigger government.

And it has become a party that has abandoned democratic values by lending its support to the card check bill to outlaw secret ballots in union elections and to the Fairness Doctrine, which, in effect, calls for the regulation and suppression of free speech. Where has the Democratic Party gone? It has abandoned its core principles, every one. And what will be the fate of America with the Democratic Party in control of the White House and Congress?

Herb Denenberg is a former Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner, and professor at the Wharton School. He is a longtime Philadelphia journalist and consumer advocate. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of the Sciences. His column appears daily in The Bulletin. You can reach him at advocate@thebulletin.us.