What bothers me is that he was reelected. The poeple should have ahndled this but didn't. Our problem with the voters is not a partisan thing. Both sides have made some fairly poor choices over the years.
I respect the hell out of both you and Redress for putting "right and wrong" ahead of politics, so believe me when I say, that I'm not trying to start a pissing war with what I'm about to say.
When it comes to corrupt politicians, there is no party preference. While neither side of the isle can claim the high road on the issue of political corruption, over the years I have noticed how each side deals with it seems to be quite different. Maybe my own partisanship has clouded my memory, but it sure seems to me that republicans nearly always (both voters and politicians) take swift and decisive action to purge corrupt people from their ranks, even when the corruption is only alleged, or the politicians themselves resign. Democrats on the other hand, seem more interested playing politics when one of their own is involved in corruption. They either go into damage control mode and defend their corrupt people, or the simply sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened. They almost never resign.
Just on memory alone, I can come up with several examples in recent to back up my belief. On the republican side, you have Mark Foley, Who was denounced by his colleagues for texting a 17 year old boy and forced to resign.
Trent Lott, who resigned as house speaker over bogus allegations of racism.
Tom Delay, who resigned as majority leader and opted not to run for reelection over criminal charges that he was found not guilty of committing.
Larry Craig, who was accused but not convicted of solicitation, (which I hardly consider "corruption") was repudiated by republicans and pressured to resign. He rescinded his resignation however, and finished out his term and didn't run for reelection.
On the democrat side, racist and former KKK grand wizard Robert Byrd, who said the "N" word on Fox News in 2001, was hailed by democrats and served for 41 years till his death.
Jack Murtha, the king of pork who was caught on tape by the FBI in a bribe scandal in the 70's (turned states evidence for immunity), who was under investigation when he died, was reelected year after year.
Chris Dodd, who has been in the thick of political corruption for years, including the Countywide scandal, has never been asked to resign and probably would have run again if his poll numbers weren't so bad.
Barney Frank, who's boyfriend ran a brothel out of his apartment and refused to reform Fanny and Freddie, has never been asked to step down, and is reelected year after year.
William Jefferson, who was caught by the FBI in a sting with $90,000.00 in bribe money in his freezer, not only wasn't asked to resign, but won reelection and was offered a leadership position by Nancy Pelosi even with the criminal charges pending.
Marion Barry, caught on film smoking crack while mayor of D.C, not only didn't resign, he ended up serving time in the federal pen, then after his release was elected mayor of DC again. He is still on the DC city council to this day.
See what I mean?
