Friday, October 02, 2009
Ethics and the U.S. Senate
The United States Senate has come to the realization that Senator John Ensign's actions related to his affair with a married campaign staffer, doubling her salary, and putting her husband on the payroll, may have raised some red flags regarding his ethics.
Really? They're just now figuring this out? Most of the details around the affair came out in mid-June. This includes awarding a job to the woman's husband as an "administrative assistant" for a meager $144,000 per year. Hey Senator! I can run a PowerPoint presentation as well as anyone! Don't I rate a six figure job? What's that you say? I'd have to loan you my wife?
It's so good to know that the 99 other members of the U.S. Senate are so adept at sniffing out these things. They are right on the case. Gives you faith in the system. Next thing you know they'll realize that they should actually read bills before they vote them into law, something not done with the "Patriot Act" that overturned the Bill of Rights. Well, maybe not the WHOLE Bill of Rights, just the first, fourth and sixth amendments (but only for Muslims). That still leaves seven out of ten, great stats if you're talking batting averages.
This is the same Senator who just the other day was a louder than loud critic of the health care plans put forth by Democratic Senators that included the Public Option. The man should not be allowed to set foot on the floor of the Senate, much less influence debate on any bill. If Senator Ensign had any respect for the Senate he'd resign immediately. But he won't, because it's not about respect for the Senate. It's about power mongering.
No, when an American Senator is caught in any situation that would send the average person to jail, or at least force them to move out of town and change their name, the Senator will always hang on for as long as possible. While the Senator hangs on the situation will always worsen and eventually cost the taxpayers millions. In almost any other country the lawmaker would immediately step down. Some would kill themselves. Not here. No, a corrupt official caught in the act in the good old U.S.A. is required to humiliate everyone within a five mile radius, starting with his or her spouse. It's one of the things that makes this country great and the envy of all other countries.
Really? They're just now figuring this out? Most of the details around the affair came out in mid-June. This includes awarding a job to the woman's husband as an "administrative assistant" for a meager $144,000 per year. Hey Senator! I can run a PowerPoint presentation as well as anyone! Don't I rate a six figure job? What's that you say? I'd have to loan you my wife?
It's so good to know that the 99 other members of the U.S. Senate are so adept at sniffing out these things. They are right on the case. Gives you faith in the system. Next thing you know they'll realize that they should actually read bills before they vote them into law, something not done with the "Patriot Act" that overturned the Bill of Rights. Well, maybe not the WHOLE Bill of Rights, just the first, fourth and sixth amendments (but only for Muslims). That still leaves seven out of ten, great stats if you're talking batting averages.
This is the same Senator who just the other day was a louder than loud critic of the health care plans put forth by Democratic Senators that included the Public Option. The man should not be allowed to set foot on the floor of the Senate, much less influence debate on any bill. If Senator Ensign had any respect for the Senate he'd resign immediately. But he won't, because it's not about respect for the Senate. It's about power mongering.
No, when an American Senator is caught in any situation that would send the average person to jail, or at least force them to move out of town and change their name, the Senator will always hang on for as long as possible. While the Senator hangs on the situation will always worsen and eventually cost the taxpayers millions. In almost any other country the lawmaker would immediately step down. Some would kill themselves. Not here. No, a corrupt official caught in the act in the good old U.S.A. is required to humiliate everyone within a five mile radius, starting with his or her spouse. It's one of the things that makes this country great and the envy of all other countries.
