You'd think by reading this e-mail that only Republicans are engaging in corruption in Congress. But with over 200 lawmakers filing late reports like Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif, reporting 21 trips and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., reporting 20 past trips, it comes as a surprise to learn there are just as many Democrats engaging in the time dishonored practice of junkets. The biggest traveler with privately funded trips is a Democrat also.
Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr., a Tennessee Democrat who is running for the Senate, holds first place as Congress' most prolific traveler since 2000. While his travel reports have been trouble-free in recent years, that has not always been the case.
From 1998 to 2003, he took 61 privately funded trips. During that period, he failed to file a single travel-disclosure form with the House clerk, as required by the chamber's ethics rules.
The tips DeLay took that were paid for on Abramoff's credit card also include two other Democrat Congressmen, who are not under investigation for the exact same offense DeLay is accused of.
The point is, MoveOn isn't concerned about corruption, they are concerned about getting people out of office who disagree with them despite the fact that they were elected by a majority of this country who want them there and support their agenda. That agenda may keep Hillary awake at night and she may think that is isn't good for America, but the facts remain, that a majority of this country has rejected the Democrats because all they can do is spew racist hatred.
The latest MoveOn production shows that they aren't even going to try to convince voters anymore, they'll just try to get every Republican thrown out of office under any pretext they can. No agenda, no issues, no discussion and the US keeps on getting redder.
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Dear MoveOn member,
Last week, MoveOn members made the news when we took on Republican members of Congress who continue to back Republican leader Tom DeLay despite his numerous ethical and legal misdeeds. The Rocky Mountain News headline was, "MoveOn Targets Beauprez, Musgrave." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "PAC Targeting Hart with Anti-DeLay Radio Ads" and the Ventura County (CA) Star noted that "Gallegly Gets Anti-DeLay Petitions."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mark Saleski
whoa! moveon, a liberal pac...is LIBERAL!
shocking news!!!
guess what?....(shhhh....)
ann coulter is conservative.
more than that, she's a conservative with a known track record of making stuff up, very much like your "democrats spewing racist hatred" smear.
2 - Dave Nalle
There's a lot more to this article than you suggest, Mark. The idea that moveon.org is essentially trying to create their own political reality out of whole cloth is very perceptive. That's exactly what they are doing. They know that if enough people say something in enough places eventually everyone will start to think that it's true, and lo and behold the media picks up on it.
Dave
3 - Mark Saleski
and there aren't conservative organizations attempting to do the very same thing?
right.
4 - Dave Nalle
There are certainly some outspoken and propagandistic conservative groups out there, but none I've encountered which are attempting to totally redefine reality and change the very meaning of truth on the comprehensive scale you see with moveon.org and their many surrogates and agents.
Dave
5 - El Bicho
Maybe that's because they already have and you are in the middle of it.
6 - Dave Nalle
You're messing with my mind, man....stop it.
Dave
7 - Maurice
Dave, your mind is just fine. There is no balance when it comes to tolerance of differing views. Where is the outrage (petitions) at Senator Robert (KKK) Byrd and his reference to 'White Nigger'? Does MoveOn support Byrd? How about all the pork that Byrd has brought home to Virgina? You guys cool with the Byrd Airport? Byrd Freeway?
There is little tolerance from the left even in this 'open forum':
"Another use for hemp:
Fibers can be woven into a rope and noose used to hang Right Wing Supreme Court Judges after the Revolution".
I am assuming Shark is a MoveOn liberal.
8 - John Bambenek
I blame France.
9 - John Bambenek
Where did you get the quote, Maurice?
10 - Joe
"How about all the pork that Byrd has brought home to Virgina?"
Come on! This is a family website!
11 - Maurice
I copied that Shark quote from 'Smoke a Joint, Save a Tree'. It is comment #3.
BTW, another good post from Silas.
12 - John Bambenek
Lol@Joe
Thanks, Maurice.
13 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Moveon.org engages in partisanship? Say it isn't so! (it's so much more fun to speak sarcasm than it is to write it, but I couldn't resist.)
Some partisans will criticize it while other partisans will celebrate it. And each side will claim that the other side's transgressions are far more egregious than their own.
Moveon.org has launched a pretty effective propaganda campaign (for once) in that their promotion of this "DeLay effect" has started to affect Mr. DeLay's fellow Republicans, who are now facing criticism of their efforts to shield Mr. DeLay as well as scrutiny of their own ethics.
However, if the intention is to "try to get every Republican thrown out of office under any pretext they can," then Moveon.org has not been at all successful in that endeavor. Sure, they've caused a bit of a media stir but, thus far there has not been even one indictment.
So why worry that Moveon.org's motives are obviously partisan when Moveon.org has always been partisan and has never made a secret of its partisanship?
Are some people afraid that certain Republicans may actually get thrown out of office for their alleged ethical shenanigans just because of the machinations of Moveon.org?
Would these be the same people who are afraid of the ACLU because they perceive that organization to have the power to hand down court decisions and make laws?
14 - John Bambenek
I don't care of people get thrown out of office over it. But if you care going to ding people for business as usual, let's do it regardless of party. When they throw out DeLay, have him take Pelosi too.
15 - Eric Berlin
John, before you throw anyone out of office, how 'bout adding an Amazon link to your post?
16 - John Bambenek
There's one in MT, not sure why it's not showing it...
17 - Eric Berlin
It's showing now.
18 - Eric Berlin
Make sure that there are no extraneous spaces for Amazon codes, always place a comma between codes, etc.
19 - Mark Saleski
i bet it was moveon.org's fault.
20 - John Bambenek
Another intelligent statement and another example of how the left has nothing to offer the country.
Do us a favor and shut up while the grown ups run the country.
21 - Mark Saleski
oh, i guess i forgot to add the smiley face.
gees, you conservatives are so friggin' uptight.
and again you show your true colors by attacking my intelligence just because i don't happen to agree with your views.
lovely.
22 - John Bambenek
"i bet it was moveon.org's fault."
I'm sorry for not stooping to your level and engaging in childish banter.
Let me go get your pacifier.
23 - Mark Saleski
so, is it true that people who are excessively condescending can't actually tell that they're excessively condescending?
24 - John Bambenek
It's not that I'm condescending, it's that you are a waste of my time.
25 - Mark Saleski
wow. so you stoop the the o'reilly level, telling me to shut up....and somehow, it's MY fault.
for making a joke?
this little mini-argument is a microcosm of what i find disgusting about political discussions. sooner or later, one side decides that the other is lacking in intelligence for not agreeing with (or perhaps not understanding) the point(s) being made.
it's sad. i never think somebody is dumb because they don't agree. heck, i don't think you're stupid for taking an opposing position.
however, when you decide that i'm not up to your level...well, then you've lost points.
so sorry for being a waste of your time oh sir, man of men, knower of all things conservative, right, true.