Culture of Corruption

It's Election Eve here in California, and the battle for Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham's empty seat is in the news. The Democrats have made hay over Republican Cunningham's bribery admission and conviction, proclaiming it as evidence of the Republicans' "culture of corruption."

But when a Democrat is caught with the cold cash of bribery in his freezer, the media, the Democratic leadership, and even Republican leadership all come to his defense. Or at least the defense of his congressional office from search and seizure.

The latest news, from today's Washington Post, reveals a web of firms owned by his children and other family members where the money, as much as $400,000 from one individual, was allegedly funneled as part of the bribery scheme.

As court records, sworn affidavits, plea agreements and search warrants attest, it was quite a deal, one of several involving at least seven business entities, nearly a dozen family members and hundreds of thousands of dollars sloshing through bank accounts, all for Jefferson's personal benefit.

But has Congress and the media jumped up to vilify Jefferson the way it did Cunningham? Hardly.

There's been a lot of opinion written about Jefferson. Robert F. Turner, in the May 28 OpinionJournal, wrote about Congress's misplaced principles.

One might expect that others in Congress would be grateful that a scoundrel in their midst has apparently been caught red-handed. But there is obviously a more fundamental issue here, as House Speaker Dennis Hastert quickly joined forces with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, not to commend the FBI for its outstanding work, but to vehemently denounce its actions on the theory that members of Congress are above the law.

Specifically, they accused the FBI of violating the constitutional principle of separation of powers and the "Speech or Debate" clause of the Constitution. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner has scheduled hearings for Tuesday on this "profoundly disturbing constitutional question."

It's disgusting. It says that Congress members--both the Republicans and the Democrats--expect to need protecting when it comes to be their turn to indulge in a little bribe-taking.

Bob Barr wrote, on May 28, for the Washington Times that Congress is focusing on the wrong thing by worrying about separation of powers with the Justice Department's taking of Jefferson's documents.

Already, the fact that Congress has lept to Mr. Jefferson's defense has provided breathingroom for the embattled congressman. The picture is madeeven (sic) murkier by the statement President Bush issued later in the week that appears to signal weakness in the administration's position. Historically and legally, the Department of Justice is on solid ground, but if they fail to hold that ground, they'll have only themselves to blame when this and future cases unravel.

He's right. The next congressional criminal will simply hide the evidence in his or her office to keep it out of the courts.

Mark Steyn in the May 28 Chicago Sun-Times, like Barr and Turner, is one of the few even looking at the issue with any common sense.

Last week, something very unusual happened: There was a story out of Washington that didn't reflect badly on the Republican Party's competence or self-discipline. It was about a Democrat! Fellow from Louisiana called William Jefferson. Corruption investigation. Don't worry, if you're too distracted by "American Idol," it's not hard to follow, you just need to know one little visual image: According to an FBI affidavit, this Democrat congressman was caught on video taking a hundred-grand bribe from a government informer and then storing it in his freezer. That's what the scandal's supposed to be: Democrat Icecapades of 2006. All the GOP had to do was keep out of the way and let Jefferson and his Dem defenders skate across the thin ice like Tonya Harding with her lumpy tights full of used twenties. It was a perfect story: No Republicans need be harmed in the making of this scandal.

So what does Hastert do? He and the House Republican leadership intervene in the case on behalf of the Democrat: They're strenuously objecting to the FBI having the appalling lese majeste to go to court, obtain a warrant and search Jefferson's office.

What's wrong with these people?!? Are they out of their minds? Jefferson was caught red-handed, and they're defending him.

At this point, Duke Cunningham doesn't look so bad. He accepted bribes, but when he was caught, he admitted his guilt. His final public speech (that I remember) contained these words: "In my life, I have known great joy and great sorrow. Now I know great shame."

Criminal that he is, Cunningham is the better man, because the rest of them know absolutely no shame.