Hastert should resign?

[mickj]

Reynolds Rap

Claim: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate.

Status: True.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]

Jessie Jackson has added former Chicago democratic congressman Mel Reynolds to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree. Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud & lies to the Federal Election Commission. He is more notorious; however, for concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer.

This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate.

His new job? Youth counselor.

Origins: We can't say with absolute certainty that what's described above is "a first in American politics," since the sexual peccadilloes of American politicians were not always as widely publicized as they are now, but the gist of the piece is true (although it originally circulated back in 2001, so it now references events that occurred several years ago and not ones that happened just recently):

* 1995-1997: President Bill Clinton's sexual escapades with Monica Lewinsky, then a 21-year-old unpaid White House intern working in the office of Leon Panetta, Clinton's Chief of Staff, hardly need recounting to anyone who hasn't spent the last eight years on Mars.

* January 2001: The National Enquirer revealed that Jesse Jackson had been carrying on a four-year affair with Karin L. Stanford, a 39-year-old former aide with his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition staff, and that Jackson had fathered the child Stanford bore in May 1999. (Jackson has been married since 1963.)

* January 2001: Just before leaving office, President Clinton (at the urging of Jesse Jackson, among others) commuted the sentence of former Illinois congressman Mel Reynolds, who had spent 30 months in a state prison for having sex with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer and was serving a five-year sentence in federal prison for lying to obtain loans and illegally diverting campaign money for personal use.

* January 2001: The Chicago Sun-Times reported that former congressman Mel Reynolds would be working as the community development director of Salem Baptist Church in south-side Chicago, and as a consultant for Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, trying to decrease the number of young African-Americans going to prison. (Reynolds' position would be more accurately characterized as that of an advisor on prison reform rather than a "Youth counselor," however.)

[brewer12345]

If the allegations that the Repugnant House leadership were told repeatedly about the sleaze going on and either did nothing or actively hid it, yes, they should resign. I suspect that a nice, long, thorough investigation lasting up to and beyond the upcoming elections (heheh) will tease out all the sordid details, which will be dutifully reported by the press (hahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha!!!!!).

[HFWR]

I think all 435 should resign...

[Mr._johngalt]

Originally Posted by HFWR

I think all 435 should resign...

That is a wonderful idea, except they would be replaced. Imagine if the house could be eliminated entirely and we just go with the senate.
You could still have your legislative, judicial and executive branches.
John Lennon's 'Imagine' is playing in the background.

JG

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by Mr._johngalt

That is a wonderful idea, except they would be replaced. Imagine if the house could be eliminated entirely and we just go with the senate.
You could still have your legislative, judicial and executive branches.
John Lennon's 'Imagine' is playing in the background.

JG

Better yet, do away with the Senate and the Supreme Court, too. Ein Reich, Ein Volk...

[Mr._johngalt]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Better yet, do away with the Senate and the Supreme Court, too. Ein Reich, Ein Volk...

Funny.......now I hear goose-stepping. Nope, it was just an AFLAC
commercial.

JG

[youbet]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

If the allegations that the Repugnant House leadership were told repeatedly about the sleaze going on and either did nothing or actively hid it, yes, they should resign. I suspect that a nice, long, thorough investigation lasting up to and beyond the upcoming elections (heheh) will tease out all the sordid details, which will be dutifully reported by the press (hahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha!!!!!).

If we need an investigation........ Dem leadership is in the media this morning saying they have proof but want to give the GOP leadership an opportunity to resign with dignity before they present it.

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by youbet

If we need an investigation........ Dem leadership is in the media this morning saying they have proof but want to give the GOP leadership an opportunity to resign with dignity before they present it.

Oh no, we need an investigation. We need a blue ribbon commission and an FBI squad and a Conressional ethics investigation and a... All of which will take months to fully draw out all of the putresence and spew it all over the public, courtesy of the media. I just hope the Repugnants just keep on committing political suicide for a while longer before resigning/giving in to calls for an investigation.

The best thing is, Democrats don't really have to do anything but let the media do its job, maybe helpfully pointng out a few odds and ends to keep the press on track.

[FinanceDude]

Originally Posted by youbet

If we need an investigation........ Dem leadership is in the media this morning saying they have proof but want to give the GOP leadership an opportunity to resign with dignity before they present it.

Just wondering if a Dem would get a free pass if this was them............ What ever happened to that guy that took $50,000 in bribes and was caught on tape? Still in the House I'll bet.............

[eridanus]

Originally Posted by mickj

Jessie Jackson has added former Chicago democratic congressman Mel Reynolds to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree.

What's that got to do with the current scandal?

Clinton hasn't been President for 6 years. Get over it.

[brewer12345]

Yeah, but don't forget: it was all Clinton's fault.

I remember back in the waning days of the Clinton years that Bill was worried about his "legacy", what with all the mud flying around. Little did he know that his good name would be safe in the history books because of his successor's gross incompetence.

[mickj]

Originally Posted by eridanus

What's that got to do with the current scandal?

Clinton hasn't been President for 6 years. Get over it.

Hey I have a mote in my eye, I know... but I thought the contrast was very interesting. Personally I don't have faith in any current politician.

[ladelfina]

Oh no, we need an investigation. We need a blue ribbon commission and an FBI squad and a Conressional ethics investigation and a...

Maybe Ken Starr is available? Anybody have his cell #?

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by ladelfina

Maybe Ken Starr is available? Anybody have his cell #?

Nah, I'd prefer someone who isn't a party hack. Patrick Fitzgerald, perhaps?

[yakers]

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Nah, I'd prefer someone who isn't a party hack. Patrick Fitzgerald, perhaps?

Patric Buchanan?

[mickj]

Originally Posted by yakers

Patric Buchanan?

nah, how about Jimmy Carter

[youbet]

Originally Posted by FinanceDude

Just wondering if a Dem would get a free pass if this was them............ What ever happened to that guy that took $50,000 in bribes and was caught on tape? Still in the House I'll bet.............

FinanceDude, you don't seem to "get it." Dems are the party of "the people" and a little rules bending is all part of "the people" getting a fair deal and their share.

Take Chicago machine politics for example. We deliver Illinois for the Dems every election with a minimum of DNC expenditure and national candidate face time here. Sure, there's some dead folks voting, some payola and all that. But we're smart enough to "sell it" and it's accepted and even praised by all. No one dislikes Chicago and Illinois for being this way. They just laugh it off because that's the way it is!

If Richard Daley were President, the terrorists would be smoozing and whining for their share of patronage jobs, Congress would be 100% Dems and ward bosses could be transferred to embassies so they could get those countries organized too!

And you ask about the fate of a hack congressman over a pidling $50K? Come on.........

[mickj]

just a little more contrast...

In 1983, then-Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds of Massachusetts was caught in a similar situation. In his case, Studds had sex with a male teenage page -- something Foley hasn't been charged with.

Did Studds express contrition? Resign? Quite the contrary. He rejected Congress' censure of him and continued to represent his district until his retirement in 1996.

In 1989, Rep. Barney Frank (news, bio, voting record), also of Massachusetts, admitted he'd lived with Steve Gobie, a male prostitute who ran a gay sex-for-hire ring out of Frank's apartment. Frank, it was later discovered, used his position to fix 33 parking tickets for Gobie.

What happened to Frank? The House voted 408-18 to reprimand him -- a slap on the wrist. Today he's an honored Democratic member of Congress, much in demand as a speaker and "conscience of the party."

[eridanus]

mickj, why no mention of Dan Crane, who was implicat