You may recall that former House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, was forced to step down as part of a money laundering scandal. He is also noted for his close relationships with lobbyists, particularly Jack Abramoff, who is also facing trial over his various corrupt dealings. So, when the Republicans were looking to replace to DeLay with someone more respectable, they chose John Boehner, who made some nice speeches about changing direction and so forth. Well, check this (from the Washington Post):
The Center for Public Integrity said that Boehner accepted 42 privately sponsored trips from January 2000 to December 2005. That put him on the road to other countries and “golfing hotspots,” often with his wife, Debbie, for about half a year, “only nine days of which he listed as being ‘at personal expense,’ ” the center said.
I see. It appears that this is a clear case of “meet the new leader, same as the old leader.” Don’t the Republicans get it? Americans don’t want corruption. They don’t like sleazy, “fact-finding” missions (“Nice drive!” “Ain’t that a fact.”) This will be of great help to the Democrats in November, as it makes clear the culture of corruption of the GOP.
In fairness, one might ask what Boehner was doing on these trips. Well:
Among the places Boehner traveled on privately financed trips were Edinburgh, Scotland; Venice; Brussels; and Barcelona, the center said. Two of his domestic destinations, which the center pointed out are famous for their golf courses, were Boca Raton, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz.
The report said Boehner received more than $160,000 in food, lodging, transportation and other expenditures on his privately paid journeys. His benefactors included the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CSX Corp. and the Sallie Mae Foundation.
Boehner, of course, being a Representative of Ohio, surely has pressing matters to investigate in these places, on behalf of his constituents–not! No wonder that Boehner, as reported in the article, resisted Dennis Hastert’s motion to ban lobbyist paid travel for representatives. What would he do without it? Most disturbing of all, his people don’t seem to grasp why this is all wrong:
Rather, Madden [a Boehner spokesman] pointed to the center’s report as proof that disclosure works well. Madden said the study was possible because of the thorough disclosures Boehner made through the years and which he now advocates expanding. The center was able to detail Boehner’s activities because his trips, “in each and every instance, were promptly and publicly disclosed according to law,” Madden said.
Right. No worries about conflicts of interest or corruption. As long as its clearly reported, it’s fine. The only good thing about that approach is it will make it even clearer to voters where the GOP stands on this ethical issue.
John Boehner to play Bluto Blartarsky in Repbulican remake of the movie Animal House
by Nancy Rivas
(An early draft of one famous scene has leaked out)
Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert: Well, it looks like the days of flying around on the private jets of companies with business before Congress are over.
House Majority Leader, John Boehner (as Bluto Blatarsky): Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is!
Was it over when this story first hit the press? Hell no! I still got elected Leader.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
President Bush: What’s over?
Al Lord (Chairman of Sallie Mae): [Starts crying]
Please tell me the Single Holder Rule is not over. I’m just starting to build my own private golf course, and I need more money to buy my own baseball team. [Crying continues]
:……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Boehner: It ain’t over now. ‘Cause when the goin’ gets tough…the tough get goin’! Who’s with me? Let’s go!
[Runs out with Al Lord]
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
[Boehner returns alone]
Boehner: What happened to the Republicans I used to know? Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts, huh?
Hastert: I thought we wern’t going to talk about Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff anymore.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Boehner: Look, there is no way we can run the country without seeing what’s going on in Boca Raton first hand.
Bush: We can’t? Does Sallie Mae live in Boca?
Boehner: Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty more rabbits up these sleeves.
House Education and Workforce Chairman, McKeon: That line was OK for the bankers’ convention, but what do I tell the students?
Boehner: Forget about them. They’ve been freeloading on the taxpayers for years with the subsidies they have been getting on their student loans.
House Majority Whip, Blunt: Shh…60 Minutes and Leslie Stahl might find out about how we eliminated the refinancing of consolidation loans.
Bush: We did?
Boehner: Just tell the students to stop complaining about a few lousy dollars per month and get a job.
Now, who’s with me?
[Silence]
That doesn’t surprise me at all. Back in the first part February I found out he was renting his D.C. apartment from a lobbyist. No corruption from Ohio Republicans surprises me- there’s just so much of it.