Nancy Pelosi’s much touted “Culture of Corruption” was originally conceived as a lily-white, Republicans only club that Democrats could point to with self-righteous indignation while claiming moral and ethical superiority.
Unfortunately for Pelosi, the real poster child for corruption is an African-American Democrat named William J. Jefferson. For those who may have lost track, Jefferson is the U.S. Representative from Louisiana who was apparently caught on video accepting $100,000 in bribes, most of which allegedly ended up in Jefferson’s freezer.
Because of his ethics challenges, Jefferson was unable to win outright re-election on November 7, and was thus pitted against Democrat Kate Carter in a runoff election held December 8.
In an amazing recovery, Jefferson has come back to haunt Pelosi and the Democrats by handily winning that runoff election. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Jefferson led Carter by 57 percent to 43 percent in the heavily Democratic black-majority district that takes in most of New Orleans and some close-in suburbs.
Go here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/2006/12/jefferson_weathers_scandal_win.html#more
So now what do you plan to do, Ms. Speaker-elect? What happened to that “New Day in America” that you promised?
How about an investigation to determine if Jefferson used that $90,000 in frozen assets to fund his campaign?
Or to capitalize on the season, why not invoke remembrances of the original Three Wise Men by sending Jefferson, John Murtha, and Alcee Hastings on a fact-finding mission to Baghdad---outside the “Green Zone?” All traveling with one-way tickets?
Nancy Pelosi may ultimately overcome this bit of bad news. Still, it is comforting to know that her “Culture of Corruption” blathering may come back to haunt Pelosi in the form of William J. Jefferson.
John Lillpop is a recovering liberal, "clean and sober" since 1992 when last he voted for a Democrat. Pray for John: He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where people like Nancy Pelosi are considered reasonable!
