Rep. Jefferson to be forced off of committee?

[malclave]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/15/jefferson.caucus/
Opening paragraph:

With members of the Congressional Black Caucus crying double standard, House Democrats met behind closed doors Thursday and voted to strip Rep. William Jefferson of his seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

I don't believe that race has anything to do with it, as some allege. However, I also do not think he should be forced off of a committee without charges being filed.

 

[MobBoss]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/15/jefferson.caucus/
Opening paragraph:


I don't believe that race has anything to do with it, as some allege. However, I also do not think he should be forced off of a committee without charges being filed.

Wasnt Trent Lott forced to resign as Senate Majority Leader because of a simple comment he made at a party for Strom Thurmond? Why yes he was. Not a single "charge" filed either. He even apologized, but that wasnt enough for "black leaders".

I would say if they let him stay on the committee it would be a double standard.....

 

[downtown]

Considering the evidence, Jefferson's ass is grass. Ney gave up his committe seat while under investigation. Jefferson ought to do the same

 

[.Shane.]

Wasnt Trent Lott forced to resign as Senate Majority Leader because of a simple comment he made at a party for Strom Thurmond? Why yes he was. Not a single "charge" filed either. He even apologized, but that wasnt enough for "black leaders".

IIRC, Lott stepped down. But, I'm not 100% sure on that memory.

 

[skadistic]

So much for the Dems. and thier "culture of coruption" mantra to refer to the Reps. The real double standard here is that congress thinks it should be above the law and get special rights that ordinary everyday people don't get when it comes to searches. Black leaders need to start scolding blacks that do wrong instead of cring foul and race every time one gets caught doing something illegal. Cinthia Mckenny (?) hits a cop and gets lambasted for it and blacks say its because shes a black woman and not because she hiot a cop. Jefferson gets caught taking bribes and risks jail time for a crime, in the meantime his influence is diminished and rightly so. What do the black leaders do? The say its because hes a black man not because he got caught taking bribes. Every time they do this race card crap it diminishes the times it realy is raceism. The boy who cried wolf is now the black who cried race.

 

[blackheart]

Now they should tar and feather him for his corruption. That'll keep the other politicians in line.

 

[Boris Godunov]

Pelosi is right to ask him to step aside, and he should do so. If he wants to maintain his innocence, so be it, but as long as the investigation is under way, he should relinquish the committee posts. Should he be acquitted (*snicker*), he can have them back, no problem.

It's good to see that many of the most prominent members of the CBC, like Conyers, are backing Pelosi and saying Jefferson must step down as well. Still, I'm disappointed that other members are trying to make this a "race" issue. I'd like to know where they stood when DeLay was first brought under investigation.

 

[Boris Godunov]

So much for the Dems. and thier "culture of coruption" mantra to refer to the Reps.

One case does not a culture of corruption make. By virtue of being the party in power, the GOP is miles and miles ahead of the Dems on the corruption issue. I mean, they lost their Whip over it, had a guy go to prison for it (Cunningham), and have indictments pending for more (like Ney).

 

[malclave]

Pelosi is right to ask him to step aside, and he should do so.

I also think Pelosi was right to ask him to step down from the committee. (omigod! did I just say I thought Pelosi was right about something? oh, the horror!) And, I also think he should have voluntarily stepped down (though it would be reasonable if he asked for assurances that he would be reinstated if the investigation went nowhere)... but, that's between him and his constituents.

But, I'm going to take the same stance on Jefferson as I did on DeLay. That, until such time as an indictment is issued (meaning a grand jury agrees that there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial), he should not be forced down.

 

[Cuivienen]

So much for the Dems. and thier "culture of coruption" mantra to refer to the Reps. The real double standard here is that congress thinks it should be above the law and get special rights that ordinary everyday people don't get when it comes to searches. Black leaders need to start scolding blacks that do wrong instead of cring foul and race every time one gets caught doing something illegal. Cinthia Mckenny (?) hits a cop and gets lambasted for it and blacks say its because shes a black woman and not because she hiot a cop. Jefferson gets caught taking bribes and risks jail time for a crime, in the meantime his influence is diminished and rightly so. What do the black leaders do? The say its because hes a black man not because he got caught taking bribes. Every time they do this race card crap it diminishes the times it realy is raceism. The boy who cried wolf is now the black who cried race.

Except... The Democratic caucus is forcing him to step down. True, a few stupid members voted in support of him, but I bet the same would have happened in the Republican caucus had Ney protested.

 

[The Yankee]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/15/jefferson.caucus/
Opening paragraph:


I don't believe that race has anything to do with it, as some allege. However, I also do not think he should be forced off of a committee without charges being filed.

And with that suspicion of foul play, why would they want him anywhere near that powerful committee?

Besides, it'd be horrible electoral politics if they did not try to oust him.

 

[malclave]

And with that suspicion of foul play, why would they want him anywhere near that powerful committee?

Besides, it'd be horrible electoral politics if they did not try to oust him.

Which is why I think Pelosi was right (gah! I said it again! you made me do that on purpose! ) to ask him to step down, and why he should have agreed.

It's forcing him out which I don't like.

 

[The Yankee]

Which is why I think Pelosi was right (gah! I said it again! you made me do that on purpose! ) to ask him to step down, and why he should have agreed.

Yes, I did! Though the thought has made me...cringe...which is good considering how relaxed I am this evening.

It's forcing him out which I don't like.

You have a point...though if I were in her shoes, I'd probably cast him off to the depths of the netherworld. Politics, of course.