Progressive Democrat Issue 66: REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION CONTINUES

I recently covered how the new Republican Majority leader, John Boehner (R-OH), is just another corrupt Republican and shows how the Republicans have refused to learn their lesson that America does NOT want more corruption.

Perhaps Boehner is less corrupt than his rival for the top Republican spot, Roy Blunt. But that's hardly a recommendation give the fact that Roy Blunt is even more corrupt than Tom DeLay!

In a recent Salon.com article, Joe Conason talks about how Boehner's claims to be a "reformer" are complete BS:

Feb. 10, 2006 | Only in this corrupted Congress could a politician like John Boehner successfully present himself to his colleagues and the press as a "reformer." Already the new House majority leader has demonstrated that he will disappoint even the most minimal expectations of ethical renewal...

Scarcely had Boehner assumed his new responsibilities, in fact, when he brushed away any new restrictions on the resort trips and foreign junkets provided by lobbyists seeking to influence him and his colleagues. That proposal arose from public outrage over the first-class jaunts to Scotland and the South Pacific that Jack Abramoff had used to reward compliant congressmen and their aides...

Asked Feb. 5 whether he now plans to ban such subsidized vacations, he dryly responded: "I have my doubts about that." His opposition is more a matter of policy than perks, he explained. "We can't lock members up in a cubbyhole here in Washington and never let them see what's going on around the country and around the world." The legislative process would clearly suffer if members were unable to observe the difficulties of life in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Pebble Beach, Calif.; and Boca.

Boehner sounds equally disinclined to restrict the scandalous member earmarks in spending bills, a tough task he had promised to undertake if elected. Yet so far there has barely been a whisper of protest against this farce. That whole House reform thing is just so last month..."

This is not surprising given his past history. Conason continues with some history of Boehner's corruption:

In 1995, only months after the supposedly reform-minded GOP majority took power, he was observed handing out checks from the tobacco lobby to his colleagues on the House floor, just before a crucial vote. He apologized for that tasteless episode, which he promised not to repeat. The fall of Gingrich eclipsed Boehner as well...

Boehner resides in a Capitol Hill apartment rented from a lobbyist whose clients are directly affected by legislation Boehner has co-written or overseen as chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Those clients include restaurant interests, for example, that oppose minimum-wage increases, a perspective that the new majority leader shares. His spokesman told the Washington Post, which broke the story about his apartment, that his lobbyist landlord "does not lobby John Boehner on any issue and has not lobbied him on any issue during the time period in which John has been renting the property." Maybe he just leaves a Post-it on Boehner's refrigerator.

Ordinarily Boehner spends his winter break cruising the Caribbean with two of his best friends, who also happen to be among the capital's most prominent lobbyists. Those two Boehner buddies are known for the fabulous events they have sponsored in his honor at every Republican National Convention since 1996. Known as the "best little warehouse" parties, these bashes sometimes last until dawn...

Late last year Boehner oversaw student-loan legislation that cut federal aid drastically, penalized students who receive direct loans from the federal government, and protected private lenders such as Sallie Mae, which gave him $102,000 during the 2004 election cycle."

Really. This is just too much! We get rid of one corrupt Republican, Tom DeLay, only to have two other corrupt Republicans, Roy Blunt and John Boehner, competing to take his place as House leader. And let us not forget that two of the most corrupt state parties are the Missouri and Ohio Republican parties. Roy Blunt is the product of the former and John Boehner is the product of the latter. Howard Dean recently called Ohio the Center of Corruption, and though I think Missouri Republicans gives them a run for their lobbyist-provided money, Ohio Republicans do seem the most corrupt in the nation.

Time to speak out, folks! Contact the media yet again and complain about Republican corruption, emphasizing the immorality of Tom DeLay, Roy Blunt AND John Boehner.