Sound Politics: Culture of Corruption

February 09, 2007

Culture of Corruption

The new online political journal The Politico reports: "Kerry, Casey Benefit From Indicted Philly Pol's Favors"

A powerful Philadelphia politician charged with a litany of federal corruption offenses is accused of illegally using state government resources to help his political allies, including Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts and Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania.

According to a 139-count federal indictment returned Tuesday, Vincent J. Fumo, an eight-term Democratic Pennsylvania senator, dispatched a state computer technician to help set up campaign operations for a 2004 presidential candidate, a 2002 Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and a congressional candidate. And, the indictment charges, Fumo directed a state-paid investigator to dig up dirt on the gubernatorial candidate's opponent for the Democratic nomination.

I'm shocked that this sort of thing goes on.

Readers might recognize the byline -- Ken Vogel, formerly of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 09, 2007 04:17 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Stefan, I am still chuckling. You are shocked?

I am shocked that that anything involving a D is mentioned. After what the Clintons were allowed to get away with, this is the shock.

Posted by: swatter on February 9, 2007 04:11 PM

2. This will be fun to see if this story makes the national news cycle. It will be intersting to see if Pennsylvania Congress(mad)man Murtha has any connection to this.

Posted by: Serf in the land of Queen Christine on February 9, 2007 04:40 PM

3. Death to all Democrats, let them burn in hell for eternity!! Their liberal ways are a pox upon our glorious republic!!

I shall bequeath an Initiative condemning them to the lowest caste of society. My army of paid signature gathers shall go forth and recruit more members to join our noble cause!

Our Grand Old Party party shall rule in glory for eternity! God Bless America!!

Posted by: Little Timmy Eyman on February 9, 2007 05:16 PM

4. For the record, comment #3 signed "Little Timmy Eyman" was posted from a Microsoft IP address.

Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on February 9, 2007 05:21 PM

5. Wow!

Posted by: Michele on February 9, 2007 05:50 PM

6. This culture is very likely going to be replicated here. I am an indie voter, but the loss in Chelan has pretty well set this state on a road map to follow the Penn., NY, NJ and Ill. model which is corruption at all levels and gradually an acceptance by the general public that that is the way things are done. Eventually, good people with ethics have as little contact with the political system or government services as they can. That leaves those who need government services and are permanently trapped in dependence. Jackson/Sharpton and dems like Kennedy then mine those trapped in the victim class for votes. "Respectable" corps and individuals will provide payoffs when it suits their purpose and hold their collective noses and condescend to those in political life. There is no joy in these stories. It is a lose/lose for everyone.

Posted by: WVH on February 9, 2007 05:53 PM

7. Nice to see Darcy's Husband at comment 3 still wants to stay involved.

Posted by: Huh? on February 9, 2007 06:05 PM

8. I am not surprised this came out now after the election is over with and now that John Kerry has already said he will not run for President.

Posted by: TrueSoldier on February 9, 2007 07:02 PM

9. **........and now that John Kerry has already said he will not run for President.**

Maybe he will before this is all over. Kerry has a history of flip flopping.

Posted by: Janet on February 9, 2007 09:01 PM

10. I did something here recently I never thought I would do, ran my ballot through the shreder :-(.

Take that as my level of confidence that it will be treated as it should be. The powers that be here are going to do what they damn well please and you will like it too.

I've reached negative values in confidence in the machine here. Time to move back to Chicago for some (relatively) honest politics :-(.

If you haven't read Road to Damascus by John Ringo, do so, for what is going on here will (is) surely follow that template.

Posted by: fox3 on February 9, 2007 09:22 PM

11. Who cares about indictments. Let's talk convictions. Why didn't you post this news about real elections fraud?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011800890.html?nav=rss_nation/special

Or this?

http://tailrank.com/1148616/AP-Election-Workers-Convicted-of-Rigging-2004-Recount

As was proven here a few years ago, all real fraud is comitted by Republicans.

Posted by: JDB on February 9, 2007 10:11 PM

12. JDB:

Your post is one of the most ignorant I have seen here and that is saying quite a bit. People should care about corruption, no matter what the party or color and creed of the corrupt leadership. Corrupt people take the path of least resistence. In some areas, pubbies control and they become pubbies. In some areas, the dem machine controls and they become dems. Their real creed is the ideology of self. Corrupt people are found in every race, religion, or creed. What corruption does is eat away at the fabric of society. Secular progressive ideology, corrupt politicians, and faux leaders like Jackson/Sharpton have destroyed my community. I guess you want the whole mess coming to a community inhabited by you. What a totally ignorant post.

Posted by: WVH on February 10, 2007 07:34 AM

13. Democrats never comdemn one of their own no matter how heinous they are. Hell Democrats probably wouldn't even say a bad thing about serial murdered John Wayne Gacy. That is the difference. Repuclicans refute those amongst them that are known to be corrput. For an example of this, see the results of the past election. Liberals are living in fantasy land if they think that all the voters decided they wanted to be Demcocrats. Republicans threw out their bad politicians instead of reelecting them as Democrats did with Willialm Jefferson, Blanco and "School Bus" "Chocolate City" Nagan.

Democrats reelect their crooks, Republicans do not.

Posted by: pbj on February 10, 2007 11:54 AM

14. Wow. James Traficant is a Republican? Dan Rostenkowski is a Republican? (both convicts, by the way) William Jefferson is a Republican? Alan Mollohan is a Republican?

Shall I go on Just Deflect, Baby? Care to review a large chunk of the Clinton Administration?

Corruption is inexcusable, no matter what the party. Stop thinking your side is as pure as the driven snow, 'cause it's not.

Posted by: jimg on February 10, 2007 12:22 PM

15. jimg:

Who's deflecting. I give you actual convictions for vote fraud, which you know are the raison d'etre for the minnow, and you have to go back to Dan Rostenkowski? Want to talk Tea Pot Dome? Sheesh, why can't you stay on topic? Oh, that's right, 'cause it makes you look bad.

And you and pbj probably should look into this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/09/AR2007020901974.html

Posted by: JDB on February 10, 2007 08:50 PM

16. JDB:

Is corruption wrong? Does it matter the party of the crook? If you are so partisan, either side that you can't see corruption is just wrong, then you are an idiot and you will get the kind of third world cess pool that causes millions of Mexicans to voluntarily migrate and is Zimbbawbe, Cambodia and other hell holes. People, corruption whether pubbie, dem, vegetable or mineral is just wrong.

Posted by: WVH on February 11, 2007 12:10 AM