A "Corruption Protection Act" in the works?

The outcry by some congressional members over the The William Jefferson (D-Louisiana) cold cash fiasco can lead one to no other conclusion that the "culture of corruption" not only extends across party lines, but that they like it that way:

Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) said he wants Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to appear "up here to tell us how they reached the conclusion" to conduct the raid, which Sensenbrenner called "profoundly disturbing" on constitutional grounds. The chairman also said that his committee "will be working promptly" to draft legislation that would clearly prohibit wide-ranging searches of lawmakers' offices by federal officials pursuing criminal cases.

Word to the wise, Mr. Sensenbrenner.  Such a planned move on your part only goes to reinforce the notion that "lawmakers" in Washington feel themselves to be above the law.  Such protectionist legislation will be viewed by voters (and rightly so) as nothing but "corruption protection" legislation designed to keep the skids of corrupt money flowing into Washington that much greasier. 

And don't come back with the old "It's a separation of powers" issue.  The "separation of powers" concept was never about thwarting the "checks and balances" function of oversight of one branch of government over another's wrongdoings.  The separation of powers is exactly what allows for checks and balances between branches of government. If there's ample evidence that a crime has been committed by any elected official in any branch of government, I, as a taxpaying citizen, want that graft and corruption examined with an anal microscope and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  The notion that you hold special priveleges by virtue of elected office is laughable at best, and is a slap to the face of taxpaying voters who deserve nothing less than honest, corruption-free government.

To incumbents on both sides of the aisle:  You want to give your opponent some good fodder to render you jobless come November?  Keep on this track and there's no "Incumbent Protection Act" on God's green earth that will keep your sorry arses in office. 

In your arrogance, are you so politically tone deaf to not realize as much?

Elected officials--you are playing on the taxpayers' dime--and you will be held accountable!  And if you vote yourselves "special royal priveleges" from being held accountable, then count on being on the taxpayer dime no longer!



(Filed under elections, pass the pork)