Dems Culture Of Corruption Adds Up As 110th Congress Readies
Terry Trippany on Nov 14 2006 at 12:00 pm | Filed under: Democrat Corruption, Feature Article, Politicians at Work, The New Democrat Congress
You can hear that collective sigh of relief across America now that the allegedly corrupt Republicans have been replaced by squeaky clean Democrats who are hell bent on cleaning up Congress. Sure, right. Hey look a pig just flew past my window!!
Contrary to popular belief, the Democrats are far from the answer to corruption and personal gain at the expense of American taxpayers.
Take for instance the latest article in the New York Post, “Corruption For Democrat Corruption Crunchers”. It looks like Charlie Rangel is being a bit disingenuous when it comes to towing the party line on conflicts of interest.
- WASHINGTON - Just two days after retaking the House and promising to end the “culture of corruption,” Rep. Charles Rangel and a dozen other congressmen rubbed elbows with business leaders in sunny Panama.
They attended a conference in Panama City’s luxurious $190-per-night Caesar Park hotel - which has a sauna, pool and 24-hour casino “all set in a lush tropical setting more like a resort than a business hotel,” according to its Web site.
While some members say they paid their own way, the conference had big-bucks corporate sponsors, including Pfizer, Citibank, AT&T, American Airlines and Time Warner.
Rangel, who will chair the Ways and Means Committee and who has written Caribbean trade legislation, headed the delegation to the Caribbean Multinational Business Conference.
“I never saw a pool, a beach or anything,” Rangel told The Post. “Of course, I play a major role in it because I am a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee.”
Rangel said there was no bad symbolism to the business conference, even though Democrats just knocked off Republicans caught in a corruption scandal that involved lobbyist-sponsored trips.
Rangel says he paid his own way.
Rep. Ed Towns (D-Brooklyn) was among about 12 Congressional Black Caucus attendees.
Rangel said the event had “nothing to do with Congress” and said there was “not a lobbyist in the group” - although he later added that Macy’s and Verizon sent representatives.
Who in their right mind believes the lie that Charlie Rangel went on a trip to the Caribbean and didn’t see a beach or a pool? Why have the conference in the Caribbean if you aren’t going to partake in the scenery? At least be honest with something as simple as that.
One thing is clear, Rangel is using the same kind of double speak that was used to launch them back into power on November 7th, 2006. It smacks of a lie; especially since he had to come back and fess up to the involvement of Verizon and Macy’s.
Fast Forward to Illinois. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that Rep. Luis Guitterez got a sweetheart deal to purchase a town house from indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez got a deal on a riverfront town house built by Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a developer and prominent political fund-raiser now under indictment for an alleged kickback scheme involving state pension funds.
Gutierrez paid $434,900 three years ago for the town house along the Chicago River just north of Diversey. That’s far less than his neighbors paid for any of the other riverfront town houses in the development, records show.
Gutierrez no longer lives there. In March, he sold the town house for $610,000 — a 40 percent profit.
Only two other original owners have sold their riverfront town houses — one paid $535,000 and sold it for $650,000, a 21 percent profit; the other paid $622,000 and sold it for $662,000, a 6 percent profit.
It seems that real estate deals between Tony Rezko and Illinois Democrats is commonplace. The Chicago Sun Times reported that Senator Barack Obama made a killing on a purchase of land from Rezko even though Rezko was already under indictment. In fact Obama paid over $300,000 less than the asking price and $520,000 less than what Rezko paid for a parcel of land that sat adjacent to the future Presidential contender’s property.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator’s yard.
“I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it,” Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction.
In June 2005, Obama and Rezko purchased adjoining parcels in Kenwood. The state’s junior senator paid $1.65 million for a Georgian revival mansion, while Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent, undeveloped lot. Both closed on their properties on the same day.
Last January, aiming to increase the size of his sideyard, Obama paid Rezko $104,500 for a strip of his land.
The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known Tony Rezko was under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and as other Illinois politicians befriended by Rezko distanced themselves from him.
In perhaps one of the less starting revelations we can see that the self righteous New York Times, ever the stalwart gatekeeper on Republican corruption, seems less than concerned with scandals of the Democrat sort. But hey, this is local news right? Funny, the AP covered it.
Believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Democrats talk the big talk when it comes to beating the culture of corruption drum. However their beat is a rhythm of deceit when it comes to walking that walk.
UPDATE: How sweet. It looks like Abramoff may put the finger on up to six seriously corrupt Democrats. Anyone want to take bets on how the press will circle the wagons on this one?
culture of corruption
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America, Republicans, Democrats, corruption, taxpayer, Luis Guitterez, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Obama, Rezko, Patrick Fitzgerald, Abramoff, culture of corruption
Not surprising at all. Democrats are the party of big government, huge welfare programs, and high taxation. What a fertile pasture for sowing the seeds of corruption. Clinton did it. Gore did it. Other Democrats have proven themselves corrupt as well. How many time are we going to let the liberals stomp all over our democracy before we realize that other than the obvious corruptions they call “platforms” (baby killing, disregard for religious law, pro-drug use, Israelite pandering) they are just as malicious and treasonous behind the scenes.
Hi Speedball! I love the corruption = platform analogy; that is exactly what they do.
I can’t believe that Americans bit on this Culture of Corruption tripe as if Democrats are any different than Republicans .
[...] I agree, it’s about time someone did more. For starters Obama can pay up on the $300,000 gift he received from indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko. I reported about the culture of corruption involving Obama and other hypocrites in the Democrat party back in November (from here on out known as Hypocrats). It seems that real estate deals between Tony Rezko and Illinois Democrats is commonplace. The Chicago Sun Times reported that Senator Barack Obama made a killing on a purchase of land from Rezko even though Rezko was already under indictment. In fact Obama paid over $300,000 less than the asking price and $520,000 less than what Rezko paid for a parcel of land that sat adjacent to the future Presidential contender’s property. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator’s yard. [...]