Source:
yahoo newsBy MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writer Mon Dec 3, 11:28 AM ET
WASHINGTON - The long legal fight between two members of Congress over an illegally taped telephone call ended Monday when the Supreme Court refused to review the case.
The court left in place a federal appeals court ruling that Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., acted improperly in giving reporters access to a recording of a 1996 telephone call of Republican leaders discussing the House ethics case against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.
McDermott asked the justices to hear his appeal of the May ruling, which he said infringed on his free speech rights. The court did not comment on its action.
The decision upholds a previous court ruling ordering McDermott to pay House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, more than $800,000 for leaking the taped conversation. The figure includes $60,000 in damages and more than $800,000 in legal costs for Boehner, who filed suit against McDermott nearly a decade ago.
The case is McDermott v. Boehner, 07-439.
EDITED TO COMPLY WITH DU'S COPYRIGHT RULES
Read more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071203/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_congressmen_taped_call
Years ago -- after being reprimanded by the House Ethics Panel, Newt called some GOP operatives to discuss how they would conspire to get around the restrictions placed on them. A civilian couple with a cellphone(?) picked up the call and -- realizing it showed how Republicans ignore laws they don't like -- tried to get the press to do something about it. When, typically, they wouldn't, they took a tape of the call to Congressman Jim McDermott, who courageously exposed this underhanded plot.
But -- as always -- when the Repukes got caught doing wrong, their immediate response is to create a strawman to attack in order to change the subject. And, of course the MSM and the Puke congress and the rightwing appointees of the Bushes and Raygun on Federal court circled their wagons against the truth and did just that. Forgotten was the fact that senior Republicans were caught redhanded violating the letter and spirit of the law. Instead, it was McDermott who got prosecuted -- for allowing the truth to come out.
Today the railroad job reached the roundhouse. The USSC refused to hear McDermott's appeal -- leaving in place the DC wingnut court's ruling that blowing the whistle on malfeasance is worse than malfeasance itself.
Consequently, one of the very very few truly stand-up Democratic congressman has been left with a mountain of debt. Meanwhile, the underhanded plotting of the Republicans was never given another look. All the press could talk about was what a bad eavesdropping boy McDermott was.
When this kind of thing happens with the regularity it has been these past eight years, there's no sense pretending that this is still America. It ain't.
I have made a personal pledge -- when the National Anthymn is played -- to never again sing the words: "The land of the free and the home of the brave."
Those words are just not true anymore.