Obama "Justice" Department lets DeLay dance away

[depakid]

News that the Justice Department has dropped its corruption investigation of former congressman Tom DeLay, R-Texas, after six years is surprising for a couple of reasons.

First —six years? Nobody should be under a cloud that long. Most of the time, if prosecutors can't build a case more quickly than that, they should drop it.

Second —he got off? Given the swirl of corrupt aides and lobbyists that surrounded the former No. 2 leader in the House, that wasn't necessarily the expected outcome.

DeLay drew federal prosecutors' attention primarily for his involvement with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who arranged several expensive foreign trips for DeLay, most notoriously a junket to Scotland to play golf. These were hardly innocent gifts from a good friend: Abramoff was working to influence DeLay and other members of Congress on behalf of his clients, who needed government rules written, discarded or bent to help them prosper. DeLay also allowed an aide-turned-lobbyist to shower generous pay on his wife and daughter, at the same time the lobbyist had clients who'd benefit from DeLay's help.

DeLay now crows that he has been "cleared" of wrongdoing.

More: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-08-18-editorial18_ST2_N.htm

The Obama Doctrine: accountability under the rule of law doesn't apply to corrupt public officials, corporate criminals, torturers and human rights violators in 21st Century America where it might be deemed "too divisive" or inconvenient.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[depakid]

2. Nope. It's been the pattern- in case folks missed it: No charges filed against Alaska Rep. Don Young

That guy's a corrupt as they come.

Rep. Don Young’s office has announced that the long-running criminal investigation of him by the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section has concluded and that no charges will be filed.

Young, R-Alaska, has been under scrutiny since at least 2006. In 2009, federal prosecutors disclosed that two former officials from the defunct oil-field service company Veco admitted giving Young gifts that he did not disclose and giving his campaign illegal contributions for years.

Bill Allen, Veco’s former chief executive, said Veco sent between $130,000 and $195,000 in illegal corporate donations to Young by paying for his annual pig-roast fundraisers from 1993 to 2006. Rick Smith, another Veco official, confessed to using Allen’s credit card to buy Young $1,000 in golf clubs as a gift. Young never reported the gift.

Young was also under investigation for the mysterious appearance of an earmark in the 2005 Transportation Bill for an interchange in South Florida sought by a developer who arranged a fundraiser for Young. The earmark was placed in the bill after it passed the House and Senate, a possible violation of the U.S. Constitution.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012537429_young05.html

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. What exactly does one need to do in this country to (at least) go to trial for

corruption?

[jgraz]

4. Well, it helps if you're a member of the Congressional Black Caucus..

:banghead:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. Ain't that the truth. This is fucking embarrassing. The next time I hear one of our government

officials lecture some other country reg. corruption. I'm gonna :rofl:

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Which members of the CBC has the Justice Department recently prosecuted?

[DevonRex]

14. That comment is just plain flame bait stupid. nt

[mopinko]

5. it's not "obama's justice department"

it's the united states justice department.

ideological manipulation of its functions by the executive branch are illegal. sadly bush/rove did not get nailed for it. obama has not accepted resignations from the old regime and hired all new people. in fact, he can barely get appointees to anything through the congress.

repeat- the justice department does not belong to the executive branch. it is the unites states department of justice.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. It seems the justice department has been corrupted beyond repair.

Now, could the administration ask for their resignations? I thought Clinton did that. Which was the thing right wingers were trying to use to justify Bush's dismissal of the 7 prosecutors. Which was an idiotic comparison because all new administrations do that when they first come in. Rove actually targeted individuals based on them doing their jobs without bias.

[dionysus]

10. it's much easier to blame obama for everything, even if it's patently false.

[depakid]

16. "ideological manipulation of its functions by the executive branch are illegal. " Oh really?

Bush DOJ officials cleared in firing of U.S. attorneys

http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2010/07/23/bush-doj-officials-cleared-in-firing-of-u-s-attorneys/?cxntfid=blogs_kyle_wingfield

Obama and Holder's Justice Department is nothing short of a disgrace- and sorry to tell you, it IS part of the executive branch. Quintessentially so- and only someone very naive and/or inexperienced in how government works would think that priorities like this- and every other case that's been passed on don't come from the top.

[catgirl]

9. Blaming Obama again, as usual

Another anti-dem/anti-Obama slant on yet another post of yours.

[olegramps]

11. He could have removed everyone of the ideologues that Bush appointed.

Clinton didn't hesitate in doing so when he was elected; just why hasn't Obama did the same? I think that is a fair criticism along with his refusal to pursue charges against the Bush administration all in the name of bipartisanship bullshit. Its a wonder he hasn't hosted a big hot dog and marsh mellow roast where they could all sing cheery camp songs and hold hands. Congress' theme song should be "I hate you, you hate me, we are a dysfunctional family."

[indepat]

12. I regretfully conclude that you have accurately and succinctly summed up "The Obama Doctrine" to a

tee which tends to support my thesis that BHO perceptively seems to be governing further to the right of center at an increasing rate. Hopefully my thesis is inaccurate, invalid, and wholly flawed because common sense would seem to scream that this Republic can not long live and do well under a continued RW mal-administration that especially features wildly irresponsible fiscal policies, patently unfair tax policies, and pre-emptive wars of aggression while largely ignoring a crumbling infrastructure, economy, and jobs market. :)

[Hawkowl]

13. And will deport a record number of aliens

You forgot that caveat.

[Liberation Angel]

15. Obama has some corrupt handlers to say the least

This is an abomination.

DeLay was in bed with and was himself dangerous and evil imho.

Abramoff and those guys (tied in to Bush btw) are truly disgusting. It involves drugs, guns, human sex trafficking, everything.
Corruption and money laundering and racketeering. It was also geneocide against Native peoples.

This is truly an abomination.

Obam needs to wake up. He is letting fascism thrive when he does stuff like this or allows it.

I saw it in Denver with the Iraq Vets in 2008. Obama was silent on their abuse and treatment at the protests and "Tent State" and the "Freedom Cages" - socalled free speech zones / Obama said nada (I was there - it was horrendous. The vets were treated like animals.

So Yeah - this really sucks and Obama is responsible for letting one more murderous traitor go free.

I still love Obama but not as much as five minutes ago.

Still better than the alternative though (Republicans or the total revolutionary civil war for democracy and useless defeat)