The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux) - Page 511

innerSpaceman · 09-22-2009, 04:53 PM

No, that's good. Thanks!

Ugh, corruption everywhere, all the time!!

Alex · 09-22-2009, 05:04 PM

Like I said my list was not intended to make any kind of point. Sex scandals were mentioned and I got curious so went looking.

The party count isn't relevant at all since I have no reason to think it is a complete list.

Mousepod. Only one woman politician was mentioned in anything I found and it was in the '80s. Though of course Hillary was having a lesbian affair with Vince Foster forcing Bill to have him killed.

Alex · 09-22-2009, 05:07 PM

Mike Espy (Clinton ag secretary) could also make the list. He may have been acquitted of taking inappropriate gifts but a lot of people were fined or convicted of giving them.

scaeagles · 09-22-2009, 06:36 PM

Henry Cisneros (Clinton HUD Secretary) was indicted on several counts of conspiracy, false statements, and obstruction of justice, but pleaded guilty to lesser misdeanor charges. That one came to mind after Alex listed a Clinton secretary.

Alex · 09-22-2009, 08:08 PM

Yes, but he was lying about a purely sexual affair (it was on my list above); in meeting with the FBI about for his background check to become HUD Secretary he lied about how much money he'd given to a mistress.

There were allegations that the Clinton administration abused power at the IRS and other agencies in a cover up but the 10-year Independent Council investigation (ending in 2005, 6 years after Cisneros's guilty plea) never resulted in any indictments beyond Cisnero's initial plea about lying and his $10,000 fine.

It wasn't one of the shining examples of the Independent Council law.

scaeagles · 09-22-2009, 08:24 PM

Oh, OK....I didn't remember the details....just the cabinet member reference reminded me that he had come under indictment for the above and had pleaded out.

flippyshark · 09-22-2009, 08:54 PM

Dullest sex thread ever.

PanTheMan · 09-22-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Elliot Spitzer was getting hookers.

Barney Frank admitted to paying a male prostitute.

Gov of Illinois....drawing a blank....selling Obama's senate seat.

Rostenkowski went to prison for misuse of public funds.

Torricelli was taking illegal gifts from lobbyists.

Sandy Berger was removing classified docs from the National archives.

Then there's John Edwards.

Governor of Arkansas Tucker was convicted of Fraud in the Whitewater deal.

That's just off the top of my head in about 30 seconds. With research I'm sure I could find a whole bunch more.

Please note I post these things only because of a direct inquiry from ISM. In no way am I saying that republicans do not have similar moral, legal, and/or ethical failings.

and this is the GOP for just 9 months of 2007...

http://www.democrats.com/republican-scandals-2007

But the GOP Sex Scandals are the BEST!

http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Republican_Sex_Scandals

Alex · 09-22-2009, 09:12 PM

If you're going to go down to Republican county treasurers (as that first list does) I suspect that Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago, and most of New Jersey would be willing to go tit for tat with Democrats.

Alex · 09-22-2009, 10:25 PM

Got to thinking about the general nature of public corruption and found that the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section handles federal, state, and local corruption charges and reports to congress every year.

That link includes information on the departments porfolio in 2007. It really confirms just how boring and petty most of it is.

In 2007 838 federal, state, and local officials were charged with crimes with 739 convictions. Convictions (federal, state, local, and private citizens mixed up in one of them) by year below.

No breakdown by party affiliation. Though there was a law professor a couple years back who showed that the Bush DoJ was 7 times more likely to be investigating Democrat officials than Republican. They're study, though, did not include any information from before 2002 to show if that was a massive change from before (and of course we've all heard the accusations of a politicized DoJ).

1988 - 1067
1989 - 1149
1990 - 1084
1991 - 1194
1992 - 1081
1993 - 1362
1994 - 969
1995 - 878
1996 - 902
1997 - 853
1998 - 1014
1999 - 1065
2000 - 938
2001 - 920
2002 - 1011
2003 - 868
2004 - 1020
2005 - 1027
2006 - 1030
2007 - 1014

09-22-2009, 04:53 PM	#5101
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	No, that's good. Thanks! Ugh, corruption everywhere, all the time!!
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09-22-2009, 05:04 PM	#5102
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Like I said my list was not intended to make any kind of point. Sex scandals were mentioned and I got curious so went looking. The party count isn't relevant at all since I have no reason to think it is a complete list. Mousepod. Only one woman politician was mentioned in anything I found and it was in the '80s. Though of course Hillary was having a lesbian affair with Vince Foster forcing Bill to have him killed.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 05:07 PM	#5103
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Mike Espy (Clinton ag secretary) could also make the list. He may have been acquitted of taking inappropriate gifts but a lot of people were fined or convicted of giving them.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 06:36 PM	#5104
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Henry Cisneros (Clinton HUD Secretary) was indicted on several counts of conspiracy, false statements, and obstruction of justice, but pleaded guilty to lesser misdeanor charges. That one came to mind after Alex listed a Clinton secretary.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 08:08 PM	#5105
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Yes, but he was lying about a purely sexual affair (it was on my list above); in meeting with the FBI about for his background check to become HUD Secretary he lied about how much money he'd given to a mistress. There were allegations that the Clinton administration abused power at the IRS and other agencies in a cover up but the 10-year Independent Council investigation (ending in 2005, 6 years after Cisneros's guilty plea) never resulted in any indictments beyond Cisnero's initial plea about lying and his $10,000 fine. It wasn't one of the shining examples of the Independent Council law.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 08:24 PM	#5106
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Oh, OK....I didn't remember the details....just the cabinet member reference reminded me that he had come under indictment for the above and had pleaded out.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 08:54 PM	#5107
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	Dullest sex thread ever.
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09-22-2009, 09:12 PM	#5109
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	If you're going to go down to Republican county treasurers (as that first list does) I suspect that Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago, and most of New Jersey would be willing to go tit for tat with Democrats.
	Submit to Quotes

09-22-2009, 10:25 PM	#5110
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Got to thinking about the general nature of public corruption and found that the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section handles federal, state, and local corruption charges and reports to congress every year. That link includes information on the departments porfolio in 2007. It really confirms just how boring and petty most of it is. In 2007 838 federal, state, and local officials were charged with crimes with 739 convictions. Convictions (federal, state, local, and private citizens mixed up in one of them) by year below. No breakdown by party affiliation. Though there was a law professor a couple years back who showed that the Bush DoJ was 7 times more likely to be investigating Democrat officials than Republican. They're study, though, did not include any information from before 2002 to show if that was a massive change from before (and of course we've all heard the accusations of a politicized DoJ). 1988 - 1067 1989 - 1149 1990 - 1084 1991 - 1194 1992 - 1081 1993 - 1362 1994 - 969 1995 - 878 1996 - 902 1997 - 853 1998 - 1014 1999 - 1065 2000 - 938 2001 - 920 2002 - 1011 2003 - 868 2004 - 1020 2005 - 1027 2006 - 1030 2007 - 1014
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