Democrats Under Ethics Cloud Benefit From Distracted Public

Rep. Jane Harman awaits President Obama's address to a
joint session of Congress. Feb. 24, 2009 (AP)

From FOX News:

Allegations of ethics violations by Democrats in recent months have not made the same splash that they did a few years ago when Republicans were on the receiving end.

Allegations of ethics violations by a handful of Democrats in recent months reached something of a crescendo this week as two prominent members of Congress were accused of corruption.

California Rep. Jane Harman denied allegations that she offered to help seek reduced charges for two pro-Israel lobbyists suspected of espionage in exchange for help from a pro-Israel donor, also suspected Israeli agent, in lobbying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to give Harman a key chairmanship.

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Rep. Jan Schakowsky And Her Family

Rep. Jan Schakowsky

From Instapundit:

PATHETIC: “Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) blasted ‘tea party’ protests yesterday, labeling the activities ‘despicable’ and ’shameful.’”

Ironic: “The husband of an Illinois congresswoman pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax violations and bank fraud for writing rubber checks and failing to collect withholding tax from an employee. Robert Creamer, a political consultant married to four-term U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, could face four years in prison on the two felony counts when he is sentenced Dec. 21.”

Tax hypocrisy abounds in Washington, but they’re angry that people are protesting. . . .

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Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft

The security check-in area at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Johnstown, Pa., where the security staff members sometimes outnumber the passengers. (By Robin Rombach For The Washington Post)

State-of-the-Art Pennsylvania Facility Sees Few Travelers but Lots of Funding

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- The John Murtha airport sits on a windy mountain two hours east of Pittsburgh, a 650-acre expanse of smooth tarmac, spacious buildings, a helicopter hangar and a National Guard training center.

Inside the terminal on a recent weekday, four passengers lined up to board a flight, outnumbered by seven security staff members and supervisors, all suited up in gloves and uniforms to screen six pieces of luggage. For three hours that day, no commercial or private planes took off or landed. Three commercial flights leave the airport on weekdays, all bound for Dulles International Airport.

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Murtha's Defense Earmarks Draw Questions

From CBS News:

(CBS) CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and investigative producer Laura Strickler reported this story for CBSNews.com.

Spring in Washington is "earmark season" - a busy time for Congressman John Murtha.

"That's my business," Murtha said. "I've been in it for 35 years."

As head of a powerful Defense committee, Murtha controls hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, reports CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. And he's not shy about directing money to those who give generously to his election campaigns.

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Bank Bailout Is Ripe For Fraud

Bank Bailout May Hurt Taxpayers, Be Open To Fraud -- Yahoo News/AP

Inspector general cites potential flaws in bank bailout, urges Treasury to adopt safeguards.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Taxpayers are increasingly exposed to losses and the government is more vulnerable to fraud under Obama administration initiatives that have created a federal bank bailout program of "unprecedented scope," a government report finds.

In a 250-page quarterly report to Congress, the rescue program's special inspector general concludes that a private-public partnership designed to rid financial institutions of their "toxic assets" is tilted in favor of private investors and creates "potential unfairness to the taxpayer."

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My Comment: Many red flags are waving .... but no one is doing anything. I guess there are too many hands in the till.

Israelli Spies And The U.S. Congresswomen

Sources: Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC -- CQ Politics

Rep. Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department to reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel organization in Washington.

Harman was recorded saying she would “waddle into” the AIPAC case “if you think it’ll make a difference,” according to two former senior national security officials familiar with the NSA transcript.

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More News On Rep. Harmen's Contacts With Israelli Agents

Harman Vehemently Denies Bribery Allegations Allegdly Caught on NSA Tapes -- FOX News
Rep. Harman's alleged quid-pro-quo with an Israeli spy -- Foreign Policy
Rep. Harman's alleged quid-pro-quo with an Israeli spy -- Foreign Policy Blog
Caught In The AIPAC -- The Atlantic
Who Listened To Harman? NSA Or FBI? -- The Atlantic
Jane Harman 'recorded on wiretap promising to intervene for American-Israeli group' -- The Telegraph
Major Democratic Scandal Breaking -- Auburn Journal
Harman denies allegations, questions wiretap -- The Hill
Jane Harman denies CQ report she was heard on NSA wiretap lobbying for AIPAC officials -- L.A. Times
Harman responds to CQ: Report ‘recycles three year-old discredited reporting.’ -- Think Progress

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Helping Her Husband

Sen. Dianne Feinstein at President Obama's Inauguration
(Photo from Minnesota Public Radio)

EXCLUSIVE: Senator's Husband Cashes In On Crisis -- Washington Times

Feinstein sought $25 billion for agency that awarded contract to spouse

On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.

Mrs. Feinstein's intervention on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was unusual: the California Democrat isn't a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with jurisdiction over FDIC; and the agency is supposed to operate from money it raises from bank-paid insurance payments - not direct federal dollars.

Read more ....

Update: What Is Old Is New Again... Sen. Feinstein Steers $25 Billion to Agency Linked to Her Husband -- Gateway Pundit

My Comment: This is not the first time that Sen. Feinstein has been implicated in a conflict of interest with her husband .... probably will not be the last. But it is infuriating that before the announcement of this contract was made .... 10 million shares were bought (by her family) .... and bought at a time that is regarded to be the worst since the Great Depression .... and when the contract was announced they end up walking away with a cool 20 million in profit (at today's price).

Sigh .... this Congress really stinks.