The Dems' Culture of Corruption

All those Democrats and the media pundits that have been yammering for months now about the Republicans and their Culture of Corruption need to address the behavior of one of their own, Cynthia McKinney.

She is rapidly becoming the leading representative of the worst of the worst of Washington politicians.

WASHINGTON -- McKinney's office used taxpayer money for Hayes $500 airline ticket and his $400 hotel bill. Congressional rules strictly forbid using taxpayer money for campaign events.

"It's actually breaking the law," says Melanie Sloan of The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

"It's breaking house rules which prevent a member from using travel funds for anything but their own travel. And it breaks federal Election Commission law, which requires that only campaign funds be used for campaign expenses," added Sloan.

McKinney has admitted billing the taxpayers for Hayes' expenses, calling it an administrative error.

Information provided by the House Ethics Committee show McKinney could potentially face a fine or removal from office, if a government investigation is conducted.

This stuff comes on top of McKinney's Capitol Hill scuffle with a police officer and her besmirchment of the force.

In a somewhat ironic twist, Tom DeLay said in an interview today with Human Events Online, that "he would personally file an ethics complaint against Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D.-Ga.) for striking a Capitol Police officer should no other House member do so first."

"If nobody in this House files an ethics charge, I am," DeLay said in response to a question about McKinney. "Her behavior is outrageous. And it’s not the only time."

DeLay was asked if he supported the Capitol Police’s actions following the incident with McKinney, which took place last week when she bypassed a metal detector and a police officer stopped her.

"You bet," he said.

"It’s outrageous behavior," he said about McKinney. "Had it been Tom DeLay, the Ethics Committee would have met the next day."

There would seem to be some poetic justice in DeLay being the one to file an ethics charge against McKinney for her abuses -- his way of saying that he may have been forced out of his leadership position by the run amok DA Ronnie Earle, but he's not gone yet. He's still a congressman, at least for a few more weeks.

Josephine Hearn, writing for The Hill, reveals how Dems are reacting to the McKinney drama.

"There’s been a lot of eye-rolling," said an aide to a moderate Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The national attention it’s been getting has been unfortunate. It’s becoming a distraction."

A Democratic strategist concurred.

"This isn’t the view of Democrats that we want to project in the tough races, one of victims and race-baiting," the strategist said.

Hearn also dishes some dirt about the relationship between McKinney and Nancy Pelosi.

She and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) no longer speak, not even to exchange greetings when encountering each other in the Capitol hallways, said two House Democratic sources. Pelosi twice turned down McKinney’s request to regain her seniority after she was defeated and then reelected in 2002 and 2004. McKinney first came to Congress in 1992.

Pelosi's must be fuming over the fact that McKinney's attack on the officer and her related statements and news conferences are making the Dems look like a bunch of nuts.

It really would be helpful for the Dems to issue a loud and clear condemnation of McKinney's race-baiting.

As McKinney digs herself into a deeper hole, Dems should not crawl in with her. They need to distance themselves from McKinney.

Her temper and attitude issues, as well as her incredibly poor judgment, are exactly what the Republicans needed to remind the public that the Dems have a loony streak that runs deep.

Today's comments on the matter from Pelosi show that she's not pleased with McKinney, but other Dems are preferring to go the spineless "no comment" route.

The Associated Press reports:

House Republicans, reacting to the confrontation last week between Rep. Cynthia McKinney and a Capitol Police officer she is accused of hitting, pressed for a resolution Tuesday to commend the police force for its professionalism.

Democratic leaders did not defend McKinney or her charge of racial profiling.

"I don't think any of it justifies hitting a police officer," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "If it did happen I don't think it was justified."

FLIP-FLOP!

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said all lawmakers, staffers and visitors in the building have a responsibility to obey Capitol Police. "I think we all should cooperate fully," he said.

Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, had no comment, a spokesman said.

This is a very awkward situation for the Dems.

They want Americans to entrust them with our national security, but they can't even get one of their own members to cooperate with the rules to protect the Capitol.

It's looks bad, because it is.

The measure expected to be introduced late Tuesday, co-sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., would not specifically mention McKinney or the confrontation, [Rep. Patrick McHenry, R- N.C.] said.

Instead, sponsors said, it would commend the Capitol Police for their professionalism and recognize the challenge of protecting the vast Capitol campus from terrorism and other threats while keeping it open to tourists.

"Every day they exhibit honor, courtesy and professionalism," Diaz- Balart said in a statement.

McKinney says that has not been her experience. She says Capitol Police officers have a long history of failing to recognize her and asking for identification _ a pattern she says is racist and in any case highlights a security problem in one of the most well-guarded buildings in the country.

McKinney is unbalanced, plain and simple.

Republicans suggest the incident says something negative about the Democrats. A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said that a Democratic lawmaker hitting an officer does not support the minority party's claim of a commitment to security.

Pelosi last week called that argument "pathetic." She added that she would not make a big deal of what she termed "a mistake" by an officer.

I guess since last week Pelosi realized that it wasn't politically expedient to blame the officer, so she changed her position.

The lack of Democratic support for McKinney is notable. She and her lawyer, James Myart Jr., said on Friday they expected several members of Congress to join her at a news conference that day at Howard University.

None did.

Why are the Dems showing support for McKinney? Because she's black? Because she's a woman?

...McHenry, who at 30 is the youngest member of Congress, said he is routinely stopped by Capitol Police and asked for identification.

"When I'm not wearing my pin, I am always stopped," McHenry said in a telephone interview. "I accept that as a due course of security."

Gee, McHenry hasn't refused to cooperate when stopped by police. He hasn't responded by punching the officer and then crying discrimination or whining about not being recognized.

The bottom line:

McKinney should have accepted responsibility for her outburst and held a news conference to apologize for the incident.

As the House minority leader, Pelosi should have voiced her support for the Capitol Police last week rather than brushing off the matter as insignificant.

If the Dems want to be seen as a party capable of protecting the nation, they have to be willing to CLEARLY state their disapproval for McKinney's slandering of the Capitol Police in her shameful CYA attempt.