HuffPo points out that some GOPers are not making an issue out of Rangel’s corruption:
…there were those in the Republican tent who expressed caution about suddenly becoming ethical crusaders.
“Just shut up,” the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol said on “Fox News Sunday” when asked what Republicans should do about Rangel. “There is a bipartisan ethics committee. Let the process go forward they don’t need jump on this — they will just get questioned. Believe me there are plenty of congressman in both parties who have been imperial and arrogant and who have centers named after them … The idea that republicans should go around throwing stones at Charlie Range; is just foolish on their part.”…
Which attitude is just wrong, wrong, wrong. It is the same, old story of insider politics – don’t rock the boat; after all, some of ours are vulnerable, too! To which I answer – if any of ours are vulnerable, then I’ve got extra tar and feathers for them, too…plenty to go ’round.
There are two things keeping corruption strong in DC – Democrat unwillingness to discipline their own, and GOP unwillingness to call Democrats on it. Its like there’s a segment of the GOP – and the larger right – which accepts the Democrat premise that the normal course of events is for Democrats to be in charge, and thus it isn’t for us to hit them very hard and where it hurts the most. This is the sort of spinelessness, combined with eager GOP imitation of Democrat corruption, which made the last 4 years of the GOP Congress so disgusting – and which led to our well-deserved defeat.
We must hit out at every element of corruption in government. From top to bottom, all of those who have used the American nation for personal profit and political advancement must be condemned and punished. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for Charlie Rangel – I really do. The man fought with incredible bravery for our nation in Korea and, while a liberal, he was once upon a time a voice for the common man…the pity is that he stayed in office too long and got too wrapped up in power and wealth. Now, he’s disgraced himself and its painful to see – but he must pay the price.
This is not mercilessness – it is simply what must be done. The higher a man rises, the more swift and severe must his punishment be when he strays from the straight and narrow. The worst thing we can do – for Charlie Rangel and for America – is to soft peddle this and try to pretend its not that bad and, perhaps, maybe Rangel should just be allowed to gracefully retire in his Congressional pension and all the wealth political corruption has brought him. This would be a hideous deformity of justice, and also quite merciless…to those who would follow after Rangel and who would think that its ok, you can get away with it – go ahead, take the bribe.
Day in and day out, any time such things come up, we must talk about them, condemn them – hound the miscreants out of office and make extreme examples of them. For their own sakes, for the sake of those who come after and for the safety and liberty of the people of the United States, we must shout to the heavens about corruption, where ever we find it – most certainly we should not “shut up” and let the political class just look after things, themselves.
Do we want a government of, by and for the people? Then we, the people, will have to be watch dogs – and never let the slightest thing get past us.
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