Blatantly Corrupt Congressman Reelected

[Lemur]

Say what? The guy found with $90,000 in his freakin' freezer just got reelected? As Jar Jar Binks would say, "Exqueeze me?" How does this sort of thing happen?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

New Orleans area reelects congressman under probe

Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:26am ET161

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - New Orleans area U.S. Rep. William Jefferson won a ninth term to Congress in a surprising landslide on Saturday as loyal black voters shrugged off a federal bribery investigation into $90,000 found in his freezer.

Jefferson defeated fellow black Democrat Karen Carter with 58 percent of the vote in the first election for the 2nd Congressional District since Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the area.

"What is called for now is unity, on the East Bank, West Bank, black and white, rich and poor throughout our district, with one objective, to recover this great and wonderful city," Jefferson, 59, told supporters.

Voter turnout was believed to be very low at under 20 percent, a testament to New Orleans' shifting demographics after flooding displaced half of the residents and slow rebuilding thwarted their return.

After the November 7 primary, Carter, 37, was the favorite of white voters, who nearly equal the number of blacks in Orleans Parish after the storm.

But she performed poorly in Jefferson Parish across the Mississippi River where the sheriff took on Carter for accusing his team of racism in a Spike Lee documentary because they didn't allow blacks to cross a bridge to escape flooding.

Jefferson's victory may bode poorly for the area's ability to win recovery money in Washington since Democrats led by California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will become House speaker next month, ousted him from the powerful Ways and Means Committee following the bribery accusations.

"I think it will make it more difficult to get money for Louisiana," political analyst Ed Renwick said.

Jefferson has said repeatedly he has not accepted bribes. But he could face indictment during his new two-year term.

[Xiahou]

On the bright side, he's likely to be removed from office when he's indicted/convicted....

[Marshal Murat]

Where is the press outrage? Thats what I want to know, where is it?

[Grey_Fox]

Meh, many times people will vote along party lines sticking with who they know, even if that person were Hitler.

[BigTex]

The same way not even CNN mentioned Harry Reid's corruption scandle. People have very very short attention span's.

[Lemur]

Hmm, using Google News, this doesn't exactly look like it's being ignored. Beyond the AP story I pulled (and AP feeds a lot of newspapers), there's Fox News, USA Today, NY Times, ABC news, LA Times, Washington Post ... the list goes on. Looks like this story circulated to almost every major news source; talk of a conspiratorial cover-up may be premature.

What nobody's answering, though, is how on earth did this happen? I mean, what the heck were the voters thinking?

[BigTex]

What nobody's answering, though, is how on earth did this happen? I mean, what the heck were the voters thinking?

Voter's and thinking shouldn't be placed in the same sentence. There average voter might have heard something about money in a freezer but I doubt they knew it was the guy they were voting for. Not to mention most just watch TV and those polictical adds all day. Not all that for the guy but Winston Churchill had something to say here "10 minutes with the average voter will change your mind on ugenics will have you supporting monarchies."

There was some talk about Harry's dirty little cover up, but still not as much as you'd expect seeing he's the leader of the minority party. Not to mention it occured around the same time Mr. Kerry bumbled a joke written for him. Have yet to hear anything else about it too, quite sad.

[Major Robert Dump]

dudes, its louisiana, the current hotbed of "the guvment dont like us" victim class. they vote for this guy so they can stick it to THE MAN, it doesn't matter what the evidence suggests, all that matters is that he says whiteys out to get him. Didn't you guys follow the OJ trial????

[BigTex]

dudes, its louisiana, the current hotbed of "the guvment dont like us" victim class. they vote for this guy so they can stick it to THE MAN, it doesn't matter what the evidence suggests, all that matters is that he says whiteys out to get him. Didn't you guys follow the OJ trial????

I had completely forgotten he was black. That does explain why he won in louisiana though. They want to keep that place a chocolate state, with a chocolate government.

[ezrider]

Say what? The guy found with $90,000 in his freakin' freezer just got reelected?

Maybe he just likes the feel of cold, hard cash

[Ronin]

this guy is not only corrupt....he´s stupid as hell....

you keep your cash in the fridge???

[macsen rufus]

Now you know why they say you get the government you deserve

[KukriKhan]

... What nobody's answering, though, is how on earth did this happen? I mean, what the heck were the voters thinking?

10-page local background story from the Times-Picyune.

Basically, he reliably brings home the pork, since the early 70's. In a system awash with patronage and nepotism, all he had to do was call in his "markers"; coupled with the fact that only 20% of voters bothered to show up at the polls = so-called "landslide".

[Lemur]

they vote for this guy so they can stick it to THE MAN, it doesn't matter what the evidence suggests, all that matters is that he says whiteys out to get him. Didn't you guys follow the OJ trial????

Reminds me of when the OJ verdict came down -- I was in a corner store in Chicago with several black people and several white people. The whites (including me) all rolled their eyes and shook their heads. The black people cheered. One very old black man pumped his fist in the air, and yelled, "Go O.J.!" After a thoughtful pause, he looked down and said, "Of course, he did kill them people ..."

I had completely forgotten he was black. That does explain why he won in louisiana though.

His opponent was black as well, so I'm not sure the chocolate explanation holds up.

Thanks Kukri, I'll read the background when I've got more time. I expect to be thoroughly depressed when I'm done.

[Ice]

As Big Tex quoted Churchill in saying "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute talk with the average voter".

Funny thing is, I'm actually starting to agree with him after reading garbage like this.

Anyone remember the Washington DC mayor, Marion Barry? Well, for those of you who don't, he was the mayor of Washington D.C. during the late 80s or early 90s, I can't recall exactly when, but that isn't important. Anyways, he was an ex con who was caught smoking crack with a hooker in a hotel room. His classy defense, was, and now I'm quoting, "The B**** done set me up." Naturally he got re-elect. The general public scares me.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The comment that got me shaking my head was a call-in to the Limbaugh program from a female LA voter in Jefferson's district. Her line of reasoning for voting for Jefferson ran:

He's a crook, but the other guy is even more of a putz. Plus, we can look forward to his indictment clearing him out quickly and giving us a chance for a do-over.

Louisiana has a unique charm.

[Xiahou]

Is this the same guy that, in the Katrina aftermath, diverted National Guard personnel and trucks from the rescue effort to help move his furniture? In light of the cash in the freezer, you might wonder if the mattresses were also stuffed with cash.

[Spino]

... What nobody's answering, though, is how on earth did this happen? I mean, what the heck were the voters thinking?

Lemur: This Lemur will take Infamous Politicians for $500 Alex.

Alex: Answer... What elected official set an amazing precendence for being re-elected following a nationally publicized scandal?

Lemur: Ummmm, who is William Jefferso... err, Marion Barr... Bill Clinto... RONALD REAGAN!!!

Alex: Ooooh I'm sorry. The answer we were looking for was Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy. Ted Kennedy per the infamous Chappaquiddick incident. That will cost you $500 and the lead!

Lemur: ..... Lemur will take Speaking in the Third Person for $100 Alex.

[Lemur]

Lemur: ..... Lemur will take Speaking in the Third Person for $100 Alex.

The lemur will dominate that category ...

[edit]

Kukri, I read that article over lunch, and it was every bit as depressing as I feared. Still, it was a good lunch.

[KukriKhan]

I'm glad it didn't ruin your pastrami-on-rye. :)

The prevailing attitude seems to be: "Yeah, he's a crook, but they're all crooks, and he's our known (therefore: predictable, controllable) crook." "Plus, he got no-account cousin Leroy that job at the university, and Aunt Mabel that free Dodge truck."

Congressman Jefferson has amassed a tidy little fiefdom over the decades, using time-honored methods of palm-greasing, back-scratching, and influence-peddling. To a cynical Louisiana voter, it must seem that his big mistake has been in over-reaching his sphere of influence - no one seemed to notice (or care much) about his alleged graft or corruption, as long as it was contained to his district. It's when he set his sights on Africa, and greasing palms there, that it seems he stepped on someone's (bigger) toes.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Mr. Jefferson is an amateur compared to Arrogant Alan

This is the NYS Fiscal Watchdog, he has the hubris to sign my paychecks. And since he won re-election, further proof that incumbency protection works perfectly and NYS government is the most dysfunctional in the Union, some state pols have put forth that winning re-election negates any attempt to impeach him.

[Major Robert Dump]

holy living shiite, i havent seen tito in ages. good to see you back amigo