John Boehner's Plot To Kill Congressional Ethics Office Slammed By Home State Tea Party

thinkprogress.org:

In spite of that expectation, Boehner is threatening to axe the Office of Congressional ethics. Established in March of 2008 after the Jack Abramoff scandal, the Office of Congressional Ethics is responsible for "launching investigations of wrongdoings by House Members" in order to "stiffen the spine of the House ethics committee." Operating as an inspector general of sorts, the OCE has "won praise for reviving the House's notoriously moribund and secretive ethics process."

Despite strong conservative support for OCE, "GOP leaders are gearing up to kill the fledgling" OCE. In doing so, Boehner is clashing head-on with the rhetoric of many newly-elected Republicans and the driving force behind them -- the Tea Party. In Boehner's home-state, the Tea Party has not only noticed this fact, but has issued him a warning.

Read the whole story: thinkprogress.org

Comments

[wolfdogNM]

12:50 AM on 11/21/2010

Although I dislike the Tea Party, I have to agree with them on this one point, anyway. The OCE is needed to keep an eye on things.

On the other hand, this issue about ear-marks in another thing. Not all ear marks are bad. Ones that have to do with repairing infrastructure are needed. The Tea Partiers may not think so, but in this reguard they have their heads in the sand.

[Pdubya]

11:55 PM on 11/23/2010

No they don't. If you review the history of highway funding, you'll find that many were privately funded and those were the most successful. You will hopefully discover the difference between mercantilism and true capitalism......the bastard child we've incorrectly blamed for many years. we have been living in a neo-mercantilism society. it has been political entrepreneurship rather than business entrepreneurship (for the most part) and the big banks are making the moves. scary version? they ain't calling the shots.

[Paul Russell]

07:15 PM on 11/20/2010

Hilarious

First days into office and the first thing they do is get rid of the office that would make sure they are ethically within the rules

Why anyone on the right would even TRY to take any sort of moral superiority stance is absolutely laughable

[wolfdogNM]

12:51 AM on 11/21/2010

LOL, spot on. F & F.

[Weirdwriter]

06:32 PM on 11/20/2010

Best new show of the season!!!

[BobbyPeru2]

04:59 PM on 11/20/2010

BOEHNER, THE "EH" IS SILENT.

[Mahi Joe]

01:54 PM on 11/20/2010

Hey Baggers! Hows that changey thingey working out for you guys now?

[wolfdogNM]

12:54 AM on 11/21/2010

What comes around, goes around. Just when they thought it was safe to go to the voting booth.

[WeirdScience]

01:19 PM on 11/20/2010

Boehner has a job-killing agenda. Literally!

[wolfdogNM]

01:18 AM on 11/21/2010

Most of these GOPers are.

[YankeeCanuck]

01:03 PM on 11/20/2010

Kill a watchdog. Get fired. Even in Arizona.

[studmoose]

12:04 PM on 11/20/2010

"Ethics Schmethics!"

"Oops, it's 11AM. Time to take an Executive Lunch. An Executive Liquid Lunch that is!"

[exhale09]

09:30 AM on 11/20/2010

Oh gee, I wonder why Boehner would want to do away with the "Office of Congressional ethics"

If there was ever a big Duh...this is it.

[AlienPet13]

05:22 AM on 11/20/2010

Note to Baggers: You got used!

[DSOTM]

01:34 PM on 11/20/2010

I wish my post was as good as yours. Brevity, I love it.

[George Global]

03:34 AM on 11/20/2010

Boehner's initiatives: "threat level: orange."

[George Global]

03:31 AM on 11/20/2010

John Boehner...proving why nothing rhymes with "orange."

[venice6]

02:40 AM on 11/20/2010

Mr. Boehner,

Where is benefits for our Vets? Where is American's health care?
Where is benefits promised to seniors?
Where is your Soul?

[exhale09]

08:01 AM on 11/20/2010

Where are the jobs?

[venice6]

02:38 AM on 11/20/2010

Mr Boehner,

WHERE ARE THE JOBS????

[Pdubya]

11:57 PM on 11/23/2010

You think government can create jobs?

[venice6]

12:22 AM on 11/24/2010

Yes, and Mr. Boneher is GOP Government who promised to find jobs and fix everything...

So, Mr. Boneher, WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

[Andrew McFarmland]

12:51 AM on 11/20/2010

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It took so little time for the establishment to start dumping the tea party, like we knew it would. Still, I can't help but cheer them on concerning this important bipartisan issue.

[exhale09]

08:45 AM on 11/20/2010

Many of us are now saying "We told you so" to Tea Party folk.

Republicans of the last couple decades have proven themselves to be con artists, manipulators, a corrupt and greedy CLUB representing an ideology that is Of, BY and For the Wealthy Corporations. ONLY

There has to be a balance in this Country, between Private Business interests and everyday People's interests, for our American Dream way of life to be available for ALL like our Founders intended.
There has to be give and take, "shared" sacrifice when needed for our survival.

The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy top 2% for the last TEN years benefited ONLY them, while everyone else saw THEIR wages go down, our jobs disappear, and our nations economy destroyed.
To top it off, WE everyday People then had to bail out those top 2%, the Corporations who have received ALL the profit goodies and PERKS for the last decade, at everyone else's expense...at the expense of "our" deficit. The other 98% of the People in our country are doing all the sacrificing.

Time to BALANCE. Time for the other 98% to get some breaks, after ten years of the scales being intentionally weighed in favor of "only" the wealthy 2%.

The Tea Party folk need to figure this out. Middle America is the ENGINE that keeps our country moving forwards. Without a well maintained engine, our country will just be a Mercedes body on blocks.

[workinguy]

10:05 AM on 11/20/2010

Very well stated...already a fan.