Top 5 Corrupt Politicians of 2008

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

If we have learned anything this year, it is that corrupt politicians come from all around the country, from both political parties and can be black, white, male or female. That said, here is our top 5 corrupt politicians of 2008

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

1. Rod Blagojevich: At a time when America was given a new faith in politics and politicians, Blagojevich did a lot to reverse that trend. Blagojevich reinforced the stereotype that all politicians were self interested hypocrites. By publicly trying to trade Obama's vacated Senate seat, for his own personal interest, Blagojevich reminded us of the old politicians of old who would jerk the public and lose their integrity for money and power.

Watch Coverage of the Blagojevich Scandal

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

2. Dick Cheney. He should really be number one but he managed to stay under the radar. Despite his role in the outing of Valerie Plame Scooter Libby fell on his sword for him. Cheney continued to rake in millions from Halliburton due to the war he started. Dick Cheney was indicted on corruption charges this November for his involvement with a prison company, the GEO group. With the Vice President is profiting from incarcerated inmates, its no wonder there are so many black men in jail.

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

3. Kwame Kilpatrick. Kwame Kilpatrick spent millions of dollars trying to hide his own affairs and indiscretions while his city went to the pits. Kwame Kilpatrick was stupid enough to have an affair with an aide on city issued cellphones and arrogant enough to lie about it. Kilpatrick also fired several of the police officers who were investigating him and became the target of an $150 million lawsuit for allegedly killing a stripper. Eventually Kwame had to step down from office and serve four months in jail.

Watch Nightline Cover Kilpatrick's Many Scandals

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

4. Elliot Spitzer. While Elliot Spitzer may not be the first politician to take in the services of a hooker, he is probably the biggest hypocrite who did. Spitzer spent his career trying to clean up New York in the name of decency and the law. He then broke the law in a very indecent way.

Watch Spitzer Resign

(Courtesy of NewsOne for Black America)

5. Sarah Palin. From her original Troopergate scandal, to her billing Alaska for her personal needs and taking $150,000 from the RNC for her own wardrobe, Sarah Palin has improperly benefitted from her own personal power and tried to cover it up the whole way.

Watch Troopergate Coverage

Honorable Mentions

Ted Stevens, Senator from Alaska

Sheila Dixon, Mayor of Baltimore

Norm Coleman, Senator from Minnesota

Sharpe James, Former Mayor of Newark

Comments

[claylandg]

Palin?? I thought she was cleared of troopergate???

[LMPE]

The late, but great, George Carlin would probably praise these people for their actions, asserting that America is all about this kind of bullshit.

PS: it seems to me that only Democrats have affairs. Repugs must not be desirable enough.

[joebiz]

Clinton? Hillary . . .

[harriscrl3]

Seriously Dubya didnt make your list? THen you list is fundamentally flawed and where is Paulson. He stole 700 billion and gave it to wallstreet and cannot account for how its spent thats corruption it may not be illegal although that remains to be seen but its definitely corruption

Carol

[NABNYC]

Sex is not corruption. Sex is a Republican weapon used against Democrats to divert the public from the real corruption, which is always about money. Selling government for money. That's the corruption. Starting wars to help private contractors. That's corrupt.

The Detroit mayor had an affair? So what? The entire country is guilty of crimes against humanity for the failure to help the people of Detroit try to have an actual chance at opportunity, education, jobs, as opposed to being shut off in a bhutastan and left to die.

As for Elliot Spitzer, the joke's on us. Bush's illegal wiretaps (I'll bet) were planted at the request of the criminal Wall Street Boys because Spitzer had repeatedly nailed wall street and made them pay back the money they had stolen. So they wanted him out of the way before their last big robbery, what they call the Bailout. You know, Paulson handing that Wall Street note to Congress saying "Give us $700 Billion or we'll blow the whole place up." When we're all sleeping on subway grates, we might want to re-think whether Spitzer's using a prostitute was really any of business after all.

[cyrano1]

Premature? There are a few days left in the year! And at the escalating rate political deeds are being exposed, maybe we'll have an even larger list to add to the sleaze meter.

[Dialector]

Bush and Cheney are the first and second most corrupt politicians for the last eight years.

[nancytheragingliberal]

What a nasty array of characters. I bet you could post your "List of 5," with a different cast of characters, every week, for years. Eight nightmare years and this is what the world has to show for it.