|
When Politics Becomes Criminal
Written
by Stephen Crockett, co-host of
Democratic Talk Radio
It
has recently been reported that prominent Republicans in the Bush
Administration are screening potential federal government employees
concerning how they intend to vote in upcoming elections. This
development calls for both Congressional investigation and an
independent federal prosecutor. There is a federal law known as the
Hatch Act which clearly makes such blatantly politicization of the
federal government hiring program illegal. These activities may
violate other federal laws, as well.
It is time for Republicans
at all levels to distance themselves some the ethically challenged
national leadership of the Republican Party and the Bush
Administration. Not only have the Bush Republicans failed to follow
the spirit of the law in many different ways, it now seems obvious
that they are not complying with the letter of the law.
Scandal follows scandal in
our daily news. During the 2006 election, Republicans tried with mixed
success to spin the various illegal activities reported concerning
Republican members of Congress, Republican Governors and various state
Republican Party leaders as isolated “bad apples.” It now looks like
most of the barrel may be rotten to the core of the Republican Party.
We have FBI raids
connected to Arizona Republican Congressman Renzi and California
Republican Congressman Doolittle in the headlines. The web of
corruption by Republican officeholders seems to be vast. It looks like
the Bush White House was actively engaged in keeping the extent of the
corruption from the voters in 2006. This Republican culture of
corruption explains much about the US Attorney firing scandal and
Republican efforts to make voting difficult.
The US Attorney firing
scandal is emerging as the biggest corruption probe and abuse of
office probe since Watergate. It looks like the Department of Justice
has been entirely politicized and may be involved is various ways in
obstruction of justice. Denial of voting rights, obstruction of
corruption by Republican officeholders, manufactured criminal cases
against Democratic figures, manufactured vote fraud cases, orders to
take legal positions favoring large corporate law-breakers like the
tobacco companies and other abuses at the Department of Justice
connected to top Republicans are emerging in the media.
The Republican efforts to
make voting difficult for the poor, working Americans, minorities and
the elderly are apparent in the policies pursued by the Department of
Justice. It is equally apparent in the activities of the Republican
Party machinery in almost every state in the union.
Tennessee Republicans in
the State Senate recently voted to require voters present photo ID’s
that many poor and elderly Tennesseans do not have. In 2006,
Republican supporters of the Republican Governor Ehrlich successfully
blocked early voting by using the courts to overturn voting reform
laws. Early voting makes it much easier for working citizens to vote
without interfering with their jobs. In recent elections in Tennessee,
up to 40 percent of all votes cast came from early voting.
Corrupt officeholders are
often removed by the voters in large turnout elections. Republicans
fear these voters. Outright vote fraud may have handled several
Congressional seats in Florida to Republicans who really lost had the
votes been honestly counted.
Illegal campaign tactics
are very common in modern Republican circles. The situation in New
Hampshire is a prime example. Republican leaders in that state with
close ties to the Bush White House developed an illegal scheme to
disrupt the vote turnout phone lines of the Democratic Party and some
unions during the US Senate race. The Republican went to the Senate
largely based on this illegal and successful tactic. Recent media
reports indicate that the Republican US Attorney in New Hampshire was
playing ball with the Bush White House concerning the election and
subsequent investigations.
These illegal activities
are impacting government policies in many ways. Republican members of
Congress and Republican Senators elected as a result of illegal
activities will help Bush in the upcoming veto fights. The will of the
majority of Americans will likely be blocked on issues like Iraq, the
Employee Free Choice Act, competitive bidding on prescription drugs
under Social Security, etc. because the Republicans rigged numerous
elections around the nation.
Voters need to vote all
Republican incumbents out of office. Honest Republicans who believe in
the American system of free elections need to seize control of their
Party and purge the crooks. The Republican Party needs to be rebuilt
from the ground up. Many current Republican leaders and officeholders
belong in jail. We need to vote in public officeholders who are
willing to jail the rich and powerful when they attack the very
foundations of American Democracy!
Written by Stephen
Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio
http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ).
Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland
21919. Phone: 443-907-2367. Email:
midsouthcm@aol.com .
comment on this news item...
|
