When It Was Your Records, the Constitution Didn't Matter

Amazing how a slight change of venue changes peoples' attitudes sometimes. Like when Bush was seizing your phone calls, phone records, conducting sneak-and-peek searches and subpoenaing your library records under the Patriot Act, Congress could care less. Now that it's one of their own, they're invoking the very Constitution they've so long ignored. When the Justice Department, a branch of the Executive, raided William Jefferson's House offices, a dirtbag bought and bribed member of Congress; therefore a representative of the Legislative, Democrat and Republican stood shoulder to shoulder to defend the Constitutional protections of the Legislative Branch. Now Bush has had to step in and seal the records for 45 days.

Go ahead and hold me for contempt of Congress. They're contemptible. There are "deeply held views" in Congress on this matter. If only their views concerning our civil liberties were as deeply held.

As for Jefferson, the best thing he could do would be to resign but in the best Republican fashion, the Democrat (unfortunately) refuses to step down. Even Delay, when faced with the inevitability of his conviction (and I don't mean a strong moral stand - Delay has none), had the grace to grit his teeth and step down. Jefferson should do the same and Pelosi should stop harboring him - the last thing we need in November when we're grinding the Republicans' faces in their own corruption is them to be able to point to Jefferson and say, "You, too." He's not worth that, nor is defending him against a legal investigation worth the fallout.