I can't imagine anyone I'd rather see go down than Shelby. What a fraud in so many ways -- champion of "small government" unless it involves soliciting funds for a college to build a building no one wants with his name on it. Obviously that sort of petty theft doesn't get you in trouble but hopefully this story will.

Oh, who am I kidding? It's Alabama. We'll vote for a brazen thief as long as he has an R after his name.

There is a specific purpose for the demise of the respect for the congress, the presidency, and the judiciary.

The people list the military as the most competent U.S. institution over the civil government.

The reason for this is not far from obvious.

Nothing to see here, folks! Please move right on over to the Charlie Rangel hearing. Thank you!

If there are laws against whoring and pimping, I wish DC would enforce them.
Oh, 'sexual whoring and pimping,' not 'political whoring and pimping.'
Never mind.........

The Supreme Court ruling on corporate political campaign donations has to be a factor too in the increased contributions. I imagine it took about six months for the corporations to figure out how to make the donations in the most influential and least visible ways.

Cue the: Yeah, but the Democrats are all just the same, so we me might as well have the Republicans in charge...in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

There was an unemployed dude/dudette on DKos a day or so ago arguing that it would have been *better* for 8+ million more people to lose their job, because then their *personal* plight might have been addressed better. I know politics is personal, but some of these folks on our side are really starting to become unhinged and are losing their critical thinking skills, if they ever had any.

These scams are the same kind of scams that Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay ran the last time Republicans were in power. Many of the Congressmen involved in these new scams worked with Jack and Tom back in the day. And many of the staffers turned lobbyist went through Team Abramoff's K Street Project training.

Today Washington is filled with hundreds (if not thousands) of 'Baby Jacks'. They thrive because the Abramoff scandal was never investigated--especially when it comes to the involvement of Congressmen, Senators and staff. It is great that the ethics process is flushing out corrupt dudes like Charlie, but it would be better if it would also get around to a real examination of the Abramoff Scandal. Of course that won't happen and that failure to act will lets folk with deep ties to Abramoff scandal get away with it even as they actively run the same old corruption cons all over again (and in plain sight).

Cheers

"VIP access to all events, including roundtables, briefings, breakout discussions and interactive panel discussions."

And the Constitutionalist Boner has spoken to "We the people", the Very Important ones of course.

If it wasn't for those damned leftists, Democrats could participate more fully in this American Dream.

So, how long after the election will these stories start to appear in the MSM? With, of course, the all-important caveat that Democrats do this, too.

-Oh, who am I kidding? It's Alabama. We'll vote for a brazen thief as long as he has an R after his name.-

Change that to a "D" up in Harlem.

As I watch Republicans pledge to throw subpoenas in every direction for anything bigger than the wind blowing, I have to ask - Where are the Dem subpoenas for money-under-the-table politics by these Republicans?

If they can spend 10 days investigating Clinton's Christmas mailing list, can't the Dems at least - very publicly - investigate obvious things like this?

-If they can spend 10 days investigating Clinton's Christmas mailing list, can't the Dems at least - very publicly - investigate obvious things like this?-

Because they'd end up investigating themselves.

Oh, who am I kidding? It's Alabama. We'll vote for a brazen thief as long as he has an R after his name.

Remember, he was first elected as a Democrat and then switched parties AFTER he was re-elected.

Total opportunist.

Remember, he was first elected as a Democrat and then switched parties AFTER he was re-elected.

Total opportunist.
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Crazy, nothing like that has ever happened again!

OhNoNotAgain: ...but some of these folks on our side are really starting to become unhinged and are losing their critical thinking skills...

Good piece by Cohn on that very subject:

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/76637/dumb-liberal-stupidity-apathy

Enough with the faux outrage....it's not exactly news that DC is a corrupt cesspool where bribery is not only legal, but encouraged.

Maybe that's why Congress' ratings are abysmally low no matter who is in power.

"Since 2008, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby has steered more than $250 million in earmarks to beneficiaries whose lobbyists used to work in his Senate office -- including millions for Alabama universities represented by a former top staffer. "

He beat Murtha. Damn...

It's only been a couple of days since Boehner was chiding fellow GOPers about socializing with "pretty female lobbyists" as unbecoming. This would be in stark contrast to hanging out with fat, white, male lobbyists. Who could possibly object to that?

As with most things that are dysfunctional regarding our Legislature and Executive, the universal salve is campaign finance reform

Also why it will never happen. The fix is in, they like it this way.

Bread and circuses for the rest of us. Oh, and American Idol's on the telly.

Actually the current system of campaign financing pretty much demands some level of "legal" corruption. I would imagine there are 99 other Senators who engage in practices similar to Shelby's. It is necessary.

Alabama has almost the lowest life expectancy of all 50 states, 74.4 years. Cuba has a longer life expectancy, so does Saudi Arabia.

So what has Shelby done to fix this? Nothing.

I consider something truly special in this web site .