The Congressional Search kerfufle has taken a couple of new twists: First, President Bush ordered the material seized to be sealed for 45 days. For some reason, this sparked wonderment in some quarters, although not in others. I’m firmly in the camp that this makes sense, for a couple of reasons: one is that the President has to work with Congress, so it doesn’t make sense to get into a public shouting match with the leadership he wants to work with over something that really is the pervue of low level government (IOW the President and Congress really shouldn’t get involved in a routine police matter). The other is that this allows the President to have a series quiet, private chats with the House leadership that has gone bonkers and allow the whole matter to drift off to oblivion, with the announcement of the resolution time to coincide with something of far more interest to the news media, like another disappearence of an attractive young white woman. And really the President is giving anything up – he made it clear that the evidence would not be returned, and a 45 day delay in a case like this is nothing – the FBI already waited 8 months to seize the material after serving a subpeona.

Another bizare twist is that Hastert has fired a shot across ABCs bow for their repeated claims that he’s somehow under investigation (or in their odd phrase, “in the mix” – I never knew investigating Congress was like baking a cake) after the Justice Department has officially stated he isn’t. ABC has revealed enought for it to be clear that in fact there is nothing new here. Will the obvious questions this raises be persued? Hell no. We won’t go asking about the propriety of an investigator or investigators making these leaks (short answer is that whoever leaked it should be investitgated and fired), nor will we be asking why this leak, now? Speaker Hastert obviously feels that it is retaliation for his complaint over the search of William Jefferson’s Congressional Office. Is there another motive? I just hope Denny shows as much fire and tenacity in going after ABC, which they so richly deserve, as he as in going after the FBI over the search (which they don’t deserve).

And what’s getting lost in all the subsequent plot twists? That all the evidence points to William Jefferson being a crook.

Tags: Congress, Dennis Hastert, William Jefferson

Politicians serve as a constant source of total amazement for me, even more than the blaze of stars in the sky at night away from city lights which leaves me slackjawed in astonishment. William Jefferson is a member of the House of Represenatives who looks to have taken bribes and is under investigation by the FBI. As part of that investigation, the FBI searched with a warrant Jefferson’s congressional office and the US residence of the Vice-President of Nigeria. Oddly enough, it was the search of the congressional office, not the foriegn official’s residence, that has raised a stink. Of all the hills to pick to die on, why the Republican leadership in Congress picked this one is beyond me, what with Denny Hastert demanding the FBI turn over any documents it seized as part of the raid, along with the comment “They took the wrong path.”

I suppose I should be happy that the Republican congressional leadership is not playing politics, because clearly the political response would be to help carry the boxes the FBI seized and make a statement to the press with boxes in hand that it’s a darn shame the Democrats tolerate a criminal in their midst. Instead they make a boneheaded claim that Congressional offices should be sanctuaries for illegal activity. Most people are going to wonder what’s in your office, Denny. If a sitting President has to testify before a grand jury, then a Congressional office can be searched by the FBI.

Look, I understand the idea behind the separation of powers, so my question is what would be the correct path here? Congress has passed the laws which the executive branch is trying to enforce, and the FBI executed a search warrant duly authorized by a judge – in other words, the branches of government are doing their separate jobs. The FBI subpeoned the documents it searched for in September of last year, which subpeona Congressman Jefferson and Congress itself ignored alike. And in that eight month period, has Congress opened its own investigation into Congressmen Jefferson, or taken any action at all? Of course not. Back when they had a chance to act, they did nothing. Now they are up hopping on their hind legs bellowing about principle. But what’s clear here is that the executive branch isn’t trying to intimidate or influence the legislative branch — a case which would warrant all the bellowing and in which case I would gladly bellow right along — but a case where the executive branch and judicial branches are going about their constitutional and legislatively mandated roles of law enforcement.

I don’t like the FBI raiding congressional offices, but then I like criminals even less and think they should be investigated, prosecuted, and incarcerated whether the criminal is a member of Congress or not — especially if the criminal is a member of Congress

Tags: Congress, Dennis Hastert, William Jefferson