So we have had any number of sleazy, hypocritical Republican congressman who claimed family values for themselves, while behaving privately in ways as bad or worse than those they publicly condemned across the aisle. You never saw John Boehner or Eric Cantor or Mitch McConnell, or any of the others who have been howling for Weiner to resign calling for the resignation over the more serious misconduct of their political colleagues on the right.
Here is John Boehner demanding that Congressman Weiner resign for essentially talking dirty and sending naughty photos of himself - which was, I fully admit a bad thing. But Weiner simply talked and sent pictures; he did not meet the women to whom he sent the tweets, sexting messages, or photos, or engage in sex with anyone other than his wife.
There are rumors now that there is a similar scandal, a more serious scandal that is going to hit the news, or so the word is from the National Enquirer. I wouldn't ordinarily consider the Enquirer a news source, except that they DID break the story on John Edwards. So this scandal IS a very real possibility, and this is not the first I have heard these rumors. I only call our readers' attention to them NOW so that they can keep in the front of their attention the behavior on the right about Weiner, IF and/or when this story does officially break about a Boehner infidelities. Mrs. Boehner neither confirms or denies the accusation. I have to admit that the absence of a denial from either Mrs. Boehner or the women seems.....curious.
This story was hot back in freezing February. I wonder if or when something new might occur? And if it does.......will Boehner and the Republicans be hypocrites, or act as they speak?
I have long been critical of the special interest money that Boehner takes, including his handing out checks from the Tobacco industry on the floor of the house for what could be argued are payoffs to politicians for voting favorably for an industry in return. So, while I hope to be pleasantly surprised, I'm not holding my breath that Boehner or his colleagues will behave as ethically as they demand from others. Want to bet there will be a double standard in play? No?
The real life soap opera that is politics; make a bowl of popcorn, sit back and watch the fireworks explode.
Gosh ... you must be kidding ... a boy who wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth would have a wondering eye .... what would they think at Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller High School (which also happens to be Raymond Cravaack's alma mater and a private all male school) ... is that why over 75 professors at Catholic University objected to Mr. Boehner giving the Commencement Address last May ?
ReplyDeleteOK, seriously ... since this was a February story and nothing new has been reported, the focus should shift to other Boehner activity.
For example, are you familiar with the ethics complaint filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. Antideficiency Act prohibits federal officials from incurring obligations or making expenditures in excess of amounts available in appropriated funds. Violators are subject to administrative discipline. Knowing and willful violations can be punished by up to two years imprisonment. Speaker Boehner directed the House Office of General Counsel (OGC) to sign a contract to pay an outside firm $500,000 to defend the highly controversial Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Or, is there any concern with Speaker Boehner's
Personal Financial Disclosure Form ?
The "son of a bartender" that had to "work to get through college" claimed assets worth at least $2 million, according to disclosure reports. Boehner reported 121 transactions in which he bought or sold investments. He lists assets including many Ohio companies such as Procter & Gamble, Kroger and Sherwin-Williams ... most in his IRA ... and IRA that most likely was funded by his previous year liquidation of his retirement account at Nucite Sales Inc., a plastic company that provided him the bulk of his wealth.
What is most interesting is the number of banking companies in his portfolio ... for example, Mr. Boehner lists "Bear Stearns" as "Bonds and Notes" ... good luck with that since Bear Stearns was the first company that crashed before Lehmann Brothers ... the Treasury arranged for JP Morgan to buy the company ...
Other financial companies include : Bank of New York, Credit Suisse FB USA, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, National City Corp., PNC Bank (which I thought National City was buying) and other smaller banks ... many of these banks participated in TARP ... and TARP was pushed by Mr. Boehner ... besides the banks there are insurance companies and brokers.
Also, there are investments in the healthcare industry ... Cardinal Health, Forest Labs, Johnson and Johnson, TEVA Pharmaceutical (not sure if this is the US branch or the Israel corporation) and most interesting ... Wellpoint (which is the largest health plan company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association).
And investments in oil companies.
Mr. Boehner claims that these are managed by others ... but wouldn't you feel better if they were invested in mutual funds and not self-directed by the managers directly into specific companies ? After all, Mr. Boehner has divested himself from the company that provided his start ... I can see Herb Kohl keeping Kohl's (or Jay Rockefeller keeping investments in oil), but IMO, he should avoid ownership of specific companies. To his credit, Mr. Boehner does have investments in the Congressional Credit Union as well as US bonds.
While nothing new has hit the news since this broke late January / February, I think, like the Edwards scandale, that it will simmer for awhile before going active again. But I do suspect there is fire to go with this smoke.
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