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Judicial Watch has released its Top 10 most Corrupt Politicians of 2007 — if you’ve been paying any attention at all, most of these names shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody:

  • Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
  • Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
  • Senator Larry Craig (R-ID)
  • Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
  • Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)
  • Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
  • I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby
  • Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
  • Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
  • Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Go read the entire article to read summaries of “why” each of these pols are on the list.

I find it somewhat dubious that so many Presidential candidates happened to make the list, though. Especially Rudy Giuliani, who hasn’t held an elected position since 2001. Not sure how that makes him more corrupt this year than many, many other current pols (yeah, I’m looking at your Rep. Murtha).

Also, the case against Sen. Craig being corrupt is based on his sexual escapades in a men’s room? Sorry, but when did being gay — even closeted gay — make somebody “corrupt”?

And Sen. Obama? Corrupt? The man has spent his entire term as US Senator campaigning for President. He’s spent more time on the campaign trail than he has in Washington D.C. I’d agree that the junior senator from Illinois is negligent of his elected duties, but it would seem that he’s actually have to be doing his job to have become corrupted.

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OTHERS:

Flopping Aces notes the oddness of some of the nominees, too:

But seriously, you have to question Judicial Watch when they include Libby, a man whose memory was faulty and Craig, a man playing footsies in the local head but do not include the man who took bribes galore and hid bribe money in his freezer.

3 Responses to “Judicial Watch’s Dubious Top 10 Corrupt Politicians of 2007”

I’m not reading all of those explanos.
The fact they don’t include Congressman William “Icetray” Jefferson of NOLA in the top ten tells me all I need to know.
That Gov. Huckabee had his offices computer hard drives crushed on his way out the door, seems like excellent judgement to me.

That list seems rather idiosyncratic.

NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW

Crooked government officials punished severely for violation the law

Why should crooked politicians, judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials get punished severely for violating, abusing, distorting and manipulating the law?

These are the people who studied the law, swore to uphold the law – they know better, yet they choose to distort and violate the rules, regulations, laws and ethics.

These people were/are entrusted by the public to uphold the laws.

Yet they chose to violate the law distort it and manipulate it to their own advantage.

“POWER CORRUPTS”

“As technology advances – so does corruption”

“CORRUPTION OF CIVIL JUSTICE OFFICIALS”

The corruption in the Civil Courts is greater than in the Criminal Court.

“The One with the money controls justice”

When the public loses trust and competence of the government and law enforcement – society crumbles.

It is the duty of officials to report corruption; otherwise they are as guilty as the perpetrator.

Emphasising that corruption represents a major threat to the rule of law, democracy and human rights, fairness and social justice, hinders economic development and endangers the proper and fair functioning of market economies;
Recognising the adverse financial consequences of corruption to individuals, companies and States, as well as international institutions;
Convinced of the importance for civil law to contribute to the fight against corruption, in particular by enabling persons who have suffered damage to receive fair compensation;
Corruption in government undermines the goals of peace-loving and democratic nations, jeopardizes free markets and sustainable development, provides sanctuary to the forces of terror, and supports the illicit activities of international and domestic terrorists.
In short, corruption “saps the legitimacy of democratic governments and can, in its extreme forms, threaten democracy itself,”
“As long as corrupt officials and those who facilitate their corruption are able to enjoy safe haven, there will be no shortage of those willing to rob the citizenry and flout the rule of law.”
By combating official corruption, “we restore confidence in democracy and the rule of law. We strengthen open trade and investment that drive the world economy. We ensure that donor and government resources benefit all citizens, not a select few. When these conditions are secured, they combine to create faith in the institutions of a civil society.”
The fight against corruption is critical to realizing our shared interests. Corruption undermines the goals of peace-loving and democratic nations. It jeopardizes free markets and sustainable development. It provides sanctuary to the forces of terror. It facilitates the illicit activities of international and domestic criminals. It saps the legitimacy of democratic governments and can, in its extreme forms, threaten democracy itself.
Corruption is also a tax on those citizens who can least afford to pay. It provides benefits to the crooked by channeling money from projects for better roads and cleaner water into the pockets of cronies.
When governments make decisions that favor the connected, rather than favor the citizenry, freedom is stymied. When corruption intrudes, the invisible hand that guides the market is replaced by a greased palm.
Overall, the World Bank estimates that the cost of corruption represents about seven percent of the annual world economy, roughly 2.3 trillion dollars. This is a staggering amount … a figure that is equal to the entire federal budget of the United States government [2.2 trillion dollars].
Think of the jobs, the infrastructure, and the educational systems that 2.3 trillion dollars could provide if it were redirected from the personal enrichment of the corrupt to the service of the people. Think of the rising tide of trust and productivity that would result … a tide that would lift all citizens.
Penalty provision, saying it was designed to hold “members of Congress and those they work with to the highest standards in order to ensure that those who abuse the public trust will be dealt with accordingly.”

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