What a tragic, missed opportunity. The Republicans could have made it clear that no one is above the law. That if a Congressman is involved in a crime, he or she will face the music like all citizens should.
Instead, Republicans are carrying water for democrats. And who are the first to demand Republicans leave office and resign and cooperate with any kind of investigation? democrats, of course.
Sometimes it seems Republicans are too stupid to govern this nation.

Isn't the Constitution of the United States an amazing document. If you glace further down to Section 8 it spells out who is supposed to fix the Illegal Immigration problem. Are they? No. but they are busy preening and orating about nothing in front of TV cameras. I believe Representative Mike Pence (R-Indiana) is the only one of the 535 members of Congress who is earning his salary.

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, FELONY and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Isn't bribe-taking a felony? And aren't the Democratic members whining about this the same ones who want Karl Rove frog-marched FROM the White House itself?

"I clearly have serious concerns about what happened," Mr. Boehner said, "and whether the people at the Justice Department have looked at the Constitution."

I have to admit, this little comment by Boener just got my day off to a huge laugh. Does anybody think he was the right pick for majority leader? I am wondering if Boehner even knows what the Constitution is for.

I still think the guy is an android Democratic plant to embarass Republicans. Karl Rove should have seen right through this. I blame Bush.

Here is a money quote from Hasteret (Via MacsMind)

"Once I have more information about this raid made available to me, I have had an opportunity to carefully consider the long-term ramifications for the Legislative Branch of this action, and I have consulted with the appropriate bipartisan leaders of the House, I expect to seek a means to restore the delicate balance of power among the branches of government that the Founders intended."

Restore the "delicate balance of power?" What is he suggesting - that we put congress critters off limits to federal law enforcement while they are at work? Well, what the heck makes them so special? Every criminal in the world wants a place that is off-limits to law enforcement.

Given Duke Cunningham and apparently Jefferson (among others), it's just crystal clear that we can trust our Congressmen with such a hidey-hole. No criminal activity here, no sir!

The more I see from guys like Boehner and Hastert, the more doubts I have about Republican politicians. Since the Democrats are happy to join right in on this one, "a pox on both their houses" seems the only appropriate response.

A means to restore the delicate balance of power, Denis? How about using that Constitution that John Boner was talking about? Good grief.

Eyes on the long term. What we want is for Jefferson to be held accountable, not to get off on a technicality.

The congressional response has to do with how co-equal branches of government deal with each other. The House has a Sergeant at Arms. The FBI should have gone to THAT office - it's a certified LEO - and together the FBI and Sergeant at Arms take the office in question apart. Yes, Hastert has a tin ear on this, but he's not talking about the underlying crime, he's talking about procedure.

Legislatures around the country have their own rules and procedures - dating back to the colonial period and beyond - that have force of law. Yes, it can get arcane. And that was evidently what Jefferson was depending on.

Jefferson evidently believed his congressional offices were immune to a DOJ search. He forgot, or did not know, that the House Sergeant at Arms is a certified LEO - he sits on the Capital Police board! Had the FBI taken an extra step and had the warrant served by both FBI and the House Sergeant at Arms office, there'd be no question of a legal search and separation of powers.

How annoying would it be for Jefferson's lawyer to get evidence thrown out of court based on that technicality? Hopefully, a judge wouldn't fall for that, but judges have made annoying decisions before.

Again, what we want is for Jefferson to be held accountable. We don't want criminality to be obscured by an error in police procedure.

>From the website: http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/politics/legbranc/abtcong.htm

> The Sergeant at Arms maintains the order of the House under the direction of the Speaker and is the keeper of the Mace. As a member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board, the Sergeant at Arms is the chief law enforcement officer for the House and serves as Board Chairman each even year. The ceremonial and protocol duties parallel those of the Senate Sergeant at Arms and include arranging the inauguration of the President of the United States, Joint Sessions of Congress, visits to the House of heads of state, and funerals of Members of Congress. The Sergeant at Arms enforces the rules relating to the privileges of the Hall of the House, including admission to the galleries.

Dead on, Dafydd.

However, inUnited States v. Brewster, while continuing to assert that the clause ''must be read broadly to effectuate its purpose of protecting the independence of the Legislative branch,'' the Court substantially reduced the scope of the coverage of the clause. In upholding the validity of an indictment of a Member, which charged that he accepted a bribe to be ''influenced in his performance of official acts in respect to his action, vote, and decision'' on legislation, the Court drew a distinction between a prosecution that caused an inquiry into legislative acts or the motivation for performance of such acts and a prosecution for taking or agreeing to take money for a promise to act in a certain way. The former is proscribed, the latter is not. ''Taking a bribe is, obviously, no part of the legislative process or function; it is not a legislative act. It is not, by any conceivable interpretation, an act performed as a part of or even incidental to the role of a legislator . . . Nor is inquiry into a legislative act or the motivation for a legislative act necessary to a prosecution under this statute or this indictment. When a bribe is taken, it does not matter whether the promise for which the bribe was given was for the performance of a legislative act as here or, as inJohnson, for use of a Congressman's influence with the Executive Branch.'' In other words, it is the fact of having taken a bribe, not the act the bribe is intended to influence, which is the subject of the prosecution and the speech-or-debate clause interposes no obstacle to this type of prosecution.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article01/21.html

if that's the law, then obviously a court may issue warrants, subpoenas, and whatever else is essential to pursuing such a licit prosecution.

In light of the hard fight many of these same Republicans gave Clinton's claims of executive privilege, this reeks to high heaven of hypocrisy.

The terribly infuriating thing is that the Republican congressional leadership, led by Denny Hastert, has simply handed away the political advantages of the Jefferson case. It's beyond stupid. If we were democratic Greeks we could banish this dumbo and be done with him. The congressional Republicans don't know when to simply shut the hell up!

Even Newt Gingrich was pissed off about this. It makes me wonder if I am missing something.

I agree with the Congresscritters, they Feds ought to drop the case and return all the documents to Jefferson.

Particularly all that cold, hard cash. I never heard that phrase taken quite so literally by anyone before Congresscritter Jefferson taught us the true meaning of the phrase....

Yup folks - It's obvious.

This case is frozen solid.....

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Clearly, the time has come for the whole of Congress to be arrested, and most of the Congress executed!!!

1) breach of the peace n. any act which disturbs the public or even one person.

2) Breach of the peace - SNIP..."The first two are somewhat self-explanatory; it has been suggested that the third is deliberately somewhat vague. The doctrine thus established is called Congressional immunity; it arose out of the necessity to prevent a vengeful executive from arresting members of the legislative branch on a pretext to prevent them from taking actions that the executive might find to be displeasing. In recent years, this doctrine has been used to prevent members from being stopped and held for speeding on their way to sessions; this apparently is not a "breach of the peace", where as perhaps another misdemeanor such as "drunk and disorderly" might be construed to be such."

3) Breach of peace 'implies fear'...enough said, huh.

4) breach of the peace
n. any act which disturbs the public or even one person. It can include almost any criminal act causing fear or attempting intimidation, such as displaying a pistol or shouting inappropriately. Why isn't the whole of Congress in jail right now!?!

Congress is clearly out of control, and such causes humble me to feel a *FEAR* that humble gentle me has never felt before. On the Police Department, i was allowed to kill those whom caused me to *FEAR* for my Life. The Law stated such. In Prison, no one ever complained about me killing some other Inmate, as long as i did it Lawfully. In the Army...nevermind.

Anyway, dig this, from FindLaw:

Privilege From Arrest

This clause is practically obsolete. It applies only to arrests in civil suits, which were still common in this country at the time the Constitution was adopted. 376 It does not apply to service of process in either civil 377 or criminal cases. 378 Nor does it apply to arrest in any criminal case. The phrase ''treason, felony or breach of the peace'' is interpreted to withdraw all criminal offenses from the operation of the privilege.

The "the blatant bribery case against Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)", is most clearly not about a civil suit, and apparently there is even more evidence of Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) accepting other bribes, to a tune of over "$400,000".

The time has come for the heads of reporters, and the entire guilty portions of the Congress, to be brought before the American People!!! Bodies take up too much space, so just the heads will do, and we can sort out the beheaded innocent ones later, and say a sorry to their head.

i came out to Vote, in 2002, as a Republican. By 2004, i changed to the Libertarian Party, but still backed President Bush. From what i have been seeing, even from the MSM reports, i ain't the only who came out to Vote in 2002!!! Even the Democrats *OWN* MSM could not ignore the uproar from America's Conservatives when "W" selected Ms. Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, and the Congress still doesn't see 'Da Karmic *SLEDGEHAMMER* over their heads over immigration. Heck, 50% of Americans are tired of paying the taxes and medicare and social security for the 50% who pay just 3.46% !!! That bottom 50% couldn't get out of the way of a mere hurricane (see "Hurricane Katrina"), if it was roaring towards them, whilst they waited at the mouth of the Mississippi River where it meets the Gulf of Mexico. BTW, " The top 50% were those individuals or couples filing jointly who earned $29,019 and up in 2003.

If those links don't work for you, then either subscribe or visit El Rushbo's site (he offers that info for free).

President Bush has offered Congress many decisions to make...like Social Security...like unfair Taxation and Tax Codes...like Health Care...like security from Foreign Enemies (see Saddam)...like immigration...like Judges...etc.

Congress is still peeing in their diapers. Congress would rather complain about the so-called 'aBuSe' heaped upon them and Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), instead of actually doing something to help America's future. Heck, Congress would rather complain about Hayden's wiretaps, then vote for him...scheesh, what a waste. These same Congress 'pEoPlE' ignore real issues, by sticking their useless heads into the sand, and wave their "tail-feathers" over pure BS.

Well, America has more oil than the *WHOLE* Middle-East, and we are not allowed to get it. Even if we were allowed to get it, we don't have enough refiners to refine it. Yes, under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is seriously Breaching the Peace!!!

KårmiÇømmünîs†

Speaker of the House Denny Hastert (R-IL), I knew he protested too much.

Tar. Feathers. Politician. Some assembly required.

Evidently, Is the fix already in? or someone spoke of something they knew nothing about.

OR he is, but they just don't want to confirm or verify.

Smoke and Mirrors.

Papa Ray

Dafydd-

...preventing the executive from searching the hollowed (sic) halls of the Capitol building...

Interesting Freudian slip.

Or was it?

Dick E:

You'll never really know, will you? <g>

Dafydd

monkyboy:

Is there any proof of that or is the usual crap from the left?

BTW, Cheney is not personally responsible for everything every employee of Halliburton ever did.

What is interesting about this is that a Democratic Congressman is caught stealing red handed and the only thing a good Democrat can think to do is cast about for some unrelated crap about a Republican and throw it out there.

Monkeyboy:

So what will he be charged with?

Accepting a bribe, obviously.

Dafydd

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