When the Man No Longer Fits the Party

Congressman Brian Baird returned from Iraq and told his constituents the good news. That we are making a difference in Iraq. And that we should maintain our support for the Iraqi people. (Video link here.)

Monday night the congressman met with some of his constituents. It seems the Lefties in the Democrat party are unhappy with the congressman. From The Stranger (ooh! French nihilism!) come the following comments:

"Baird is an idiot for changing his mind about the Iraq War simply because the situation on the ground improved."

"The only question is whether we leave Iraq, or stay and be defeated and humiliated (since we cannot "win," staying in Iraq is a defeat). Bush, Petraeus et al want America to be defeated and humiliated; "bipartisan" types like Baird merely make it easier for defeatists like Bush."

"Really, who cares what Brian Baird thinks. He can think about pulling out of Iraq or sticking it to Iraq all day long. Is he actually working on a plan for anything? Does anyone have a plan if we stay in Iraq? Did anyone even have a plan before we went into Iraq? Well, obviously that answer is no."

"Why the HELL are we still there? What is our presence preventing? What is it accomplishing? If the best you can say is temporary security, then you have NO PLAN for exit. Kinda like King George. He is just killing time (and American troops) so he can pass it to the next president."

There are times when I look at my brothers and sisters on the Left and wonder why they don't read a book. Something without pictures. I'm afraid that for many on the Left an idea is only valid if it makes them feel good.

Time to grow up people.

Corruption

Living in Oregon we are not strangers to corruption. When we come to it, face to face, we blink. We're amazed by it! We're fascinated by it! We're envious of it! Before going much further, let's just agree on some definitions, please.

Corruption: impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle; inducement to wrong by bribery or other unlawful or improper means.

You'll find these definitions in your copy of Webster's but I have a high degree of confidence that you'll find these limiting words--integrity, virtue, principle, wrong, unlawful, improper--in your dictionary, as well.

So, we blink when faced with corruption. Let's take a quick example: from the Wall Street Journal, " The Paws' political donations closely track donations made by Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address, according to public records. "
Update: This is the home of the Paw family. One of the largest political contributors in the United States. (From the Wall Street Journal On-Line)

Mr. Hsu is one of the top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign. He has hosted or co-hosted some of her most prominent money-raising events. ...... the Paw family, Mr. Hsu and five of his associates gave Mrs. Clinton a total of $47,500. In all, the family, Mr. Hsu and his associates have given Mrs. Clinton $133,000 since 2005 and a total of nearly $720,000 to all Democratic candidates. "

...No one in the Paw family had ever given a campaign contribution before the 2004 presidential election..."

So, the Clinton campaign has been receiving campaign contributions that a reasonable man would say are only possible if someone was working as the "beard" for the money man. For more possible corruption by Clinton, scroll down to the bottom of this page and hit "Play". And, whatever you do, don't search "Clinton China Corruption". You'll lose a couple of days.

Now, what is amazing is that one can have corruption clearly and distinctly revealed and I know that your reaction will be to turn away. Corruption is so dreadful, so awful that when people you know are caught, dirty-handed, you turn away, and, if you're a Lefty you go so far as to attempt putting lipstick on the pig.

Unless that corruption is in the Middle East. That is a different corruption. That is theirs. Theirs is different because Middle Easterners are different. It is their "culture" to be corrupt. And now that the first leg of the argument has been formed, the argument collapses from there.

"If they are corrupt, then democracy is impossible."

And yet, I would argue that it isn't the presence of corruption that makes democracy impossible. I think it's the lack of vigilance in those men charged with enforcing the law that makes democracy impossible, or perhaps, hard work.

Blink at corruption or choose to do the hard work. That's my choice and your choice everyday.

I was watching C-Span this morning, listening to a correspondent talking about the negatives present on a daily basis in Iraq. Reconstruction and corruption. And I said, "Hey, I know about that! Weren't they called Carpetbaggers?" (Amusing article, read whole thing!)

Traveling to Russia in the FSU/pre-CIS period one was confronted with a rising class of Mafiyeh, where the only check on the carpetbaggers of Moscow was in the office of the mayor. Carpetbagger, corruption, reconstruction. We experienced it in this country following our own Civil War. You'll experience it in Russia and Iraq.

But when you find it in American, you blink. Carpetbaggers and corruption. And to find it? All you have to do is follow the money.

So where's the "money" in Oregon? Hmm. Let's see. When you think about corruption in the '60's, you think Chicago, Jimmy Hoffa, and Unions. Where would you look for corruption in Oregon? Would it be Portland...and the Unions?

Now that the state legislature has decided to violate the state's constitution, keep an eye on union contributions to your state legislators. Teachers union, state employee union, county and municipal employee union. And remember, follow the money. When an entire body of elected officials can, with complete impunity, ignore the fundamental rule of governance of a state, we have become corrupt.

Will you blink? Are you willing to work to restore integrity, virtue, principle?

Thanks to Danegerus.