10-02-05, 9:16 am
Bill Bennett: Former education secretary and admitted addicted gambler calls for reducing crime rates by aborting African American fetuses.
Tom DeLay: House Majority Leader indicted on criminal conspiracy charges for influence peddling by illegally using corporate cash to fund Republican campaigns in Texas.
Karen Hughes: Former adviser to Dick Cheney and Bush campaign brain remarked in Egypt this past week when asked by an Egyptian official why President Bush mentions God in his speeches: 'previous American presidents have also cited God, and that our constitution cites 'one nation under God.’' Now we know where the Bush administration got its understanding of the Constitution.
Armstrong Williams/Bush administration: Government Accountability Office describes the payment of $240,000 taxpayer dollars to right-wing talk show host and columnist Williams to promote the No Child Left Behind Act as illegal. GAO also reports the Williams fails to provide all of the services promised in his contract with the administration.
Bill Frist: Under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for selling stock worth hundreds of millions just before the price of the stock collapsed. Excellent timing.
David Safavian: White House aide arrested September 16th for obstructing a federal investigation and for illegally trying to help Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff acquire to federal properties.
Lester Crawford: FDA Commissioner and veterinarian who dropped the ball on regulating Vioxx, but prevented the morning-after pill from being sold over the counter and gave preliminary approval to dangerous silicone breast implant manufacturers to put their products back on the market. Resigned in disgrace.
Tom Noe: Ohio Republican Party fundraising bigwig. The state of Ohio is going after Noe for stealing millions from its rare coin venture in order to purchase vacation homes.
Bob Taft: Republican Party legacy governor of Ohio and related to the former president of his namesake charged with criminal misdemeanor counts of breaking Ohio campaign finance laws.
Jack Abramoff: Republican lobbyist under federal investigation for bribery, extortion, and on and on. Abramoff investigation is a bleeding scab that when finally picked will expose a culture of corruption in Washington unseen since the bad old days of the Harding administration.
Bob Ney: Ohio Republican member of Congress who has ethics complaints pending alleging that he accepted tens of thousands of dollars inappropriately in order to secure his influence over bills before Congress.
Roy Blunt: Missouri Republican who took over DeLay's duties. Ethics complaints allege that he accepted thousands in exchange for his influence over the legislative process. Also appears to have helped family members advance their careers and earn big bucks.
George W. Bush: Serious leadership failure after the Hurricane Katrina disaster cost the lives of thousands. Spending on an unnecessary war, tax cuts for the rich, and pork barrel spending didn't help either. Insists that keeping an occupation force in Iraq in order to protect his image does not embolden insurgency. Poll numbers at historic lows.
Dennis Hastert: Republican House Speaker who after taking some of the largest pork barrel spending for his wealthy district in Illinois that could have partially shored up levees in New Orleans, says that rebuilding New Orleans doesn't make sense to him. This, three days after the storm hits and thousands of New Orleans residents continue to starve and dehydrate waiting for the administration to do something about rescuing them.
Michael Chertoff: Department of Homeland Security Secretary charged with implementing disaster recovery efforts. Doesn't seem to know his job after Katrina hits the Gulf States and then blames New Orleans residents for living in a dangerous area.
