This post is now somewhat outdated. For newer, related material, see this post. Or better yet, go to the main page of my blog to see what else I’ve posted.
Aside from LIndsey being safe, at least until the extremists come up with somebody else?
- It means the governor probably gets to pick a new treasurer. Greg Ryberg, whom we endorsed, comes to mind. He was the best candidate for the job, and he certainly wanted it — spending $2 million of his own money.
- Mr. Ravenel’s supreme, cocky confidence as a candidate will be seen in a new light — regardless of his guilt or innocence.
- More people will go back and watch my Grady Patterson video clip, and say to themselves, "He was old, but he was honest." (They’ll also say, "So that’s what he meant by ‘He makes up stuff.’)
- These indictments have demonstrated that it’s harder to get away with being a corrupt official in South Carolina than it once was. After Charlie Sharpe and Thomas Ravenel, who else should be looking over their shoulders?
- Cocaine isn’t as passe as those who put the ’80s way behind them may have thought it was.
That’s about as far as free association takes me so far. What do you think?
Related Posts
If Grady Patterson were alive today, I’d bet he’d be smiling.
Actually, this gives T-Rav the perfect out to say he didn’t go back on his campaign pledge. If he’s kicked out of the Treasurers spot, he can run for Senator without any problem.
It is interesting how Brad can barely contain his glee at this news. Innocent until proven guilty, right?
What do we think? We think he was indicted about ten minutes ago and have no idea what the evidence is yet. I don’t believe the old saw that a person is “innocent until proven guilty” because if that’s true, OJ Simpson and Hitler are both innocent.
Still, you’re way jumping the gun.
Think maybe the General Assembly ratted him out??
Hey, I don’t roll that way. D-Brad doesn’t roll that way.
Besides, we endorsed the guy, remember?
Gleeful? No way. It’s not like Kevin Geddings got indicted or something. Oh, wait, yes he did. But I’m not gleeful about that, either.
Seriously, I guess laypeople don’t know how pumped news people get at news. And boy, is this news. It probably didn’t take me as much by surprise as it did you, since I had known that a "statewide official" was going to be indicted at 5 p.m., and had had a little time to get used to the idea, and speculate as to who it was. Various names went through my head, as you might imagine.
But "Thomas Ravenel" did not, probably because I think of him as a smart guy.
When that name did come out, though — WOW.
This is news, people. Don’t you get excited about news, regardless about how you feel about it? Maybe not. Sometimes I think normal people don’t — they tend to think about whether it makes them happy or sad, or matches their preconceived notions or something (that’s what partisans tend to do, from what I’ve seen of them). But news is news, and yeah, I dig it. That’s why I do this.
I bet I can guess whose name went through Brad’s mind first… Rhymes with Shmandre Shmauer.
He is probably on his way to rehab with Lohan, Britney, Paris etc. as we speak. Oh, wait a minute, Paris is in jail.
Yeah – I get it Brad. It has not so much to do with Ravenel as it does about really BIG stuff happening… and no, it’s not “scheudenfreud” (is that the term?) either. About twenty minutes after the story broke I had talked with four people on the phone, emailed with two and started posting here. It’s a totally different kind of news and if we find it exciting, well, that makes people like us just people like us. Sorry folks, but I ain’t apologizing!
Well, it would certainly explain a lot if the name had been “Andre.”
BTW – I don’t know him personally but have witness of the guy being a real jerk. Hence my comment on the other thread.
Ravenel, Bauer, Sanford, what’s the difference?
I hear Ravenel quit Giuliani’s campaign:
http://www.palmettoscoop.com/
Hmmmmm foreshadowing? I teach Language Arts and I seem to remember some brouhaha with Sanford giving the representative some grief for his love sick phone calls. Hmmmm, it definitely smacks of irony with Sanford having to discipline his golden boy.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ahem, ha ha, snort snort, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha….
just legalize drugs and then regulate them.
Claudia:
I ain’t got no Schadenfreude, but do feel like we dodged a bullet — a treasurer with a fondness for the white stuff boggles the mind. What could be worse? An indictment for check-kiting?
A relative employed at one of the nicer (pricier) places in town told me that the dearly departed was a jerk too: rude to the wait staff, inconsiderate to other diners, and generally boorish.
Not that it makes much difference, but if a public servant doesn’t display much civility when out in public, one wonders about his treatment of employees.
Cocaine, Republicans, Ravenels – mercy me, what is this world coming to. Read between “the lines”. Ravenel spelled backwards is “lenevar” and bad real estate and business since Pug.
Btw, I’ve been trying to access the fred thompson website all day and can’t get in. Geuss I’ll call it any early night and get back to reading my mom’s copy of “conscience of a conservative”….
D-Brad? I think you missed the pattern there…shouldn’t you be B-Wart?
I am an Horry County Democrat.lol.
Anyway , who cares about Brugs, I don’t, but I say Make ALL Drugs legal, and tax them like Cigs/booze, Imagine NO MORE DEA >//// Great.
Fogarty –
I’m too busy with other matters to dig up the sources, but I suggest that you change your “Make ALL Drugs legal, and tax them like Cigs/booze” to “tax them like restaurant meals/beer” and you’d make more money.
Thanks, Mike C… great word; I just have trouble remembering how to spell (or pronounce) it!
“Ravenel, Bauer, Sanford, what’s the difference?”
Two have been stopped by law enforcement and one hasn’t.
Brad, I thought I remember a TR campaign commercial with him and a family. I read that he has no family. So this guy is a bachelor?
Thomas Ravenel comes from a family of public servants who have made a tremendous difference in South Carolina. Whether he is guilty or not (our laws say that he is innocent until proven guilty), this is a very sad day for his family and our thoughts and prayers should be with them.
The fact that the taxpayers of the South Carolina are being asked to pay rent for a millionaire public official means that the War on Drug is just crazy.
Look, Thomas Ravenel ran a large business, ran for public office, won an election, and served the public interest of South Carolina with honor and distinction.
Now we’re putting him in jail.
Some people like martinis. He liked cocaine. What the heck is wrong with this country?
Maybe we should all grow up and spend less money on prisons and prosecutors and a little more on schools and tax cuts.
Or we could just continue to throw Americans in jail even when they are minding their own damn business. Your choice, America.
The bitterness that has been demonstrated on this blog today says more about the base and crass posters than it does about Mr. Ravenel. Good and honorable people lament anothers troubles and pain. Cads relish it.
People with dark hearts seem to be everywhere. Without close inspection they pass for good people…but given the chance, the pain of their own lives is demonstrated… and it is the poverty of their souls which is clearly on display this day.
Dudemeister, while I don’t take joy in Ravenel’s plight, I had a funny feeling for many people this would not bring down the reputation of Ravenel, but rather pump up the reputation of cocaine as not that bad. Thank you.
Did you really make it thru your entire blog entry without once typing “Republican” or “Giuliani”? I love how Hillary Clinton is responsible for her volunteers there in S.C. but Rudy isn’t for his being drug dealers.
I can’t believe the people making excuses for this idiot, party boy. I’m a Republican or at least I used to think I was, but I could tell last year that I didn’t like this cat and was very disappointed when he won the nomination. Fact is he broke the law and if found guilty he should go to jail. He should serve more time then the rest of us would for the same crime simply because as a politician he should be held to a higher standard. Too bad for Grady but I think Republican primary voters need to get a little sense and choose better candidates then this one.
You Democrats should be ashamed that you can’t beat someone like this in an election. Before you go casting stones, I think you should take stock of the long line of thieves, reprobates, swindlers and scammers you have elected in the past. The GOP aint much to be proud of these days but they have a long way to go before they catch up to you bunch of degenerates.
“Aside from LIndsey being safe, at least until the extremists come up with somebody else”
So people who oppose Graham and his rejection of conservative principles (on which ran and was elected) are “extremists”?
Nice. No agenda here.
Jim S, you seem to be full of bitterness and hate. I sincerely hope you can get help with that and find peace and tranquility.
You claim to be a Republican but you support this Big Government program called The War on Drugs. What do we know about Big Government? It’s inefficient, perverse, and it doesn’t work. (Check out our Public Schools, the War in Iraq, the idiots in charge of immigration, etc. etc.)
So you want to put people in jail for buying and selling things? I thought Republicans were in favor of free enterprise. Buying and selling and making a profit are not bad things.
Also, Republicans are supposed to be opposed to intrusive government. Government that snoops around in your private life? Not cool. Do I want government looking in my bedroom? Do you want government watching your medicine cabinet? Interfering in your personal matters, like say worship, child-raising, gun ownership, etc. etc.? I don’t trust Big Government not to violate my rights. i thought that was a Republican position.
Even if Thomas Ravenel was “guilty,” he has done nothing wrong. Our laws are stupid and cruel. Imprisoning a non-violent man who has not stolen anything or defrauded anyone or otherwise coerced people is not only stupid but evil.
Just as with our misbegotten and failed War in Iraq, nothing good will come of this modern day Prohibition.
Let’s come together as Republicans and Democrats and end this evil, expensive, stupid, and failed War on Drugs.
Joe, I understand that you’re being satirical, but your point is excellent. OF COURSE there is an agenda here! Brad and the other Grahamnesty-sycophants and butt boys at the state mullet wrapper have long since given up being objective when “reporting” on their favorite politician. Lindsey Graham does nothing wrong in Brads’ eyes. Learn, love it and live it. The newspaper “of record” has abdicated its’ responsibilty to be skeptical and ask hard questions of Grahams’ positions…it is left to us to do the right thing and end Grahams’ senate creer. Ed
oops. CAREER
This is definitely news. I don’t know if “excited” is the word I’d use to describe my reaction, but I was quite shocked, and I’m interested to see what happens next.
Brad, how do you think this will affect the odds of success for future efforts to reform state agencies and move statewide elected officials into the governor’s cabinet?
Somebody’s raised the issue of whether this was crack or not. see http://notverybright.wordpress.com Any thoughts on the initial reporting that it was?
“The newspaper “of record” has abdicated its’ responsibilty to be skeptical and ask hard questions of Grahams’ positions…”
Bingo. They absolutely have. In their eyes, being a politcal “leader” means running away from the people who elected you to work with and embrace the political party to which we strongly oppose. People who oppose that are “extreme.”
Why hasn’t the paper of record asked Graham why he considers people who oppose this sham of an immigration bill “bigots”? Why hasn’t the paper of record questioned Graham about his recent assault on talk radio? Yet we’re the “extremists”. Funny.
Wally, it should HELP with rational restructuring. But I thought the DOT mess would do that, too. See how wrong I was?
for crying out loud, give the guy,( who by the way he and his wonderful family have done great things in S.C.) his rightful day in court! He is not guilty until proven guilty.
Oh, it will be interesting to see who the Mr. R’s friends are around the state, the one’s he was sharing with..
He is an elected official who swore to uphold the law. He didn’t in a big way, AND GOT CAUGHT! Too bad, so sad. My prediction….He will lawyer up w/ a bigwig. He will be released on probation, pay a stiff fine and drop off the face of the earth for 5-10 years. Then he will return as reformed, born again and run for office on a drug rehab platform. And b/c of who he is, he will eventually win. Now if he were a poor black man, he would be serving the mandatory 56 months. He will be back. Too bad for SC. We don’t need him and this voter never wanted him.
Knew him from college days. Jerk, A******, narcissist, rude, the farthest thing from a “gentelman,” which is how I’m sure he wants to be perceived. No class. People didn’t care for him. But he never cared about that. Ask him what his middle name is.
Thank God I voted for Grady Patterson; however, you get what you deserve when in the state of SC to get elected all you have to same is I am a Republican for family values. Someone said that the if Grady Patterson was he alive, he would be smiling. Did I miss something, because I thought Grady Patterson was alive.
I have been wondering how we were going to get around Sen. Ryberg’s opposition to even studying publicly financed campaigns.
Ryberg opposed a bill in the last days of the session that would have created a study commission to explore how Clean Elections could reduce the influence of money on politics. Ryberg for Treasurer.
Nice. the Dems come out ripping the guy, ya’ll can’t wait to castigate him, and he’s only been indicted – after a two-year investigation! Apparently ya’ll have never been the victim of a false accusation before, or are just so busy cheering another person’s downfall, that you are as willing to castigate Ravenel based on a drug dealer’s info as you would, say, be willing to boot an entire lacrosse team based on a stripper’s lies.
I happen to know that there is a person in Ravenel’s office who is a lifelong drug user and makes no secret of it. Don’t supppose that individual will take responsibility for THEIR actions, do ya? No, like most who are doing the same thing when someone else gets caught, they will lie low and hope that the storm passes over their heads. If I were Ravenel, everyone in the office would be getting pee tests (and hair follicle tests) TODAY.
Since so many jobs require drug tests, why don’t all elected officials take them every six months to prove their good faith?
I hope The STATE will promote the idea of the Governor appointing a replacement who is “non-political” , say a CPA.
It’s a federal indictment. Your boy is going down.
I guess this was the investment opportunity he was tallking about…You thought the lottery was a bad idea…
Why was Michael Miller taken into custody and Mr. Ravenal wasn’t. Both are indicted on the same charges. I don’t see any reports nor the drive by the local media to ask why Mr. Ravenel hasn’t been photographed and fingerprinted just like any person charged on drug charges. Looks like Mr. Ravenel is getting special treatment.
SC US Attorney General Reginald I. “Ivan the Terrible” Lloyd, Esq. to drop all charges, a misunderstanding, some kind of mistake.
Yeah … … …
SC US Attorney General Reginald I. “Ivan the Terrible” Lloyd, Esq. to drop all charges, a misunderstanding, some kind of mistake.
Yeah … … …
At least he has a nice bridge he can jump off!
Why is Ravenel not in jail right now? I don’t think any of us regular folk would be relaxing at home if the FBI caught us with 4 1/2 cups of coke.
Extremists? Beg your pardon?
Republicans screaming “Innocent until proven guilty”? Why don’t you Republicans say that when the average young, black, street level drug dealer gets the same charge as your boy Ravenel? When rich, well connected, developers get busted Republicans get all concerned with civil rights. Mighty white of you.
Lest we forget that Richard Riley (Democrat) has a son, “Jr.”, who had cocaine and marijuana drug charges. More than once, I believe. Dad worked for ” I didn’t inhale”- Bill Clinton.
The whitey, civil rights crap is so old.
Riley got house arrest. The tennis court and pool much have been hard on his civil rights.
Politicians and Lawyers have always had their crooks, but I can remember a time when politicians weren’t slinging dope and lawyers didn’t shoot bouncers at strip clubs. Where has the sophistication gone?
I generally have voted Republican, but I look at SC goofballs like this one and Andre, then I look at a man like Dr. Rex, and I think the Republican Party has to have better people in its ranks.
We’re talking about the state treasurer – not his son. Everyone knows the children of rich politicians sometimes end up at a Grateful Dead show- thats old news. Bill Clinton smoked pot in college- he didn’t try to buy coke for his buddies at 42 while already a politician. A country club type developer from an Old South family buying coke- SHOCKING. I guess the fact that he has even been charged means the Good Ole Boy system ain’t what it used to be.
“Also, Republicans are supposed to be opposed to intrusive government. Government that snoops around in your private life?”
Most Republicans today are not opposed to government intruding in private life (let’s take strict laws on abortion and opposition to gay marriage, for example) but are opposed to the government intruding in fiscal matters. But Libertarians are opposed to both. That is the party of truly small government.
Laws are laws for a reason, and have been in our country for quite some time. We Republicans keep screaming innocent until proven guilty because that is THE LAW. You’re comparing our state ELECTED official to a common street level drug dealer, regardless of color? Some guy named Wyatt Nicholson said this, and that’s just ridiculous. This is a man (Ravenel, not Nicholson) that comes from a highly respected family in our state and has done much good for our state throughout the years. An average street-level dealer is trash and has proven nothing else in the world than to be scum and a waste of life, whereas this man has proven to do good things, even if he is known to be a jerk. You Democrats claim to be kind, level-headed individuals seeking true equality, yet when a Republican gets in trouble for anything you jump the gun and want to throw the book at them. Y’all are ridiculous and need to get your facts right before opening your mouths, and never compare a government official to a drug dealer on the streets, you just make yourself look stupid.
Randy E,
Thomas is not married; my understanding is that the family that appeared on his ads were siblings and their children.
Last year it was the South Carolina Republican Charlie Sharpe that got caught protecting and participating in (gamecock roosters/chicken) fighting.
THIS time it’s Rudy Guiliani’s campaign head AND Republican South Carolina State Treasurer that’s up on charges of intent to distribute cocaine!
South Carolina Republican elected state officials are establishing a pattern of corruption and abuse of power to coincide with their national co-conspirators. When will the South Carolina and for that matter, the national voters wise up to that fact?
And Gov Sanford might appoint that carpetbagger Ryberg to the position while ignoring Grady Patterson’s 30 plus years of service (and yes, Grady IS still alive)???!
South Carolina, my home state….where we rank at the bottom in SAT scores, pay per capita….but TOPS in GOP voting….related? You be the judge.
“And Gov Sanford might appoint that carpetbagger Ryberg”
He appointed Ken Wingate, by the way
Lessee if I’ve got this right: If you’re white with a high net worth and the “right” name then you have to be proven guilty. Poor people without the proper pedigree are automatically assumed to be “trash.”
Please list all the altruistic achievements that T-Rav has contributed to society. Like the Republican pol in the WH, he started life off on third base and gets praised for hitting a triple. In fact, T-Rav seems to have had better luck in business than Dubya but worse luck in using his daddy’s influence to squash unfavorable allegations.
The funny thing is that Repubs claim to be the party of laws but seem to have trouble living under them. (See Libby, Scooter– Presidential Pardon; Rove, Karl– Hatch Act; Bush, George W.– Signing statements.)
Here are several interesting details of this indictment:
1) it is undated
2) it had been sealed, with instructions to keep sealed without court order
3) it lists Thomas Ravenel before Michael Miller
4) it charges that their criminal activity lasted from late 2005 through the very date of the indictment
5) it refers to unidicted co-conspiritors, both known and unknown
6) it is a federal, not state, indictment.
I would very much like The State to investigate this indictment and its lead up more fully.
Glad to see that passing out free coke is now a “contribution ot society” according to some posters.
Sorry I compared the common drug dealer to an elected official (facing a coke charge). Drug dealers tend to be more straight talking and honest than your average politician. Guilty until proven innocent IS the law, and the law should be applied equally to the rich and poor- though it rarely is. Patrick- your response is telling, a drug dealer on the street who faces the same charge as Ravanel is a “waste of life” who should be put away for a long time but someone from a “respected family ” like Ravanel does not deserve to have his life ruined because he has done a few good deeds. Republicans tend to see things in clear cut black and white terms – ex. drug dealer= waste of life, until one of their own go down, then things get a little grey (like in reality) ex.- if the guy facing the coke charge is from the right family then he has “done alot of good” and maybe should be treated better than the poor man facing the same charge. Both Ravanel and our proverbial street level dealer are human and capable of both good and evil. Maybe S.C. politicians should take a look at their stance on ruining lives over victim less drug possession crimes.
Yea, Sanford appointed Ken Wingate – the same “honorable” fellow who ran anti-semitic ads that morphed Joel Lourie’s face into the devil.
Check your facts. They aren’t charged with the same thing, people. MM is the drug dealer. Rav allegedly purchased; he didn’t sell it. I hope the charges are dismissed and he’s back in office soon. The democrats are so jealous of him, it’s funny.
Check your facts. They aren’t charged with the same thing, people. MM is the drug dealer. Rav allegedly purchased; he didn’t sell it. I hope the charges are dismissed and he’s back in office soon. The democrats are so jealous of him, it’s funny.
Andre is next
I did check the facts, all I said was “coke charge” – which is how it would be described where I come from, you can argue semantics if you want though. I never said he was charged with dealing- plenty of coke dealers have also been charged with “conspiracy to distribute”. The hypocrisies of S.C. Republicans never ceases to amaze. Some are doing coke while others are working to stop Sunday alcohol sales and keep me from buying a decent Belgian ale on account of the higher alcohol content. Priceless.
Also- not that I’m a Democrat but I don’t think there is a Democrat in S.C. jealous of where your boy is right now. Though some might be envious of his coke connection.
Both “Goodkarma for SC” and “Vay” are misperceiving this, because they are applying simple partisan lenses.
This isn’t Washington, folks. A setback for a Republican doesn’t boost a Democrat, or vice versa. The Republicans, as they rose to power, long ago ceased to be monolithic in any way. The most dramatic effect of such developments is what it does within the GOP.
In this case, reactions seem to be affected by how voters feel about Lindsey Graham, Greg Ryberg, Nathan Ballentine, Ken Wingate (former Sanford opponent, mind you)) Mark Sanford, Rich Eckstrom, Bobby Harrell, Hugh Leatherman and Ravenel himself. If you look only at the Republicans who SOUGHT this job last year — or the ones who fought Sanford and Wingate for governor in 2002 — you’re looking at a broad array of factions.
All of this chatter about Graham, degenerate Democrats, and legalizing drugs is pathetic. The issue is that this clown is a coke-head, plain and simple. It currently is illegal. He appears on TV pandering to the family-values crowd,and more recently praises Giuliani for his record on crime in NYC, then gets off the air and snorts a huge rail. Bottom line, he’s a typical politician (no party distinction is necessary). There are hypocrites of all shapes and sizes in both parties, and T-Rav will soon add his name to the wall of shame.
“Check your facts. They aren’t charged with the same thing, people. MM is the drug dealer. Rav allegedly purchased; he didn’t sell it. I hope the charges are dismissed and he’s back in office soon. The democrats are so jealous of him, it’s funny.”
I have to say, I’m saddened by the charge, it’s another bad mark for our state. I’m a progressive and I wanted to defeat the guy at the ballot box, not for him to get bounced on a drug charge. He does still represent our state. I wish him well, but he doesn’t deserve any special treatment because he’s rich and white.
On the political side, Ravenel’s policies like all Republicans (not conservative) are a disaster for the nation and in particular South Carolina!
It been a bad year for the republicans. The Democrats better stay good or they are out too.
I guess when you are rich, you think you can get away with anything. I don’t care who ratted him out. Politicians should know that any skeleton will come out of the closet eventually!
Ravenel’s political career is over, even if he is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed. It was always apparent that he was insincere, but this is shocking.
C’mon, leonard, all T-Rav has to do is lay low for a while, find Jesus (publicly), pray (ostentatiously & publicly), make the right campaign contributions, support the right candidates, get appointed to a couple of commissions, and, VOILA, he’s good as new for sucker Republicans.
Don’t know a thing about the man but I am disappointed in all the comments. He’s been found guilty and many folks feel good about it. Can’t believe how many are willing to throw the first stone.
I have no party allegiance but I did vote for him because I thought Mr. Patterson needed to retire.
I think we need a term limit compromise. It seems to me all politicians should serve the same length terms. Two four year terms sound like a good limit. If it’s right for the president it should work for all. Think the whole political and judicial system needs rehabilitation.
I don’t care for drugs but this is drug country, tobacco, coffee, Ritalin, Prozac, valium, whisky, wine, beer, cocaine.
Half our Hollywood heroes and heroines load up and half the work force. It seems a lot of America needs something extra to get through the day. Why should the treasurer be different?
But what really burns me is this was supposed to have occurred in 2005. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark comes to mind.
ANDRE FOR SENATE!!!!
Obviously his political career is over for a state level and above. An appropriate New York Post type headline should have been “Ravenel BLOWS his political future”. I voted for the guy, not because I thought he cared about being a treasurer, but because he would work with Sanford better on the state budget. If guilty, it’s pure hypocrisy to want a career in passing laws when you blatantly abuse the significant laws that we’ve got.
Well, it was the naive people of this state that voted him into office. If we had just picked the Democratic canididate, we probably wouldn’t be having this problem with our Treasurer being indicted for a drug offense.
Here’s to hoping that the state of South Carolina wakes up, and start electing some Democrats (or Independents).
There are way too many Republicans running (and Representing in the U.S. Government) this state!
I’m still waiting for a list of all the accomplishments of T-Rav…..Anyone? Anyone? And isn’t it true that once convicted of a felony, you can never hold an elected position again? I bet there are some very nervous people in Cola. since T-Rav will be singing like a canary to save his hide.
I seem to recall one of T-Rav’s political ads in last year’s election attacked “liberals” for our “defeat” in Fallujah. Can anybody recall the details?
Defeat in Falluja? I thought we won Falluja with the help of white phosphorus chemical weapons. It’s ok if WE kill Iraqis with chemicals- but it was not ok for Saddam. This is way off topic of course.
R, that’s why I asked. I don’t recall the details but I remember being very angry at the time about a Ravanel ad blaming our problems in Iraq on “liberals”. He was clearly showing partisan colors in what turned out to be a successful attempt to portray himself as a “good” conservative. Anyone that claims they are surprised by this idiots legal improprieties was ignoring some clear signs of his spoiled brat personality. Another right-wing blowhard with a drug problem. Nothing new there. When will people wake up to the hypocricy of the GOP.
Maybe when the party of “smaller government and less big spending” bankrupts this country and our dollar is worthless people will wake up (China sold off more US treasury bonds yesterday) Or when Iran is bombed and gas goes up to about $8 a gallon – Iran actually has some weapons capable of wreaking havoc on our oil supplies.
I think this was a conspiracy to get Tommy
after beating “Greedy Grady” and the possible campaign against Lindsey. What’s the big deal I have done powder coke recreationally with some of the most influentual lawyers and higher government officials than Tommy.
Steve-O, how about naming names. It’s illegal to “do powder coke recreationally”. It what you’re saying is true the folks you speak of should also be indicted.
Republican’s spew ‘family values’ from their lips but they have been crooks since Richard ‘tricky dick’ Nixon. Just look at the Bush Administration, Scooter Libby, which will be pardoned, AG Gonzales, “Duke” from California, the lobbyist (sorry I can’t remember names), the congressman from Texas, etc…..
Wake up America!!! These politicians are playing on your beliefs!!
Democrats have had their fair share of crooked politicians too…the name Bill Clinton ring a bell? just to speak of one more recent case. Although Republicans have had some as well, neither side is exactly innocent of wrongdoings while in office.
Obviously, there are elements of corruption and hypocrisy in all major groups and in all of us as well. You know, the whole yin and yang concept. Some are worse than others and this Ravenel thing is one of them. At least some of the Republicans like Nixon and Foley salvaged a little “honor” in resigning. Would a Clinton or a Kennedy ever resign? No, because they are too egocentric and the people who vote for them are so ignorant they know that they will continue to get elected.
The old “GOP crooks are more ‘honorable’ than Dem crooks because they resign when caught” argument never really resonated with me.
I can’t imagine why…
So if your child tells a lie to you and gets caught, you tell him or her just to keep lying? That is just as honorable as admitting you were wrong? Values like “repenting for sins” (not that I’m religious) and redemption have been around since man was first able to communicate. Philosophically, your comments are totally empty.
First, Jay, I should have rejected the generalization out of hand. However, I thought that the speciousness of such a broad brush statement was apparent. Never let reality intrude on your partisanship, Jay.
Second, you’re finding a distinction where there’s really no difference. Crooks are crooks, no matter what letter follows their name. How an individual handles being caught in the wrong depends on the individual, the circumstances and the transgression.
Resigning hardly signifies true repentance. These crooks are more akin to con-artists. Resigning may be as much part of a con as the crocodile tears shed at getting caught and exposed. For instance, G. Gordon Liddy masterminded the Watergate burglary, resigned and served time. Now, he’s a wingnut icon with a syndicated radio show. Ollie North and John Poindexter were both convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal. Both resigned and yet now North is another unrepentant wingnut propagandist and Poindexter is actually a Bush spymaster in the government.
I’ve seen kids fake remorse and repentance. Why shouldn’t adult miscreants like (Republican Duke Cunningham) do the same?
I follow what you are saying and there is something to it. Several these scandalous politicians usually like the spotlight regardless of whether it is good or bad. Bill Clinton is the perfect example. When one resigns, on some level, there is some sort of admission of guilt or that at least you were around some stuff that you shouldn’t have been. Generally speaking, the Republicans that are caught in these activities usually resign and the Democrats do not. I really believe that at the root, a little dignity is involved. I by no means defend any of these guys.
To support my argument further, I present Thomas Ravenel, (R-Colombia).
He’s yet to resign and I’ve yet to hear even ONE of his fellow Republicans suggest it.
Where’s “dignity” supposedly endemic to those in the GOP clubhouse?
Sanford (for the meantime) removed him from that office. We know next to nothing about what happened. It’s not like we have a jizm stained garment as evidence like with Bill and he pretends as if it never happened or Marion Barry doing crack and then getting re-elected. What does that say about the Democratic voters? I personally think that these allegations are probably true, because few law enforcement agencies have the balls to prosecute a state official unless something substantial exists. He may resign or he may not, I used the term generally speaking in the above post. I have a lot of trouble naming any Democrats who have resigned, but I can think of several Republicans who have stepped down.
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Pls, help me!