John Boehner- Hypocrite

So House Minority Leader John Boehner's resolution to have the House Ethics Committee (which had already begun its investigation into indicted Congressman William Jefferson) report back to the House whether expulsion of Jefferson passed last night with wide bipartisan support.  The Democratic Congress, for the first time in our nation's history, has agreed to begin formal ethics proceedings that could lead to the expulsion of a Member of Congress before that Member's criminal trial.  While I applaud this historical moment, don't think for a moment that John Boehner is a hero of ethics in Congress.  After all, this is the same John Boehner who once played postal carrier for the tobacco lobby and delivered PAC checks to fellow Republicans on the House floor.

Where was John Boehner, ethics crusader, when Bob Ney was indicted?  He didn't introduce a similar resolution then.  Nor did he threaten to do so against then House Majority Leader Tom Delay when he was indicted.  Duke Cunningham?  Nada. 

But don't think I'm suggesting that John Boehner has a double-standard for Republicans and Democrats.  No, that would be too generous to the man.  After all, he's the same John Boehner who voted to delay consideration by the full House of a resolution offered by the Ethics Committee to expel Jim Traficant after he had been convicted of multiple counts of bribery and other crimes in office.  That's right.  John Boehner voted in favor Steve LaTourette's amendment to delay consideration of the House Ethics Committee's recommendation that Jim Traficant, convicted felone, be immediately removed from office.  (House Roll Call Vote No. 345, July 24, 2002.)

And what reason did the those in favor of Mr. LaTourette's amendment say justified not expelling Traficant given his multiple felony convictions?  Because he should still enjoy the presumption of innocence until his appeals are exhausted. Despite the transcript of the criminal trial, the evidence presented then, and the investigation and hearings conducted by the House Ethics Committee.

Less than five years ago, Boehner voted to say that Congress shouldn't expel a convicted Member of Congress for crimes in office until that Member had exhausted all appeals.  He never demanded the House Ethics Committee to do anything about Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay, or Bob Ney.  And let's not forget that John Boehner has been spending years pursuing a lawsuit against a Democratic Congressman for leaking an illegally intercepted telephone conference between Boehner and Gingrich and others in which the Republicans discussed how they could "spin" the House ethics committee's investigation into then-Speaker Gingrich.

John Boehner, ethical reformer?  Don't bet on it.