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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
If GOP loses on corruption, so be it.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Look, if Republicans sink further from control of the U.S. Senate, or if the Democrats gain a filibuster-proof majority, because a corrupt GOP senator is indicted, so be it. No problem here. None whatsoever.
Up front, let me quickly note that Alaska’s Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator, has only been indicted, accused on seven counts of failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in home-renovation services over a six-year period from a company in an oil-related business. He’s up for re-election this year and since that election is just over three months away, he’ll not have the chance to clear his name before Alaskans vote. He’s being challenged by Mark Begich, the Democratic mayor of Anchorage.
Indictments, as we all know, aren’t proof of criminality. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas was indicted in 1993 for alleged official misconduct. Less than five months later a judge order her acquittal. The district attorney refused to present his case.
Stevens is not one of my favorites among Republicans in the Senate. He’s a pork-barreler most recently famous for the Road to Nowhere.
If Republicans lose Stevens and control because he has, in fact, been taking gifts and services from individuals with an interest in influencing government to gain competitive advantage, I’ll cheerfully take exile to the wilderness.
Conservativism never meant fleecing taxpayers in some other state to get goodies for mine. It never meant trading pork for votes or pork for votes. Public service, whether as a conservative, moderate or liberal, never meant getting rich, or living rich, in public office.
I have no problem with taking campaign contributions in any sum from individuals, interest groups and industries seeking to influence government policies, so long as they’re promptly and fully disclosed. I’d take contributions from interest groups supporting school vouchers, for example, because on that issue, I can’t be bought. I’m already there. Individuals should give campaign contributions to those in public office who are best able to advance the policies they advocate. Just disclose, promptly and fully.
When there’s a quid pro quo, where an individual company or contributing individuals, get something of monetary value in return, alarm bells go off. But that’s not necessarily evidence of corruption. I support opening more areas to off-shore drilling, for example. Oil companies will profit from that and may give me campaign contributions. But unless, as a public official, I’ve done something that specifically designates a public resource to a particular beneficiary, there’s no offense.
The Stevens indictment is not about campaign contributions, of course. If he took any of the services without paying, even if it’s not possible to prove a specific quid pro quo involving his public office, Stevens should be bunking with Bill Campbell.
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