Eric Massa's Traficant Moment

It's a funny thing how Democrats circle the wagons when one of their "good soldiers" is exposed as a criminal, as was the case with William Jefferson of Louisiana. And in the case of Charlie Rangel, Democrat Congressman from Bronx, New York - who may not have been convicted but is clearly outside the laws he helped to write as former Chairman of the House Ways And Means Committee - failure to report income and pay taxes was "no big deal".

But if one of their own steps out of line on policy issues, they will attack like Jack London's huskies in White Fang. Eric Massa is the latest casualty, having resigned today over something so trivial in the grand scheme of things, but under heavy fire from his own party. The reason? He said something sexually inappropriate to a male staffer at a private wedding reception. As weak as that may be, it's not even the real reason. (Besides, they defended President Clinton - who actually sodomized an intern - and attempted to portray the act as "not really sex").

The real reason, according to Massa himself, is that he was in favor of the Republicans' idea to actually abide by the wishes of the American people regarding health care and the need to start over, take their time and get it right. Massa had announced his plans to retire by not running in the next election cycle, due to a recurrence of his cancer, but said, in light of the pending investigation, that he would step down as of Monday (today). He did not rescind his resignation, as speculated, and as of 5:00 PM today he is gone, another threat to Obamacare vaporized.

While the railroading of James Traficant is much more heinous than the relatively mild treatment of Massa - at least until all of the particulars are exposed - Traficant was actually imprisoned by a machine that should have been as obvious as the sonar betrayal of cavitating submarine engines. The particulars of that travesty can be found here. (* Note: I cannot vouch for the veracity of this site, but found the detail compelling).

The difference becomes frightening upon closer scrutiny, however, as Traficant was the victim of the Cleveland political machine. The Oval Office, to my knowledge, was never implicated in the proceedings. With Massa, the White House has left figurative forensics all over the place, and while Obama will personally be shielded from any form of culpability, his Chief Advisor Rahm Emanuel is knee-deep in it.

This has all the makings of a made-for-tv movie, and a feast for the likes of Woodward and Bernstein. Will the media seize an opportunity to return to form, or finally collapse in on itself in adoration of this administration? I fear that their sphere of influence was so great as to attract the undivided attention of the new regime. It makes me cherish my relative anonymity, but does little to assuage the sense of doom I feel regarding our freedoms.

In September 2009, Glenn Beck assured politicians on his television show that America would back them regardless of party affiliation if only they would come clean and stand against the assault on the nation. Today, he reiterated that vow. I pray that the loss of Massa is not a deterrent to that end. We must amplify the promise, and draw out the few politicians who have not yet sold their souls.

Massa could not be persuaded to reconsider, but there must be others who have clung to principles. For those, we must reach out. There is no time to elect new ones, and precious little time left to stop the assault currently under way.

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