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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Obama's Brain Talked To Blago

It's not been a good start for the president-elect. Just as Karl Rove was sneeringly referred to as "Bush's brain" by the left, Obama's brain, Rahm Emanuel is already knee-deep in quicksand. The claim by the November 4th victor was that none of his people discussed with disgraced governor Rod Blagojevich the prospects to fill Obama's vacated U.S.senate seat. Well, believe it or not, we have been lied to once again by a politician. Will wonders never cease?

In a post by Little Green Footballs today, it has been disclosed that Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff come January 20th, did talk to Blagojevich and his own now former chief of staff, John Harris about who should fill that seat in the senate. A link on LGF leads the reader to this article, which is excerpted below:

Obama said Thursday he had never spoken to Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy and was "confident that no representatives" of his had engaged in any deal making over the seat with the governor or his team. He also pledged Thursday that in the "next few days" he would explain what contacts his staff may have had with the governor's office about the Senate vacancy.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Emanuel, but the fact still remains that either team Obama lied about contact with Blagojevich, or Obama has already lost the reins on his own not-yet-administering administration. Neither prospect instills confidence in me, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that assessment. What I find troubling is the notion that most of the electorate won't even notice this disturbing trend or, worse yet, won't care.

What should be viewed as an outrageous scandal will be swept under the proverbial rug by a complicit media all too eager to usher in the first Black President, dressed in pristine garb and ready to take America in that "new direction" that was promised during the campaign. No one but the alert will notice that the new administration is capsizing in its own wake while in full reverse.

Media giants such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein have predefined what constitutes a scandal. Even Gen-X'ers will issue gusts of air at the mere mention of Watergate even as they are incapable of recalling the event. They have been taught that it was bad.

How they view this current event will, no doubt, be shaped in much the same manner. Giddiness will supplant fact, and the very media who should be providing fact will more likely provide cover and candy-coating. How the media deals with the next four years of this new administration should prove entertaining, so long as we are afforded the luxury of being entertained.

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