By Mr. Curmudgeon
The poster boy for the Democratic Party’s big-government culture of corruption, Dan Rostenkowski, is dead. His 36-year stint in the House of Representatives (thirteen of which he served as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee) came to an end when his mail fraud activities landed him in prison. He served 15-months.
Rostenkowski’s Los Angeles Times obituary was touching enough to bring a lump to the throat. “He was indicted in 1994 on 17 counts charging him with a range of offenses from mail and wire fraud to obstruction of justice. Rostenkowski was accused of hiring ghost employees, keeping office slush funds and showering gifts on political supporters and friends – time-honored methods of conducting political business in Chicago.”
While cooling his heals in Wisconsin’s Oxford federal penitentiary, Rostenkowski worked as a landscaper for a well deserved 12 cents an hour. Oxford penitentiary was a home-away-from-home for many a corrupt Chicago politician. According to the Chicago Tribune, “In Oxford, home to fewer than 600, people have grown accustomed to strangers arriving in limousines and fancy cars with Illinois license plates. They are usually weekend visitors to the prison and are allowed to see an inmate up to 35 hours per month.” Local townsfolk refer to the institution as “the university.”
Meanwhile in Washington, embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel (having also served as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee) appears to have filled Rostenkowski’s big corrupt shoes. He stands accused of violating 13 House ethics rules, which may eventually lead to a federal criminal charge of wire fraud – a felony.
“You’re not going to tell me to resign to make you feel comfortable,” thundered Rangel from the House floor. “If I can’t get my dignity back here, then fire your best shot and get rid of me through expulsion.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who prides herself on having drained the Congressional swamp, sheepishly said, “As I have repeatedly stated, the independent, bipartisan ethics committee is the proper arena for ethics matters to be discussed.”
Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. Will the example set by our elected leaders ever teach this country’s sleepy electorate this lesson?
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