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The problem, I think, is in the definition of "bribe". Legal definitions are very specific, whereas common definitions are much looser. The lack of monetary compensation is very telling in these cases. And when you are talking about criminal actions, you have to abide by legal definitions.
The language of the Hatch Act and the 18 U.S.C. § 600 statute do not make exceptions for unpaid positions, and Emanuel and other 0bama administration officials seem to have been using their official authority to influence state elections.
Maybe all those RWers could hang on to all that straw they have been grasping, take it to New Orleans, and help soak up some of that oil. Who knows, there may be enough to soak it all up.
Speaking of New Orleans: Do you think Obama hates black people? Look at what is going on in LA.
The language of the Hatch Act and the 18 U.S.C. § 600 statute do not make exceptions for unpaid positions, and Emanuel and other 0bama administration officials seem to have been using their official authority to influence state elections.
I appreciate the point you are making, but it doesn't negate my point. You can't apply common usage definitions to determine if a law has been broken. You have to use the legal definitions, or the law itself has to be very specific in how it's defining the terms. Exceptions don't have to be explicitly noted in the statute to apply if the legal definition itself excludes certain meanings.
And we are starting to see a trend here, where the 0bama administration tried to influence primary elections by offering a bribe to one candidate to drop out of the race, while at the same time 0bama was endorsing the other candidate.
Grasping at straws? How about reading the law, something that democrats clearly have no respect for.
File charges. Be my guest. ROFLMAO
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wapasha
Why are there laws preventing this type of behavior? Even the Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from interfering in elections or engaging in political activities.
Again file charges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wapasha
These laws were written to prevent government officials from using the power of their office to influence elections, and they bar them from using positions within the federal government and federal appointments as if they were a form of currency and their own private piggy bank.
You want me to file a civil suit against the federal government? I have no standing to do so.
The government can be as corrupt as it wants to, it can violate as many laws as they see fit, they can round up every Japanese-American in the country and toss them into prison camps, and I cannot sue them over it in a court of law.
This may be funny to you, but if we allow our government to flaunt more of our laws, then one day, they may violate one you really care about, and when the Kool-aid drinkers are laughing their ass off about it, you may wish we did not allow our government to embolden itself to the point where laws no longer matter to them, and their interests override ours.
Melanie Sloan is the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:
Sloan: As you know as a former prosecutor Eliot, bribery is a tough case to prove. You need an official act in exchange for a thing of value. You just don't have that case here. Darrell Issa is really trying to make politics out of this all by screaming about it and calling it illegal, he thinks that suddenly it will become illegal, but that's just not the way the law works. This may look a little bad. This may have an appearance problem but there is simply nothing illegal here.
Melanie Sloan is the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:
Sloan: As you know as a former prosecutor Eliot, bribery is a tough case to prove. You need an official act in exchange for a thing of value. You just don't have that case here. Darrell Issa is really trying to make politics out of this all by screaming about it and calling it illegal, he thinks that suddenly it will become illegal, but that's just not the way the law works. This may look a little bad. This may have an appearance problem but there is simply nothing illegal here.
18 U.S.C. § 600 and the Hatch Act do not even address "bribes".
U.S.C. § 600 : US Code – Section 600: Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity
Whoever, directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation, contract, appointment, or other benefit, provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Congress, or any special consideration in obtaining any such benefit, to any person as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity or for the support of or opposition to any candidate or any political party in connection with any general or special election to any political office, or in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
What's even funnier is that lame story that the WH came out with is flawed. A Congressman/woman cannot serve on a presidential advisory board to begin with. I believe you have to be in the senate to do that. This whole story is BS and it will come out eventually.
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