In a furtive dead of the night type attack against US Democracy the House G.O.P. Votes to Gut an Office Reviewing Ethics. This was done suddenly, without any public debate. Why? Because the stink from the GOP action would alert the public to the GOP's cynical move in its own self interest. Make no mistake about this. It was not done for any other reason than to prevent the office from doing what it was tasked to do - Investigate ethics charges against house members.
It is especially highly hypocritical for the GOP and Trump who voted on a promise to "Drain the Swamp" in Washington that Trump said were filled with bankers, Wall Street, and lobbyists. What we are finding out is that Trunp and the GOP are not interested in draining the swamp to reduce banker,Wall Street, big money, and lobbyist influence. What they are interested in is draining the swamp and building a bigger and better impenetrable GOP controlled swamp. A swamp in which no one, no news organization can look inside, investigate or even question. The only reason I can think of for the GOP rushing this through is that they are all scared to death that investigations into Trump's possible ethical conflicts might uncover some House GOP ethics violations. You never know, when lifting up rocks in the swamp, what you will find underneath.
In the new GOP Controlled world Truth will be what the GOP and Trump says it is. No Debate Allowed.
All hail the Trump and GOP new ethics standard of “truthful hyperbole.”
as the NY Times article Donald Trump’s Deals Rely on Being Creative With the Truthwent on to say :
"Indeed, based on the mountain of court records churned out over the span of Mr. Trump’s career, it is hard to find a project he touched that did not produce allegations of broken promises, blatant lies or outright fraud."
This was another strike against democracy and for G.O.P. self interests.
This is especially troubling given Trump's refusal to release his tax concerns. It is especially troubling considering Trump's many potential ethical conflicts due to his wide ranging business connections. It is especially troubling given recommendation of ethics experts that he should either divest himself of all his businesses or put them into a true blind trust, not some fiction run by his chiidren. Why did they feel they had to rush this through?Could it be that the House GOP Republicans are scared to death that investigations of Trump's ethical conflicts might turn up some House GOP ethical conflict. You never know what you will uncover when lifting up rocks in the swamp and bringing things to light that some people might prerfer to remain hidden.
The first thing that will be banned in the new "ethics free" house by the GOP will be the word ETHICS. In their stealth move the first thing they changed was the name of the committe to remove the word ethics.
Nancy Pelosi released a statement quoted by National Public Radio,
"Republicans claim they want to 'drain the swamp,' but the night before the new Congress gets sworn in, the House GOP has eliminated the only independent ethics oversight of their actions," she wrote. "Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress."
The GOP takes another swipe at democracy and another takes another step towards dictatorship. I think all US citizens and politicians, both GOP and Democracy will tell you that one of the things that distinguishes our democracy from dictatorships is that our politicians can be investigated by non partisan independent government agencies.
Read the full New York Times front page article:
Without Warning House GOP Guts Office Reviewing Ethics
And from NPR the News Organization US Citizens voted the most Trustworthy source of News in the US:
House G.O.P. Votes To Strip Independence from Congressional Ethics Office
The NPR Article goes on to say:
"The language approved Monday night, authored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., would prevent staff from making public statements independent of the House Ethics Committee and prevents it from investigating anonymous tips.
So along with banning Ethics the GOP wants to ban free speech.
When I expressed surprise that the GOP would go to these lengths to attack democracy my friend reminded me. He said you know what GOP stands for don't you. It stands for G.uardians O.F P.rivilege
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