GOP Tries to Pull a Fast One

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Ethics and the GOP. If the American people suspected that the two terms were mutually exclusive they needn’t wonder any longer.  Yesterday, the leadership of the House of Representatives decided at a rare night-time  meeting  to demonstrate its adherence to conservative principles by voting to strip the powers of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

What would motivate these people to meet unannounced, during a weekend, under cover of darkness, in order to clamp down on a supposedly impartial ombudsman acting in the public interest?

The OCE is an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members, officers, and staff of the United States House of Representatives. It was created in 2008 to investigate allegations of misconduct by lawmakers after several bribery and corruption scandals sent members to prison. 

 No one expected the mind-bending negative reaction that would greet legislators when the doors of the 115th Congress opened the following morning. As the phone calls, tweets and other voices of protest poured in from both political parties, it became evident that the strategy had severely backfired. 

One would think that by this time the brilliant lights of the Grand Old Party would understand that in the world of politics--especially in the one soon to be governed by Donald Trump--perception is reality. House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders scrambled to come up with excuses that would explain the action of their colleagues. Speaker Ryan admitted that seeking to blindfold a key Congressional watchdog was probably not the best way to start the new legislative session.



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