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mike72903
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« on: January 02, 2017, 07:20:17 PM » |
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http://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html"House Republicans, defying their top leaders, voted Monday to significantly curtail the power of an independent ethics office set up in 2008 in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail. The move to weaken the Office of Congressional Ethics was not public until late Monday, when Representative Robert Goodlatte, Republican of Virginia and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the House Republican Conference had approved the change with no advance public notice or debate. In its place, a new Office of Congressional Complaint Review would be set up within the House Ethics Committee, which before the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics had been accused of ignoring credible allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers."
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Thespian
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« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2017, 08:07:31 PM » |
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It's OK. The Donald said so. And they are all still in lock step. Just like the SS.
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Smooth is where it's at. (o_0)
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Bighead
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« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2017, 09:16:13 PM » |
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Well since Nancy didn't like it ,it must be BAD.
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1997 Bumble Bee
1999 Interstate (sold)
2016 Wing
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therapist
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« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2017, 09:45:59 PM » |
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Sneaky, unannounced vote on a National holiday.
Wonder how this will get spun.
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Bighead
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« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2017, 10:07:34 PM » |
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Waaaaay more out of proportion than if the current admin would have done it.
And since when is January 2nd a national holiday?
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1997 Bumble Bee
1999 Interstate (sold)
2016 Wing
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dinosnake
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« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2017, 02:10:16 AM » |
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Waaaaay more out of proportion than if the current admin would have done it.
And since when is January 2nd a national holiday?
Since January 1st fell on a Sunday. You weren't paying attention. |
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Rams
Member
Posts: 16684
So many colors to choose from yet so few stand out
Covington, TN
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« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2017, 03:39:04 AM » |
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Well since Nancy didn't like it ,it must be BAD.
I don't know enough about this to comment as yet but, to learn that Pelosi is complaining about anything ethical the Republicans have done is beyond ironic. Check out her travels while she was majority leader.  |
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VRCC# 29981
Learning the majority of life's lessons the hard way.
Every trip is an adventure, enjoy it while it lasts.
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2017, 04:48:04 AM » |
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Waaaaay more out of proportion than if the current admin would have done it.
And since when is January 2nd a national holiday?
This is strictly out of the arrogance of the Republicans in the House. The current administration has nothing to do with it. As much as you would like to deflect it towards them. If this is what they have been calling "Drain the Swamp" we are in for trouble. |
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Pappy!
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« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2017, 06:33:53 AM » |
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Meathead, for once I may agree with you. I don't know enough about it yet but I do not like the sound of it.
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therapist
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« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2017, 07:25:47 AM » |
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Job one-Since we have the majority, now we remove any remaining checks and balances.
Then, we do whatever the hell we want.
Scary stuff.
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mike72903
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« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2017, 08:01:57 AM » |
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Have to give credit to D. Trump for saying it was not a good thing to do. Possibly won't pass a complete House vote which I believe it has to do. Still, it reeks of arrogance.
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Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16769
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2017, 08:09:07 AM » |
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I tend to ignore panicked red flags thrown up by the opposition at every step a particular person or party does. It sort of reminds me of the boy who cried wolf.
That independent ethics office didn't exist before 2008. How did the Congress get along so well without it for so many years?
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2017, 08:12:39 AM » |
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I tend to ignore panicked red flags thrown up by the opposition at every step a particular person or party does. It sort of reminds me of the boy who cried wolf.
That independent ethics office didn't exist before 2008. How did the Congress get along so well without it for so many years?
Who says they got along well ? |
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Serk
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« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2017, 08:14:21 AM » |
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I do find it funny, it seems all my old tin-foil hat wearing FEMA camp fearing "Obama's gonna put all the white folks in concentration camps" friends have sent their tin-foil hats to a new batch of folks on the other side of the aisle lately...
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away...  IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2017, 08:19:45 AM » |
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I do find it funny, it seems all my old tin-foil hat wearing FEMA camp fearing "Obama's gonna put all the white folks in concentration camps" friends have sent their tin-foil hats to a new batch of folks on the other side of the aisle lately...
Because they are for more oversight of ethics ? |
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« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2017, 08:22:32 AM » |
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Serk
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« Reply #16 on: January 03, 2017, 08:43:09 AM » |
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I do find it funny, it seems all my old tin-foil hat wearing FEMA camp fearing "Obama's gonna put all the white folks in concentration camps" friends have sent their tin-foil hats to a new batch of folks on the other side of the aisle lately...
Because they are for more oversight of ethics ? About every little thing Trump or anyone with a (R) after their name does or doesn't do... A friend of mine on FB posted this story with the added preface of: "We are all, every single one of us, officially f---d. Y'all get ready for your serial number tattoos and pack light for your relocation to your new group retirement home." And he's not alone, I'm seeing a lot of this from the folks that just a few years ago kept reassuring those on the other side not to worry, the US government would never do something like that to it's citizenship, etc. etc. etc... |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #17 on: January 03, 2017, 08:49:30 AM » |
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I do find it funny, it seems all my old tin-foil hat wearing FEMA camp fearing "Obama's gonna put all the white folks in concentration camps" friends have sent their tin-foil hats to a new batch of folks on the other side of the aisle lately...
Because they are for more oversight of ethics ? About every little thing Trump or anyone with a (R) after their name does or doesn't do... A friend of mine on FB posted this story with the added preface of: "We are all, every single one of us, officially f---d. Y'all get ready for your serial number tattoos and pack light for your relocation to your new group retirement home." And he's not alone, I'm seeing a lot of this from the folks that just a few years ago kept reassuring those on the other side not to worry, the US government would never do something like that to it's citizenship, etc. etc. etc... I hear you. Hyperbole is not flattering from either side. Maybe a better intellect of "friends" is in order. Most of my friends are very conservative . But the ones who go over the top I've pretty much shied away from over the years. Family is a little tougher though.  |
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Ramie
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« Reply #18 on: January 03, 2017, 09:02:18 AM » |
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Ethics are something most politicians lack, Republican or Democrat. When they make themselves immune from many of the laws they pass. I know little about the Ethics board but unless it's made up of common people it would be my guess it's all smoke and mirrors anyway. They don't lie, they miss state, they don't cheat they play politics.
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“I am not a courageous person by nature. I have simply discovered that, at certain key moments in this life, you must find courage in yourself, in order to move forward and live. It is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more. A deep breath and a leap.”
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Serk
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« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2017, 09:22:52 AM » |
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Trump, making America Great Again, even when he has to stand up to his own party to do so...  http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/02/politics/office-of-congressional-ethics-oversight-of-ethics-committee-amendment/(After Trump tweeting from his Bully Pulpit against this, Republicans have pulled their plan to gut the ethics oversight thingy.) |
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« Last Edit: January 03, 2017, 12:11:09 PM by Serk »
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Valkorado
Member
Posts: 10514
VRCC DS 0242
Gunnison, Colorado (7,703') Here there be twisties.
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« Reply #20 on: January 03, 2017, 11:47:47 AM » |
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 Impressive. They'll probably find a way to criticize him for that, too!
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Have you ever noticed when you're feeling really good, there's always a pigeon that'll come sh!t on your hood? - John Prine 97 Tourer "Silver Bullet" 01 Interstate "Ruby"  |
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solo1
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« Reply #21 on: January 03, 2017, 12:01:16 PM » |
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Trump stopped them and now we hear..................Silence on the board.
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Alpha Dog
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« Reply #22 on: January 03, 2017, 12:19:24 PM » |
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And Trump ended his message with DTS. Drain that swamp - I do not care if the alligators have a donkey or elephant tatoo.
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #23 on: January 03, 2017, 12:46:54 PM » |
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Trump stopped them and now we hear..................Silence on the board.
I say good for them. |
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mike72903
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« Reply #24 on: January 03, 2017, 01:10:48 PM » |
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Trump stopped them and now we hear..................Silence on the board.
I clearly credited Trump for speaking out about it a few posts back. |
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TallRider
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« Reply #25 on: January 03, 2017, 02:34:13 PM » |
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The explanation was it needs to be included under another department, not a separate entity and now requires 4 demo and 4 Republicans to balance the board.? Besides dems complaining about change they insist they be included to sit down with Republicans and compromise with them. What happened to " I won, it's my turn now sit down"? |
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1951 HD FLH Chopped
1978 Honda Goldwing
2005 VTX 1800
2014 Honda Valkyrie
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Raider
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« Reply #26 on: January 03, 2017, 06:02:12 PM » |
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The following is from a good frined of mine who works in DC. Thought it might help add context to the conversation:
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The OCE is a bunch of lawyers with a budget looking to justify that budget by embarking on witch hunts. I was a victim of one of their witch hunts. Complying with their requests for information took a huge chunk of my time, the Congressman's time, and staff time. Like half my time for weeks. They found nothing, because there was nothing to find. They still managed to issue several press releases about the investigation, which smeared a good public servant who had done nothing. There were hundreds of person/hours that were consumed by this that could have been spent on helping constituents, legislating, etc. And it happens to dozens of Congressional offices every year.
Nancy Pelosi created it in response to the "culture of corruption" campaign of 2006. A response may have been warranted, but she instituted a huge, unclear and intrusive package of ethics laws. The package did nothing to take the money out of politics, they just created a huge minefield for staff and members of Congress to step on. I had to report my wedding gifts to the Ethics Committee. It was ridiculous. The OCE was not there to help you comply with the unclear rules, they were there to ding you if you screwed up.
Imagine a set of rules more unclear than the IRS code. Then imagine 25 lawyers whose sole job it was to audit you every time you screwed up a filing. Or they thought you screwed up. If they weren't auditing someone, they didn't have anything to do.
What is missing from this story is the number of investigations the OCE engaged in, how many hours they took up from Congressional offices, and how frequently (or infrequently) they actually found something. If you look at a list of the dozen or so Congressional scandals since the organization was established in 2007, virtually none of them were exposed by the OCE. The press, the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies have found wrong-doing. The OCE has not. Their demise is a good thing."
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Enjoy
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