From the AP:
WASHINGTON – The FBI‘s weekend search of the House office of a Louisiana Democrat under investigation for bribery may have overstepped Constitutional boundaries, House leaders said as the congressman under investigation pledged to stay in office.
In real words, they are complaining that they are being held to the same standards as normal Americans.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert said the Justice Department had never before crossed a line that separates Congress from the executive branch by searching a congressional office while investigating a member of Congress.
Well, Dennis, too bad. Congressional members are not exused from the legal system in full. You get a few free passes, but this isn’t one of them, as a federal district judge issued the warrant to search the office of William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana. So that is two branches of the Federal government “crossing the line.”
“Nothing I have learned in the last 48 hours leads me to believe that there was any necessity to change the precedent established over those 219 years,” Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said in a statement Monday.
 Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said congressional independence from the executive branch protects Americans from abuses of power.
Laugh riot! Things change, Denny, and when you have a stone cold corrupt Congressman like William Jefferson, precedent can change. Again, you do not get a 100% free pass because you are a Congressman. Besides, you have obviously forgotten who employs you.
And, Nance? The only people that you are trying to protect are members of Congress from being having their feet held to the fire of justice. I could mention something about “where were you when the Clinton was abusing his power over normal Americans who were in opposition to him,” but that is a different story, and anyhow, I am more disappointed in Hastert then you. I expect this silliness from a Democrat.
BTW, Nance, have you mentioned as of yet the culture of corruption that surrounds William Jefferson (D-La)? Thought not.
The FBI took great pains to be careful in their search so as they were not reviewing and seizing privileged material. Any assertion otherwise is pure petty politics, and would be demeaning to the professionalism of the FBI.
As an aside, you just know that the Democrats will spend more time attempting to make this into another one of “Bush’s attempts to tear up the Constitution,” rather then on what they are going to do to clean their side of the house from people like William Jefferson (D-La).
Of course, Bush is doing a pretty good job of cleaning both sides of the house of dirty players.
FBI’s Raid On Lawmaker’s Office Questioned By Both Parties…
Once again the administration has once again stepped into a political buzzsaw involving issues of separation of powers.
And, it now turns out, the government reportedly knew that this raid was indeed unprecedented — which suggests b……
I Didn’t Know Congress Was A Monarchy…
Historically, monarchs are “above” the law. Apparently, Congress thinks Congress members are “above” the law too….