In 2005, Hurricane Katrina first exposed eight-term New Orleans U.S. Rep. William Jefferson as a snake in the grass. But it took Hurricane Gustav in 2008 to blow Congress' most fetid politician out of office.
Jefferson, if you recall, was indicted in June of last year by federal authorities on 16 criminal counts, including corruption, racketeering, and money laundering. He further distinguished himself by being the first U.S. official to be indicted under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. His crimes "spanned many years and two continents," said a federal prosecutor.
Jefferson, who sought millions, had raked in nearly $400,000 in cash and stocks, said the prosecutor, before the boom was lowered on him. The congressman was also reportedly videotaped taking a $100,000 bribe in an FBI "sting," and a raid of his home netted $90,000 of cold cash in his freezer.
Certainly as far as crimes go, Jefferson is innocent until proven guilty. But there was plenty in the corruption charges to have raised enough serious ethics issues for the Democratic-controlled Congress to give Jefferson the boot. The cowards did not, even though it was clear he saw his congressional post as a money-pot to enrich himself and his family, not to serve his constituents.
Even before the 2007 indictments, Jefferson's unconscionable abuse of his office during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 should have earned him the boot.
While hundreds of his constituents were stranded on rooftops waiting for rescue, Jefferson commandeered a scarce National Guard truck to retrieve items from his home. When the truck got bogged down in his flooded yard, he refused an aerial rescue and insisted another truck come and get him.
Jefferson could always be counted on to put his selfish needs ahead of his constituents' real needs. Yet earlier this year New Orleans' Democratic primary voters voted to keep him in office, and he was an odds-on favorite to win the Nov. 4 general election in his heavily Democratic and mostly black district.
However, Hurricane Gustav delayed the election until last Saturday, and without Barack Obama on the ticket, Democrats' turnout was light while Republicans and the district's ample Vietnamese-American community turned out in droves to elect GOP attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao.
It was a stunning upset, but highly welcomed, not only by most Louisianans, but most Americans. The disgraced Jefferson was a stain on Congress. And when Democrats refused to remove him, a broad coalition of conscientious voters came together to get the job done -- representative democracy at its best.
Comments
The self-serving,corrupt piece of excretement should be put in jail for at least 20 yrs. to serve as a deterrent to all the other corrupt politicians. Better yet,utilize the Chinese method and put a bullet in the back of his head and send his family a bill for the bullet! Yeah, that's the ticket:)
Unfortunately when Democrats are caught in corruption, they receive continued support from their constitutes. At least the Republican's vote their own out of office when they screw up.
I'm sure justus4 and the like will be accusing the ACES of being racist for expressing their rightful message in editorial form. William Jefferson and several members of his family are as crooked as they come. His constituents have known this for years but he was always reelected except this last time because of low voter turn out. Still we are wondering why Obama got elected, of course it had nothing to do with race voting for race.
Kind of interesting that Louisianna elects the first Congressman of Vietnamese descent and has the the first Governor of Indian descent. Both Republicans.
What's the big deal with Jefferson. Isn't he a typical Dem? How are his actions different from Reid's, Dodd's, Frank's, or Rangel's or any number of Dems?
The only difference is that he wasn't reelected like the others.
This is what's wrong with politics. This is the perfect example. It has nothing to do with race. It is all about how power can corrupt or how the corrupt can get in power. The lack of education by voters is responsible for these guys remaining in office. I truly feel that there should be a test before one can vote in any election. The voter should know what the candidates history is, what his campaign platform is and basic laws of the land.
I can see power corrupting, but what is with the public re-electing these criminals. Makes you think the population who voted them in are just as corrupt.
Let's see, the Republicans refused to remove Ted Stevens, Tom Delay, Mark Foley and Duke Cunningham, didn't they? Stevens lost his reelection bid, Cunningham and Delay resigned. The Republican Party protected Foley until he resigned.
Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. Eight. It only took eight out of nine paragraphs for the ACES to mention President-elect Obama's victory on election day. Wow. It seems to me like they decided to write this story just so they could continue discussing the election. Jefferson's defeat has little to do with folks in Augusta. Personally, I think folks in New Orleans finally decided to do the right thing. Why does race matter? This editorial wasn't written to inform, but it was written to keep up the debate about who voted on November 4th, and to shine a spot light on who won run-off elections. It is obvious that dems won big during the general election, and that repubs are doing well in subsequent run-offs and special elections. That doesn't mean that people don't care about these contests. It does mean that a greater priority was placed on the general election. The same people comment everyday about people voting for race, or not voting for race. Aren't you all tired of that discussion yet?
In before Justus4 blames white people
Obviously since George Bush caused hurricane Katrina, he was also responsible for causing hurricane Gustav just so the election would have to be delayed. Thus increasing the odds that Jefferson would be unseated. Darn you George Bush! Just look at what you've done.
"Let's see, the Republicans refused to remove Ted Stevens, Tom Delay, Mark Foley and Duke Cunningham, didn't they? Stevens lost his reelection bid, Cunningham and Delay resigned. The Republican Party protected Foley until he resigned." -- bsandersga @ 9:44 a.m.
Correct, bsandersga.
Careful, SisterAbdullah, the Alaskans reelected Stevens. Now, they might have been worried about the magic 60, but still, Ted shoulda been shown the door...a Republican To Be Named Later would likely have beaten any Dem in AL...
Having lived in New Orleans for over 20 years, part of the problem of chronic reelection of Jefferson is the hate and distrust between the races. Black voters having been disenfranchised for so long despite passage of the 13th Amendment would vote for the devil if he were black as the whites re-elected Edwin Edwards because he was white. The Democratics in Congress are a bunch of cowards or they would have impeached the Bush-Cheny criminal gang as soon as they got a majority. Even though a weak charge, Republicans tried to impeach Clinton as soon as they got a majority.
Bluefog, thanks for pointing out that a lot both races tend to vote along racial lines. It is an old discussion, but these people seem to feel as if they have to keep saying it. They tell themselves that they would vote for a black repub, but they know it's not true. When someone always screams that race doesn't matter even before it is mentioned by those who would oppose them, then that person must feel that it really does matter. Why else would they constantly bring up race? As you can tell, discussions on race are outrageous. There are people who think that blacks think Bush caused Katrina and Gustav, and that since Obama was elected blacks think we don't have to work and that all things will just be given to us. Those have got to be the most ignorant assumptions I've ever heard. These same people are always quick to say that they are labeled as racist because they didn't vote for Obama. That doesn't make sense to me at all because, once again they are the ones to always bring up race. If race truly doesn't matter to them, why do they always bring it up? I'm not calling them racists, but a hit dog will holla. They keep hitting themselves with their own words.
"They tell themselves that they would vote for a black repub, but they know it's not true." KingJames....you are so full of crap. I have voted for Keyes myself. As for not thinking you have to work.... what about the woman who said "Now I don't have to worry about paying my mortgage or filling my car with gas!" YOU sir have hit yourself with your own words this time. It appears you have made your OWN ignorant assumptions as well. "They are the ones who always bring up race?!" Do you ever read these posts? Justus4, sjgraci, willistontownsc and the likes blame EVERYTHING on race.
SisterAbdullahX, I suppose you take the words of one person and say they speak for everybody else. Stop using that ignorant lady's words as an excuse to say that all blacks feel as she does because it simply isn't true. And if you haven't noticed, the people who you usually agree with have become preemptive. They state what they think their opposition will say about a topic. I don't usually agree with Justus4, and he hasn't said anything on this topic, but anything that he might have said was already criticized by mgroothand in the Tue Dec 9, 2008 5:14 AM post.. Good for you if you voted for Keyes. But those who feel they have to say they aren't racist because they voted for McCain are crazy if they believe all blacks think that. Just like those who continue to think that comments made by a few blacks are how blacks in general feel. You are just as crazy as those you criticize if you feel you have to keep pushing that stuff in every post.
Ok...fine...stop taking the ignorant words of a few posters and saying that "they are the ones that always bring up race."
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
