Wednesday, August 18, 2010

INDEPENDENT PROSECUTORS ARE FOR WIMPS



Quiz time! What's the difference between the investigations into alleged wrongdoing by New York Governor David Paterson and the alleged use of public resources for political campaigns among Pennsylvania's legislators?

Give up? Paterson's being investigated by an independent prosecutor because the Attorney General of New York, Andrew Cuomo, recused himself to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

What's that you say? Independent prosecutor? Avoiding the appearance of a conflict of interest? Yes, it's pretty foreign stuff here in Pennsylvania, where no one blinks an eye at a candidate for Governor conducting a wide-ranging investigation of his own closest political supporters.

Or, should we say not conducting any investigation of his political supporters at all?

Or, should we say, conducting an investigation of a political supporter - or at least pretending to - then refusing to prosecute?

Repeatedly?

Or should we say, determining whether a target is, in fact, a supporter before conducting an investigation?

One wonders how that candidate might react if one of his opponents failed to recuse himself from an investigation involving a political supporter. Oh, wait: he'd be apoplectic.

12 comments:

MH said...

So, have a Democrat run for attorney general.

What I would like to see from either side right now is some plan for how their own side is going to be less corrupt. All I ever get is more on how corrupt the other side is.

Anonymous said...

"if Bill DeWeese goes to trial, we not only will post the address for his legal defense fund, we will eat our hat."

We're waiting...

Signor Ferrari said...

Oh, has his trial begun? We must have missed that.

Anonymous said...

Mincing words now?

Anonymous said...

MH-
Onorato has a seven page policy paper on government reform. I think it qualifies as the plan you're looking for.
http://www.voteonorato.com/system/storage/59/277/Government_Reform.pdf

MH said...

Onorato has a seven page policy paper on government reform.

Wow. Seven pages. Is that double-spaced? Because I’d hate to think they went through too much trouble for something I have no intention of reading. I’ve watched him govern for long enough that I’m going to vote based what he has done, not his plan. Onorato is certainly better than the rest of the current crop of Pittsburgh area officials, but that is really faint praise.

I should have been clearer. Nobody has a plan for how to reform the office they are in now. Everybody has a plan for reform once they get to a higher office after the next election. The source of the problem is always somewhere else, either the other party or another level of government. And the check is always in the mail.

My personal opinion is that the biggest source of the problem is the state legislature and the huge advantages they have created for incumbent candidates (e.g. walking around money, machines in both parties, massive staffing compared to other states). I vote against them all regardless of party.

The Lizard said...

MH said "What I would like to see from either side right now is some plan for how their own side is going to be less corrupt."

and then later also said,

"Wow. Seven pages. Is that double-spaced? Because I’d hate to think they went through too much trouble for something I have no intention of reading."


So which is it, MH? Do you want see a plan or do you want to pontificate? It's nice that you agree that Onorato is the best of the Pittsburgh group, particularly since Tom Corbett comes from the area and the only jobs he ever created are in his own office.

MH said...

Corbett hasn't held local office since I've been in the area so I keep forgetting that he's from just outside the city.

I'm voting for Corbett. He put Veon in jail. Unless there is a report of cannibalism or something, that is enough to get my vote. If he'd have put a Republican legislator in jail, I'd have volunteered for him and sent a check to his campaign. Onorato has done nothing to increase openness or block political corruption in the years I’ve been him working.

fancynance said...

BEAVER COUNTY news!!??
Report says Beaver County commisioner CHARLIE CAMP (R) used campaign $$ to finance his masters degree!!!!!!!!!!
Ah, helllo AG-Corbett isn't this a 'criminal offense?'...i ask you Corbett are you going to indite and prosecute Charlie Camp???
You freeeekin HIPPO(crite) Corbett!!
I bet you won't, he is one of your own AND your southwestern PA c
ampaign mgr...oh no you only indite, prosecute and incarcirate who YOU want to, you scum-bag!!
If Charlie Camp, helps you become governor, i bet he has a big job in harrisburg waiting for him 'eh??

Total ABUSE OF POWER and SELECTIVE PROSECUTION by AG=CORRUPY HIPPO(crite) CORBETT
you are SCUM and the voters know it!

VOTE DAN ONOROTO PA GOV!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, where is Bill's defense fund? You said "apoplectic" so I'm assuming you've been hanging around him.

Also, please post the John Perzel defense fund, the Feese defense fund, and the Orie defense fund.

And Barbara - please get some new material. Your routine has gotten stale. If you want people to follow you, you need to keep it fresh.

Signor Ferrari said...

We will post defense fund addresses, if we receive them, of those being prosecuted by Tom Corbett if and when the defendants go to trial.

fancynance said...

MH---
SO, you are voting for Corbett because 'HE' (our AG) put Mr. Veon in jail? Well thats very interesting, not sure you understand what this blog-site is all about and that is..."EXPOSING THE HYPOCRISY OF CORBETT.."
If you choose to vote for a 'Hypocrite..who is corrupt' well that is your right, and sad, very sad mind-set. You see if you are so happy that this bad-bad former politician is incarcerated, you SHOULD WANT AND DEMAND ALL POLITICIANS WHO DID THE SAME 'CRIMINAL OFFENSES' and ARE STILL DOING THESE SAME OFFENSES, ALL OF THEM BOTH (Dem's and Rep's) be INDICTED, PROSECUTED and INCARCERATED, just as Mr. Veon is.
BUT u see MH, Corbett does not work that way, he ONLY pursues those who he is threatened by or who HE CHOOSES to pursue!, AND whomever and whatever case will make him 'look-like' a freeking hero to all non-informed voters. He is PATHETIC!!
Now i ask you, is that NOT CORRUPT?=CORRUPT CORBETT....get it?
If this is the nice and sqeeky clean candidate you choose to vote for our governor this Nov., well i must say i feel very, very sorry for your choice. Having a self-absorbed, self-serving, hypocrite as governor will only make the problems in harrisburg and our state much worse!
The FACTS and PROOF are all over this blog-site and elsewhere...you really need to be a bit more open-minded to absorb ALL the FACTS about this candidate, BEFORE you make a serious decision to vote for him.
HE and his OAG office can do the EXACT same thing he says is 'criminal' for others but NOT FOR HIM, or other REPUBLICANS in the state legislature/senate.

Just wanted to point all this out to you. Just saying.....look deeper, much deeper.

In fact, MH if you contact the OAG office and get T.Corbett to 'hurry-along' other prosecutions and trials (like he said he would 3 years ago...) BEFORE the Nov. elections......I'LL VOTE FOR HIM!!
thx!!