A culture of denial

“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,” said Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. Talking about immigration? Taxes? Campaign finance reform?

Nope. William Jefferson.

After headlining the story “Jefferson: Probe Won’t Force Resignation” and reminding us the Congressman recently was seen videotaped taking a bribe, the AP writer seems obsessed with the FBI’s search warrant executed on Jefferson’s Capitol Hill office, even quoting an unamed source with the “Senate Historical Office” to point out its rarity. Doesn’t the House have a historical office?

We were told of the statement issued by Nancy Pelosi's office regarding the search, which reads in part:

"Justice Department investigations must be conducted in accordance with constitutional protections and historical precedent."

Wait, what was the story here? Oh yes, down at the bottom of the article we find a few reasons for the search, like:

The plan was for Jefferson to use the cash to bribe a high-ranking Nigerian official to ensure the success of a business deal in that country, the 100-page affidavit said.

All but $10,000 was recovered Aug. 3, when the FBI searched Jefferson’s home in Washington. The money was stuffed in his freezer, wrapped in $10,000 packs and concealed in food containers and aluminum foil.

Many might remember Congressman Jefferson as the one who during the heights of the Katrina crisis commandeered National Guard personnel to ferry him out to his waterlogged home, where he exited with a large object and a few suitcases. Meanwhile people were sitting on rooftops waiting for rescue, but hey, that was Bush’s fault, right?

The story could possibly put a dent in the dem's likely fall campaign slogan about a republican 'culture of corruption', although the parsers are already hard at work. According to a very balanced New York Times story on this, here's what Representative Rahm Emanuel said about it:

"They are different scales," Mr. Emanuel said. "One is a party outlook and operation; the other is an individual's action. They have institutional corruption."

In other words, when our guys go bad they're on their own. Vote for us.

The real story here might be the reaction from both parties to the office search warrant. Right or wrong, many Americans probably won't have much sympathy for Congresspeople complaining about having their off-limits offices open to criminal search warrants, especially when the average American isn't allowed similar sanctuaries.

Yes, protections are needed and for valid reasons, but does that mean we allow our Reps to use their offices as evidence shields? That hardly sounds constitutional, either. Alberto Gonzales gave the following reason: "unusual steps that were taken in response to an unusual set of circumstances; I'll just say that." Ok Mr. AG, the ball is in your court. Show us the money.

MORE 5/24/06

Instapundit and Michelle Malkin has their usual tasty assortment of links and comment on this story. Which one? Not Jefferson's cold hard cash story, but the one emerging as the main focus for the MSM--Alberto Gonzales' saturday night raid on Jefferson's House of Representatives office. Outrage is flowing from both sides of the aisle, but most of the constituents aren't buying it.

Meanwhile, since this post was talking about denial, doesn't it seem the democrats are much better at it? Recall if you will the last Louisiana Congressman to resign his post. Bob Livingston. Remember his crime?