More On The Hastings Debacle
The editors of The New Republic weigh in on the incredibly short-sighted (and just plain morally wrong) decision by Nancy Pelosi to put Alcee Hastings in charge of the House Intelligence Committee:
In one of her first important acts since Democrats recaptured Congress, Nancy Pelosi is about to make a decision that is both substantively foolish and politically tone-deaf. The decision involves the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. For obvious reasons, that post has serious implications for national security–as well as the image of a Democratic Party seeking to convince the public it can be trusted to govern. But it appears alarmingly likely that Pelosi will spurn both with a decision based on petty personal and identity politics.
The current ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee is Jane Harman of California. Harman is one of the most respected Democrats in the House on national security and intelligence issues–a widely acknowledged expert in a field that Democrats as a whole are woefully unfamiliar with. Given her current seniority on the committee, Harman is the natural choice to become its chair in the Democratic Congress–and she has made clear that she wants the job. But all indications are that Pelosi will deny Harman the job and appoint in her place Alcee Hastings of Florida, a former judge who was impeached on bribery charges–and someone who has left no discernable mark upon the critical intelligence debates of the post-September 11 era.
Ordinarily, few people would take Hastings seriously for such an important job. In 1981, Hastings was a federal judge in Miami. He was accused of conspiring with a friend to take a $150,000 bribe in exchange for issuing light sentences to a pair of mobsters. A Miami jury acquitted Hastings (while convicting the friend), but three different federal judicial panels later referred him to Congress for impeachment. “Judge Hastings attempted to corruptly use his office for personal gain. Such conduct cannot be excused or condoned even after Judge Hastings has been acquitted of the criminal charge,” concluded one panel, composed of five circuit court judges. It added:
[T]here is clear and convincing evidence that Judge Hastings sought to conceal his participation in the bribery scheme and to explain away evidence connecting him with the sale of justice and that he pursued these objectives through concocting and presenting fabricated documents and false testimony in a United States District Court.
In a then-Democratic Congress, Hastings was impeached by the House on a 413-3 vote and convicted by the Senate, 69-26.
…So why does Pelosi want him for the Intelligence Committee job? There are two likely reasons. The first is that Pelosi personally dislikes Harman…The second probable factor weighing on Pelosi is racial politics.
It’s not too late to turn back from this incredibly terrible choice. If Pelosi truly wants to change the way things are done in Washington, this is the place to start…
Appointing a committee chair based on race is certainly changing the way things are done in DC. The GOP wasn’t able to make the last election a choice (which they would have won) instead of a referendum. Most people though that the country was going in the wrong direction and almost two-thirds disapproved of congress. Watch for both of those to go up in the next two years.
Good Lord, she may as well go all the way and appoint Kennedy as her consigliere at this point.
I’m aware of the CBC pressure to appoint Hastings. That’s a reflection on the ethical standards of the black congress critters themselves–tain’t much. However, why does Pelosi feel indebted? Somewhere down the line, she owes him one is the bottomline.
However, why does Pelosi feel indebted?
Because without the votes of the CBC, who account for close to a third of the House Democrat membership, Pelosi can’t be the next Speaker of the House. Which would mean that a Republican would probably get the office.
Which would be worth it for the entertainment value alone.
It’s astounding to me that the CBC feels the need to lay down on its sword for a guy like Alcee Hastings. The only explanation I have is a kind of blind racial loyalty and the arrogance that comes with never having anyone challenge you for office.
[...] November 25th, 2006 • 11:24 amHastings: I Was Acquitted (Sorta) Alcee Hastings, the man picked by Speaker-in-Waiting Pelosi to chair the House Intelligence Committee, has sent a letter to his colleagues telling them that he was acquitted of charges in federal court. Of course, that’s only part of the story. Here’s the part that Alcee Hastings doesn’t want people to remember: A Miami jury acquitted Hastings (while convicting the friend), but three different federal judicial panels later referred him to Congress for impeachment. “Judge Hastings attempted to corruptly use his office for personal gain. Such conduct cannot be excused or condoned even after Judge Hastings has been acquitted of the criminal charge,” concluded one panel, composed of five circuit court judges. It added: [...]
[...] Filed Under: Judiciary, Pelosi, Media, Homeland Security, Crime, Los Angeles, Author: Gary Gross, Intel, Corruption Alcee Hastings, the man picked by Speaker-in-Waiting Pelosi to chair the House Intelligence Committee, has sent a letter to his colleagues telling them that he was acquitted of charges in federal court. Of course, that’s only part of the story. Here’s the part that Alcee Hastings doesn’t want people to remember: A Miami jury acquitted Hastings (while convicting the friend), but three different federal judicial panels later referred him to Congress for impeachment. “Judge Hastings attempted to corruptly use his office for personal gain. Such conduct cannot be excused or condoned even after Judge Hastings has been acquitted of the criminal charge,” concluded one panel, composed of five circuit court judges. It added: [...]