Corrupt Politicians in America

Republican Senator Larry Craig lost his senate seat because of naughty bathroom antics (according to the undercover police officer, soliciting sex through body language). The problem is, what has happened is not all clear, and added to recent problems with the government, people are wondering if lackadaisical politicians are crooks instead of lazy law makers.

The opinions on Sen. Craig vary. Some believe he was wrongly treated-that the undercover police officer baited the good Senator into playing footsy in the bathroom, and arrested him before any real crime was committed. Others ask why Craig plead guilty to anything at all if he didn't do anything wrong.

Craig's case is unfortunate, especially for the Republican Party, and that may be the reason why Republicans have jumped to cut the ties with the three-term Idaho senator.

But Craig's antics seem to point to a deeper problem within the Federal Government, and apparently some law makers are calling for a "Spring Cleaning" this fall, starting with Craig.

But Democrats are having their own problems. A news story, currently pushed to the side, reports Democratic Congressman William Jennings Jefferson took 90,000 dollars in 2005 and stored it in his freezer, money from fraudulent political practices. Apparently, Jefferson took the money from an investor (wired by the FBI to pin Jefferson) to give to a foreign diplomat. But Jefferson never got that far with it, and instead stacked the tens of thousands of dollars between frozen food containers.

Jefferson has also been implicated by other defendants in corruption and fraud schemes, criminal activities that could very well land the congressman in prison.

Individual scandals amount, but others are more concerned with corrupt lobbying and fundraising methods. Has government become a bigger business than Americans can stomach? Not all government officials are involved, but by reason alone, we can conclude most do know that the scandals are going on, or do they? Why, if they know, don't they blow the whistle on some of these things sooner? If we used Texas law-that if you were there, or you knew, you are just as guilty-the entire congress and senate could very well be implemented in conspiracy.

Or maybe the truth of the matter is that congress and senate members aren't as deep in the waters of conspiracy and criminal activity as the most recent scandals lead some to believe. Big Brother may be a business, but not necessarily a corrupt business (like Enron). The murky depths of what is going on in the senate and house can only be cleared up by more whistle blowers, and if any congressman or senators were to step forward and blow the whistle on their criminal counterparts the United States would be better for it, but they may not have anyone left to blow the whistle on until someone else makes a mistake as Senator Craig and Congressman Jefferson have done.

Whatever happens, if the American people want change enough, they'll use their power at the polls. No voter could have known Craig was soliciting bathroom sex at airports (and it's still not known if in fact that's what he did, though he pleaded guilty to public indecency), or that Jefferson was committing fraud in his freezer, using Nigeria as cover-a charge he has been indicted on and has pleaded not guilty to, and may just beat the wrap on. But if he does, it'll be unlikely that he's reelected.

And that leaves us with the others, the ones still doing dirty business with America's tax dollars, committing scandalous sexual acts, and robbing the poor and the rich to give to themselves. Political corruption has existed for as long as politics has been used to govern people, but the difference for America is that we can dig for the truth and turn the tides. If only there were more whistle blowers willing to let more Craigs and Jeffersons out of the proverbial hat of government conspiracy.