Amid Katrina Chaos, Congressman Used National Guard to Visit Home

*yawn*

 

http://www.house.gov/jefferson/
Related to William Jefferson Clinton?

 

Where was your outrage two weeks ago when there really were people in desperate need of food, water and rescue?

 

Where was the outrage of the Congressman who is supposed to represent these same desperate, needy people?

I can understand wanting to see your property. I can even easily understand why he would want to look around a bit, but he shouldn't have had the NG escort and wait for him.

Just another example of congress abusing the trust placed in them. And yes, I would feel the same way if it were a republican, not everything is a partisan issue. We should ALL expect more from our representatives.

 

We don't really know what he was doing when all those people need food, water and rescue, do we? How do you know that he wasn't out there trying to help? Ooh, ooh, I know. I don't know and I know for sure that you don't, either. So don't pretend to.

 

I'm not sure if you were addressing that toward my post or not but, in all honesty he can do a lot more for his constituents here in Washington than he can riding around with the NG EXEN if you assume he was helping. I don't think I tried to pretend anything and all the info I had to work with (for better or for worse) is what was in the article.

 

Wow. I knew the response was too slow for a lot of people, but even with the National Guard at his aid, it took him 1,000 years to see his house and get his stuff?

 

Yeah, but he borrowed a really cool time travel machine to get back!

 

impeach that guy too!

 

But everyone here complained about how the national guard response was slow and how so many national guardsmen were in Iraq, then this guy goes and uses them to go to his house. That strikes me as using his status to use government resources for personal reasons, they kind of thing other Congressmen in the past have been indicted and kicked out of office for. It's even worse when you consider what else was going on there.

 

Ian - honest question: If the Congressman were a Republican, would you be so outraged?

 

Er, am I the only one that's read the article?

The guy says he didn't ASK the NG to go with him. It was their idea.

'"I did not seek the use of military assets to help me get around my city," Jefferson told ABC News. "There was shooting going on. There was sniping going on. They thought I should be escorted by some military guards, both to the convention center, the Superdome and uptown."'

 

What he said and what the NG are saying are totally different. I tend to believe the NG over a politician who might have just committed political suicide.

 

In fairness, Ian was equally upset that Bush's three visits to the region meant that all air traffic, including helicopter traffic, had to be stopped, thus compromising the relief and rescue efforts. His anger was surprising.



Oh, wait, no he wasn't.

 

He'll tell you that he would be, but the question is, if the Congressman was a Republican, would be have started this thread?

 

Anyone defending Congressman Jefferson should study his background a little bit. This guy is a typical 2-bit scandalous politician. "Controversy" has followed him since day 1. This kinda activity sounds right up his alley...

 

When I saw this last night I thought it just happened. But it seems it happened on Sept 2, when things were still going to hell and that puts a little different spin on it.

However, to put this in perspective, it's not like he commandeered the NG specifically to drive him to his house. He was touring the city - his congressional district - to check up on his consituents both in the neighborhood and at the Superdome. Good for him. Should he have spent an hour inside his house while the NG cooled their heels outside? Probably not. But you can't blame the guy for wanting to check on his house, since he's in the neighborhood and all?

 

Touche. I'll spring for the 1/2 lb. beef combo burrito on the the drive down today so that your companions thoroughly enjoy their trip.

 

I don't think you can impeach a congressman, his constituates could recall him but they are all out of town so he's probably pretty safe.

 

Truth be told, I would have done the same thing (visit my house). The only part of the incident that really stuck in my craw was the rescue helicopter that came by to help rescue when the truck was stuck. Really the whole thing is a non-issue...

 

Safe? Safe? Congressman Jefferson is probably the safest congressman in the country. The could have a picture of him dynamiting the levee and he would be re-elected...

 

So we have this:

And this:

Just a coincidence? Verrrrry Interesting indeed.