What is happening with LA Jefferson Williams?

[question everything]

It may not have been proper to raid his office, but clearly the guy can be a poster boy for our own "culture of corruption."

If the Republicans can pressure Ney to resign, why can't we do the same?

I don't remember, has any of our leaders taken a stand to denounce him?

[doubleplusgood]

1. has he been convicted of anything yet?

I think that's the difference...Ney was convicted. I hear the same R?W talking points from my father-in-law, that "they're ALL crooks".. Funny how the R's have institutionalized corruption in D.C. (Ney, Abramhoff, Delay, Safavian, etc.), though, since their so-called "revolution" in '94.

[question everything]

4. We had our own share before 1994

Still, I was hoping that we are better. That we do not wait for conviction when the facts are in your face.

[Greeby]

2. Plenty of Democrats running against him

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G06/LA.phtml

[Redbear]

3. The party disciplined Rep. Jefferson already.

They stripped him of his seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

[question everything]

5. Thank you. What is it about the Ways and Means Committee

that generates the biggest scandals? Wilbur Mills, with the stripper Fanne Foxe (with the foxy fanny as a Chicago commenter said) was the chair, as was Dan Rostenkowski.

[WCGreen]

9. It's where all the action is... The money... That's where the

tax plaws originate....

[hijinx87]

6. here's a horrifying thought . . .

what if they indict him right before the election?

[stillcool]

7. perhaps there is more to the story

then the 'media' version? Sting operations can cut both ways.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502752_3.html

[question everything]

10. But if this were a frame, wouldn't our side be jumping all over?

Wouldn't our legal eagles be the first to stand by him?

And the - what was it, $100K - stuffed in his freezer?

[stillcool]

13. I don't understand...

who from "our" side, or what from "our" side you are expecting. If they let the election fraud float on by, I can't imagine there would be any takers to defending a lonely representative from Louisiana...he sinks or swims on his own dime.

[BOSSHOG]

8. The Mayor of New Orleans has endorsed him

and has pledged his support. I don't know what that says about either one of them. He has a tough opponent in State Representative Karen Carter who has the backing of a bunch of big name state democrats. I don't think Jefferson will be reelected regardless of his legal troubles now. With the number of candidates running against him, a runoff is almost a lock.

[question everything]

11. I may be confusing him with someone else... I've heard the

mayor pledged a support to someone who supported him in his recent election.

I am confused about the number of candidates.. We are talking about the general elections, right? After each party has selected its own candidate? Why are there other Democrats running against him? Were there no primaries?

[BOSSHOG]

12. Louisiana lets the good times roll

Anyone can run in the general election then the top two vote getters (unless one gets more than 50%) will be in a runoff. It could possibly be two democrats or two republicans (most likely two dems in NOLA.)

NOLA Mayor Nagin (?D?) endorsed Jefferson. Nagin also endorsed the republican who ran against Governor Blanco. Nagin was a republican but switched parties before he ran for Mayor. He plays the race card like a Stradivarius. Mitch Landrieu (LT Governor and Mary's brother) ran for and would have made an outstanding Mayor, but Nagin was reelected.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/07/AR2006100701274.html

[Hippo_Tron]

14. Our mayor is a moron and an opportunist

I voted for Landrieu and still can't believe that he lost.

[beaconess]

15. He hasn't been charged with any crime

No matter how bad something may look, it would be a terrible precedent to run someone out of office merely because they're being investigated. Otherwise, it would be too easy to launch a bogus investigation against political enemies and then force them out of office.

Ney and DeLay were indicted when they were forced out. And DeLay was under indictment for quite some time - the only thing Republicans did to him was strip him of his leadership position and, even then, he tried to change the rules so he could keep his job as Majority Leader.

Another poster is right - Jefferson was removed from Ways and Means, which is pretty serious. There's nothing more the Democrats should do unless and until Jefferson is indicted.