Stipulating that in the end, Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson may be found to be a complete crook. However ... and this is, as they say, a "big however..." the FBI raid on his D.C. offices, a year after agents found $90,000 in cash they gave him during a sting -- in the refrigerator at his home (and yet failed to charge him with a crime,) strikes me (and many lawmakers,) as a clear separation of powers problem, and the latest display of executive branch bullying and intimidation, this time of the United States Congress. The message Alberto Gonzalez and the FBI are sending to the Hill is similar to the one they're sending to journalists: we -- can -- get -- to -- you. The Bush administration is flagrantly using its ever-broadening law enforcement power to intimidate and silence the American people and their representatives. Jefferson was a nice juicy target with which to make that point. So far, the Congress has been pliant and subserviant to a fault. But they've been acting up a bit of late, and the Bushies might want to make sure they stay in their post-9/11 place. It's just my take, but I think that's why both Democrats and Republicans are rising up in opposition to the raid. They see the handwriting on the wall (or the horse's head in the bed, as it were...)
Of coure, the righties disagree, and enjoy watching the administration mete out discipline to the Hill and to the Fourth Estate. But the chilling effect on both is something anyone with a passing interest in the Constitution should be wary of. Still, the case has provided the convenient smokescreen of sucking the still mainly compliant media onto a new primetime topic: the supposed bipartisan nature of Washington's culture of corruption. Don't fall for it. This is about the White House cowing the Congress. Jefferson will be quickly shelved by the Dems. The raid will linger long after he's gone.
<%
dim done
done = request.form("done")
if done = "" then
done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
<%
Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
'Response.write ("Sent to ") & email
End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
