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Lying, Cheating Thieving Politicians

   Written by on January 30, 2014 at 1:23 pm

Today’s winner for the lying cheating thieving politician award in Virginia goes to—drum roll please—former Governor Bob McDonnell.

logo-grumblingsA politician once asked a man for his vote. “Are you honest?” the voter asked. When the politician replied in the affirmative the voter responded, “I’m going to support your opponent. I’d hate to help turn an honest man into a thief.”

There is never any reason for any politician to ever take a bribe from a lobbyist or from any other person. Under Virginia law any politician can take a bribe from anyone as long as it is called a gift AND as long as he or she discloses it AND as long as he or she claims it won’t affect his or her actions or decisions.

Somehow a salary of $175,000 just isn’t enough to survive in Virginia without “gifts” from people who want something. The former governor accepted gifts that exceeded his annual salary. Now the first complaint I expect to receive is “It was his wife not him.” It doesn’t matter. If the “gifts” benefited the governor, he is responsible.

Everyone receives gifts. The definition of a gift requires that nothing is expected in exchange. When something is expected in return it is not a gift – it is a financial transaction.

Let’s stop the bribery right now. Pass a law that no elected official may accept any gifts from anyone except immediate family. Nothing, Nada, Zip, Zero, Zip, Zilch.

We’re paying them enough and they shouldn’t be making a profit (other than salary) from “public service.” Pick a politician, any politician, check out their financial disclosure statement from their first year in office. Then look at today’s disclosure. You just have to wonder how so many of them increase their net worth at a rate that far exceeds the rest of us.

Another cheat our politicians love is running for office under one flag and then showing their true colors after the election. Today’s winner for that particular cheat is Attorney General Mark Herring.

He was elected as Attorney General. The job of the Attorney General is to represent the state of Virginia. Herring was elected and took an oath that he would “uphold the laws of Virginia.” Now he has decided not only to NOT uphold the law, he is supporting the other side.

You can call it taking a stand or anything else but the fact remains he campaigned for a job. He was hired to do that job. He took an oath to do that job and now he has decided he is not going to do the job AND he is supporting the opposition.

An honest man would have made his position plain when campaigning. An honest man would honor his oath. An honest man would… then again maybe an honest man wouldn’t run for office. Maybe an honest man can’t be elected for statewide office in Virginia.

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