I have the public corruption case no one will prosecute. A Columbia SC Social Security Judge refused to honor a Social Security court award issued by a senior and fellow Judge in his own office. From that, FAKE UNSIGNED REMAND orders came from the Social Security Appeals Council. Next all of my medical information along with all identifying personal information was lost. You might know the Judge contributes heavily to the GOP and the elected GOP leaders in South Carolina are ignoring my CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS> along with the Social Security OIG allowing retaliation . I have been allowed to be disenrolled in Medicare Part Aand B and I was enrolled in two Part D plans, paying three premiums every month and have no coverage at the drug store.
Then you might want to know that my diagnosis is discriminated against in America and since my file loss two doctors have been investigated.
I feel like I live in the Soviet Union.

Liz, this probably isn't the appropriate forum for this, but I have the mother of all 2007 Medicare screw-ups to relate to someone - I don't know who yet - on behalf of my mother, an 80-something blind woman! It has been the most surreal bureaucratic experience either of us has ever had.

But guys, don't worry, I'm not going to post it here. I need to put it in a flow chart, possibly animated, to make it understandable.

From the article: "there's "no evidence of a bribe or kickback" and no evidence that Wecht traded on a conflict of interest".

The case against the former Democratic Governor of Alabama has many of the same elements. The Governor ask a State contractor to give to a charity the Governor thought was worthy. The contractor gave then complained that he felt pressure but there isn't even evidence the Governor followed up to see if a contribution was made. The charity and the Governor were at arms length. The evidence, in other words, was very thin yet there was a conviction. Because Rove was personally involved the case is under review and a new trial may be ordered.

But Thornburgh is correct, some of the laws are way too vague. Conspiracy is one such law. It's not that we don't need to prosecute for conspiracy, we just need a more realistic definition of what criminal conspiracy really is.

Mary Beth Buchanan continues her politically motivated prosecutions even today. With Mayor Bob O'Connor not even cold in the ground, Mary Beth released a public statement that she is investigating the current mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, a Democrat. The allegation is that Luke used a county car to go to a concert. It seems the county car was paid for with a Homeland Security grant. The mayor was not aware of this fact prior to having his security detail use the car. Since this learning of that a Homeland security grant paid for the grant, Mayor Luke has not used the car.

While, it also happens that Mayor Luke is in a heated election campaign against a Republican Challenger, so the investigation is not helping his campaign.

Yes, this is an investigation, not an indictment and not a trial. Mary Beth released a simple statement to the media saying she is investigating the mayor. I thought these matters were sealed until after a grand jury in order to prevent biasing the grand jury?

As for other persecutions...I mean prosecutions, Mary Beth went after the following people:

Mayor Tom Murphy Resulted in a Misdeameanor charge
Sheriff Pete DeFazio Resulted in an alternative plea with no admission of guilt. Mary Beth grand standed at the Sherrif's court confirmation of the agreed to arrangement.
Mayor Bob O'Connor Resulted in charge/investigation being dismissed relatively quickly.
and of course Cyril Wecht.

Hmm...what is the trend between all these politicians besides being investigated by Mary Beth. These people are all all DEMOCRATS.

A couple of thoughts (Please note that I am no fan of Mary Beth Buchanan. Just a little local flavor):

1. Mary Beth Buchanan has not prosecuted any local Republicans because there are virtually none to be found in city or county government in this area. It is largely exclusively Democratic turf, and has been for a long, long time. Good luck finding a Republican to prosecute.

2. I don't think there is much criticism to be had over her investigation and prosecutions regarding the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department - long a bastion of political patronage and cronyism. Most Democrats I know locally agree that was long overdue and applaud the Sheriff's investigation.

3. Steve Stallings - the main prosecutor on the Wecht case and the other corruption cases - is a pretty reasonable guy and not some wide-eyed wacko.

4. Dr. Wecht is no choir boy. He is a pompous, holier-than-thou jerk who was indicted back in the 80's for embezzelment from Allegheny County. Hold the pity party for him.

5. Tom Murphy was a favorite of mine and I am probably one of the few who thought he was a good mayor for the city. But he did some stupid shit and deserved to be investigated.

Thank you, Pittsburgh Kid : )

Dr. Wecht is no choir boy. He is a pompous, holier-than-thou jerk ...

If that's the standard for prosecution, I can think of quite a few Republicans who should be facing twenty to life.

... who was indicted back in the 80's for embezzelment from Allegheny County.

Surely the case is over by now. How did it turn out?

Politics is crooked. The big deal is that the GOP has broken the unspoken rule that we don't prosecute minor thefts and graft by the opposition.

What we're really talking about is another example of Dems acting like business as usual while the Rove gang is battering down the gates and undermining the walls and hurling their infected dead over the ramparts.

This is really out of control. I like Dr. Wecht and don't understand why this is at all a federal case. Shouldn't he just write a check for, say, ten bucks? Isn't that how his "embezzlement case" worked out?

Pittsburgh Kid, you're also forgetting MBB's willful blindness to Jeff Habay. Forcing his staff to do campaigning during work hours, then mailing himself, ostensibly from his accuser, an envelope containing white powder in an attempt to concoct an anthrax scare? Gee, don't anthrax scares and mail-fraud cases warrant Federal attention these days?

PK, my recollection is that the local DA went after him only after the Feds (MBB) passed. However, if my recollection is incorrect, touche.

I can't help but think, though, that if a Democrat had been caught messing around with white powder, the DoJ would've immediately sent the accused to Gitmo.