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Senate Votes to Call for Justice Department to Investigate Coconut Road Earmark
Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) amendment just passed by a margin of 63 to 29. Virtually all Senate Democrats supported the measure, helped by a good number of Republicans.
The amendment requires a review by the Department of Justice into the allegations of impropriety regarding Rep. Don Young's (R-AK) Coconut Road earmark and an investigation into whether the change broke the law.
Immediately after the vote, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who voted against the amendment, called the vote an "amazing precedent" set to invite the "Justice Department to investigate a House rules violation."
The Senate is now moving on to Coburn's solution -- a joint House-Senate investigation. Sen. Boxer declared that such an investigation would "bring the whole bill down" because of Constitutional objections by Democrats in both the House and the Senate.
Update: Here's the roll call for that.
Comments (10)
Cue the hue and cry of "criminalizing politics." Remember that one? Maybe we can get DeLay on the tube for some commentary.
April 17, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do Republicans hate the Constitution so much?
April 17, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
It contains a list of things they're not allowed to do.
April 18, 2008 1:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
And, of course, the Justice Department is so trustworthy in its investigation of republican lawmakers.
April 17, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this a spine I see coming from the Dems? I better sit down and brace myself...
Keep it up Boxer!
April 17, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go, Babs, go!
April 17, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait a minute... Russ Feingold and Claire McCaskill both voted again this amendment (Robert Byrd was the third Democratic opponent). I generally admire Feingold's principles. Perhaps he sees this as a bad precedent as well?
April 17, 2008 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Feingold voted against it, I want to know why. Otherwise I feel encouraged that at least one flagrant crime might be at least investigated.
Why the traditional media is not holding the Bush administration accountable for their many shocking abuses of power and public deceptions is a huge failure of the Fourth Estate who have been reduced to sycophantic stenographers of the neo-cons.
April 17, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cool...
Young's subordinates have already admitted to changing the paperwork.
so... what will all these guys we are paying big bucks for going to do? the only thing needed to find out is the penalty. Of course, that will be up to our usual partisan politics and so far, nobody in power is required to actually pay the price. that is left up to us commoners...
April 17, 2008 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I used to believe, hell, like that old poster from x-files I even wanted to believe! Now I am just collecting canned goods.
April 17, 2008 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink