Moran the gift that keeps giving

[VABills]

LT. GOV. TIM Kaine, Virginia's second-ranking Democrat, has called for a House Ethics Committee investigation of Rep. Jim Moran, who co-sponsored a bill to tighten bankruptcy rules days after accepting a large personal loan from a credit card company the bill would benefit.

 

In a meeting with The Journal, Moran, D-8th District, denied any wrongdoing, saying the storm of controversy over the loan by MBNA Corp. ``blindsided me."

 

``I think there's big difference between impropriety and the appearance of impropriety," Moran added, pointing out that the 10 1/2 percent interest rate on the mortgage he received from MBNA was several points higher than prevailing rates.

 

But Moran, who admitted he was heavily in debt and considering bankruptcy despite a salary of more than $100,000, then agreed to help Rep. George Gekas, R-Pa., pass a bill making it more difficult for constituents who find themselves in similar financial quicksand to get relief.

 

``I never would have imagined that it would be considered any kind of favor or quid pro quo," the embattled congressman said, even though MBNA stands to gain enormously if this bankruptcy bill becomes law.

 

The average American household's credit card debt now hovers in the $8,000 range and is growing. Full payoff is virtually impossible when minimum payments are 2 percent and interest is sometimes as high as 21 percent, much higher than the prevailing prime rate.

 

Such usurious interest is defended by the industry because it allows credit cards to be issued to high-risk applicants, such as full-time college students. Yet the bankruptcy ``reform" Moran supports not only makes no provision to rein in imprudent credit, but also makes it much more difficult for people to be relieved of onerous debt by declaring bankruptcy.

 

Moran correctly noted that the bankruptcy law has not changed much over the past century. The protection from creditors it now provides dates back to Colonial times.

 

Lending money has inherent risks. But the credit industry's risk-taking already has been richly rewarded by record profits.

 

Most people pay their debts. But when death, serious illness, divorce, unemployment or even fallout from corporate bankruptcies makes that impossible, current law allows them to escape financial catastrophe and start over.

 

It's not a panacea. Bankruptcy stays on your credit history for seven years. But it does get the monkey off your back.

 

Moran has a lengthy history of questionable loans and personal foibles, of which voters in the 8th District have been uncommonly forgiving. But this time, Moran has compromised himself too much.

 

His wavering decision to ``act consistently with legislation that I supported" in the past gives 8th District residents enough reason to wonder whether his vote to gut bankruptcy protection is a payback for a preferential loan, reportedly the largest MBNA made that year.

 

We agree with Kaine that an Ethics Committee investigation, however long or political, is the only way to clear the lingering suspicion Moran has brought upon himself.

http://www.jrnl.com/ffx/mainstory.cfm?snum...=ffx&section=op

[VABills]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/725325/posts

[VABills]

Moran Said Jews Are Pushing War

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A...anguage=printer

[VABills]

He wants to charge admission to the Smithsonian:

 

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-...nion-editorials

[VABills]

In March 2003, US Representative James Moran inveighed against Jews at an antiwar rally: "If it was not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq," the Virginian Democrat fumed, "we would not be doing this."...A year earlier it had been South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, lamenting that "the Israeli government is placed on a pedestal" in the United States; no one dares oppose Israel "because the Jewish lobby is powerful—very powerful."

 

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial...tion_like_ours/

[VABills]

and More:

 

http://www.goodbyejim.com/1137851717/index_html

 

I keep hearing you say how you talk to the troops and the troops are demoralized, and I really resent that characterization. The morale of the troops that I talk to is phenomenal, which is why my troops are volunteering to go back despite the hardships they had to endure in Afghanistan. And Congress Moran, 200 of your constituents just returned from Afghanistan. We never got a letter from you, we never got a visit from you, you didn't come to our homecoming. The only thing we got from any of our elected officials was one letter from the governor of this state thanking us for our service in Iraq when we were in Afghanistan. That's reprehensible. I don't know who you two are talking to, but the morale of the troops is very high. Thank you.

 

http://prestoagitato.typepad.com/presto_ag...down_in_vi.html

[Ghost of BiB]

I live here. The toilet bowl of Alexandria has a blue handle, and that's that.

[Johnny Coli]

Jim Moran looks like a scum-bag, indeed, Bill, and shame on those constituents who continue to support him.

 

That being said, in your first post it says that a fellow Democrat is calling for the ethics committee investigation into Moran. That in itself is a far cry for how the Reps handled the "Hammer", Tom Delay, who they repeatedly defended, changed rules so that he could remain a comittee chairman even though under indictment, and when he was forced to step down they turned around and gave him a seat on the Justice Department commitee.

 

Jim Moran and McKinney are an embarrassment for our party and I am whole-heartedly behind getting them out of there to clean it up. But to suggest that Jim Moran's activities are even close to the same level of corruption as those of Delay is foolish.

[VABills]

Oh and of course he wants to keep illegals flowing since well his wife hires them for her construction business.

 

http://www.goodbyejim.com/1134959415/index_html

[Ghost of BiB]

Jim Moran looks like a scum-bag, indeed, Bill, and shame on those constituents who continue to support him. 

 

That being said, in your first post it says that a fellow Democrat is calling for the ethics committee investigation into Moran.  That in itself is a far cry for how the Reps handled the "Hammer", Tom Delay, who they repeatedly defended, changed rules so that he could remain a comittee chairman even though under indictment, and when he was forced to step down they turned around and gave him a seat on the Justice Department commitee.

 

Jim Moran and McKinney are an embarrassment for our party and I am whole-heartedly behind getting them out of there to clean it up.  But to suggest that Jim Moran's activities are even close to the same level of corruption as those of Delay is foolish.

651442[/snapback]

 

I have no use for Delay, either...but like him or not, he's at least smart. Moran, and God help us McKinney are morons. Just my luck I have "association" to both of them. By circumstance, not choice.

[VABills]

Jim Moran looks like a scum-bag, indeed, Bill, and shame on those constituents who continue to support him. 

 

That being said, in your first post it says that a fellow Democrat is calling for the ethics committee investigation into Moran.  That in itself is a far cry for how the Reps handled the "Hammer", Tom Delay, who they repeatedly defended, changed rules so that he could remain a comittee chairman even though under indictment, and when he was forced to step down they turned around and gave him a seat on the Justice Department commitee.

 

Jim Moran and McKinney are an embarrassment for our party and I am whole-heartedly behind getting them out of there to clean it up.  But to suggest that Jim Moran's activities are even close to the same level of corruption as those of Delay is foolish.

651442[/snapback]

You need to do some leg work then. I don't know much about Mckinney, but Moran has done everything he can to push throw and work the system for credit card companies, consumer loan companies etc.... He is as bad as anything Delay has ever done, and maybe worse since he does it on the door step of the captial and in the district that houses Washingtons home, etc....

[VABills]

Oh and the Washington Post (even as liberal as it is) is in Moran's and Murtha case for some big time funny business.

 

http://www.goodbyejim.com/1143481667/index_html

[VABills]

And more:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A...anguage=printer

[MattyT]

Reading this thread and the Delay thread, it's interesting to me that you (VABills) have taken the news of the downfall of a corrupt politician this personally. Especially since nobody here seems to be attacking you.

 

Most would say "Fug 'em! Glad he's gone." but you seem to be supremely defensive.

 

I hope that your defense of lashing out at the other side helps you feel better.

 

At least we might have the Moran hearings to eventually look forward to. Then you can smile when you should be lamenting the state of our sh!tty 2-party political system.

[VABills]

Reading this thread and the Delay thread, it's interesting to me that you (VABills) have taken the news of the downfall of a corrupt politician this personally. Especially since nobody here seems to be attacking you.

 

Most would say "Fug 'em! Glad he's gone." but you seem to be supremely defensive.

 

I hope that your defense of lashing out at the other side helps you feel better.

 

At least we might have the Moran hearings to eventually look forward to. Then you can smile when you should be lamenting the state of our sh!tty 2-party political system.

651510[/snapback]

It has nothing to do with a "party system" per say. Delay may or may not be a crook. But to sit there and bring joy over his downfall is stupid, and hurts his congressional district more then having him there, as they now loose seniority. Delay last I check has never been convicted of a crime, Moran has. Delay is front page news and is constantly beat upon by the press, yet Moan who has been convicted and served time, and continues to be openly corrupt gets a bye. This is politics at it's worst, period, and I was just bringing up that lots of Congress critters are as bad or worse then Delay, yet because of "politics" and media perception, you never hear about it.

 

And I choose Moran, because he was my congressman for a while, and thankfully we were redistricted away from him. Because of that and actually meeting him a couple of times, he is probably the slimiest character I have ever been around. Although now I have one of those weird districts from hell where the congress critter lives 200+ miles away and really is supporting the Norfolk area, but we got cut in somehow.

[UConn James]

and More:

http://www.goodbyejim.com/1137851717/index_html

 

And Congress Moran, 200 of your constituents just returned from Afghanistan. We never got a letter from you, we never got a visit from you, you didn't come to our homecoming. The only thing we got from any of our elected officials was one letter from the governor of this state thanking us for our service in Iraq when we were in Afghanistan. That's reprehensible.

 

http://prestoagitato.typepad.com/presto_ag...down_in_vi.html

651436[/snapback]

 

You know, when two guys in my brother's unit died in Iraq (he is heading to Afghanistan shortly), the state's then-NG commander (Now retired, due to a sex scandal w/ a subordinate, among other things) and then-Gov. Rowland (R-Retired/Disgraced) couldn't give a sh-- less.

 

Quote from a SSG who was at a send-off party: "They went up to the podium and talked as if they knew the kid, shed a few crocidile tears and got back in their limos. Back in the office, the guy was going on and on about how big a so-and-so the guy's crying mother was."

 

Is it any wonder then, that during the color-guard, it took *45 minutes* to fold the flag on a day when it was 10 degrees outside? Oooo, yeah. Gotta get those folds perfect, you know. Done just to make them have to stand at attention the whole time, the pricks.

 

Did this make it to the press? No. There's sh--heads all over. And Moran will get what's coming to him.

[Johnny Coli]

He is as bad as anything Delay has ever done, and maybe worse since he does it on the door step of the captial and in the district that houses Washingtons home, etc....

651447[/snapback]

You can't be serious. Do you think for one second Moran's issues would be anything more than a blip on the national news? You seriously think Moran even comes close to the House Majority leader stepping down because he's under indictment (the first time in the last 100 years, btw)? You seriously think Moran's questionable loan issues come close to Delay's ties to the Abramoff scandal, perjury, gerrymandering, money laundering, violating election law, accepting bribes, and on and on? Oh, right...,it's got to be the liberal media, the liberal grand jury members, the liberal prosecutors....

 

Here's the freaking Wikipedia entry on Delay....Tom Delay. I only link to it because it would take me too long to compile all the links that show how corrupt and morally vacant Tom Delay is.

 

If that link isn't long enough for you, here's more specific entries on The Tom DeLay corruption investigation, Delay and the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal, andThe K street project, to name but a few.

 

Your crusade to show that Tom Delay is just a run-of-the-mill corrupt politician doesn't do him "justice." But he'll get his. Why do you really think he dropped out? It couldn't have anything to do with his former staffer Tony Rudy's guilty plea on March 31, could it?

[EC-Bills]

It has nothing to do with a "party system" per say.  Delay may or may not be a crook.  But to sit there and bring joy over his downfall is stupid, and hurts his congressional district more then having him there, as they now loose seniority.  Delay last I check has never been convicted of a crime, Moran has.  Delay is front page news and is constantly beat upon by the press, yet Moan who has been convicted and served time, and continues to be openly corrupt gets a bye.  This is politics at it's worst, period, and I was just bringing up that lots of Congress critters are as bad or worse then Delay, yet because of "politics" and media perception, you never hear about it.

 

And I choose Moran, because he was my congressman for a while, and thankfully we were redistricted away from him.  Because of that and actually meeting him a couple of times, he is probably the slimiest character I have ever been around.  Although now I have one of those weird districts from hell where the congress critter lives 200+ miles away and really is supporting the Norfolk area, but we got cut in somehow.

651534[/snapback]

 

You have got to be sh..ing me. His downfall was his own doing. Don't start the whining about how we are hurting his congressional district. Delay is currently indicted and it's only a matter of time before he is convicted.

 

What's even more sad is that you have to jump up and down and post ad nauseam in an effort to defend him.

[VABills]

You have got to be sh..ing me.  His downfall was his own doing.  Don't start the whining about how we are hurting his congressional district.  Delay is currently indicted and it's only a matter of time before he is convicted. 

 

What's even more sad is that you have to jump up and down and post ad nauseam in an effort to defend him.

651604[/snapback]

Where have I ever defended Delay?

[TPS]

You can't be serious.  Do you think for one second Moran's issues would be anything more than a blip on the national news?  You seriously think Moran even comes close to the House Majority leader stepping down because he's under indictment (the first time in the last 100 years, btw)?  You seriously think Moran's questionable loan issues come close to Delay's ties to the Abramoff scandal, perjury, gerrymandering, money laundering, violating election law, accepting bribes, and on and on?  Oh, right...,it's got to be the liberal media, the liberal grand jury members, the liberal prosecutors....

 

Here's the freaking Wikipedia entry on Delay....Tom Delay.  I only link to it because it would take me too long to compile all the links that show how corrupt and morally vacant Tom Delay is. 

 

If that link isn't long enough for you, here's more specific entries on The Tom DeLay corruption investigation, Delay and the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal, andThe K street project, to name but a few.

 

Your crusade to show that Tom Delay is just a run-of-the-mill corrupt politician doesn't do him "justice."  But he'll get his.  Why do you really think he dropped out?  It couldn't have anything to do with his former staffer Tony Rudy's guilty plea on March 31, could it?

651569[/snapback]

 

JC,

You need to understand these guys have a hard time with the realization that the republicans are just as, if not more, corrupt as the democrats. If we're lucky, they might eventually vote for alternative parties...

 

On the other hand, most of them still believe invading Iraq was the right way to fight global terrorism...