The
Palm Beach Post has the audio. Rep. Geraldine Thompson of Orlando to Florida lawmakers, "I’m calling members because we have to identify ranking members on various committees,†… “And, um, I wanted to know because we want to take into consideration what kind of financial or other contribution you have made to the Florida Democratic Party and whether you are available to doing that in the future. Would you give me a call?â€
Thoughts from Ed Morrissey over at
Hot Air.However, unlike the Blagojevich scandal, Thompson didn’t try raising money for her own personal use. And unlike the allegations in New Mexico, it doesn’t involve the sale of state contracts to donors in exchange for contributions to political campaigns, which is basically a money-laundering system to use taxpayer money to generate cash for the party in power.
This message, while grubby and embarrassing, doesn’t appear to cross the line into corruption or fraud, although it says plenty about the values of the Democratic Party — and of the intelligence of Thompson for leaving a voice-mail message like this. I’d bet dollars to donuts that Thompson gets assigned something less intellectually taxing for the Democratic caucus in the Florida legislature after this.
Not up to Blagojevich standards but pretty petty and pretty sad. Also of note is that one never knows what further investigation might reveal. Maybe it's time to start looking at this stuff in a different way. To quote an Ayn Rand character from
The Fountainhead, “Don’t bother to examine a folly — ask yourself only what it accomplishes.†Three pay for play scandals in a week including Blago's arrest is not a coincidence. It's hardly even "scanalous" anymore given the brazenness with which pay for play occurs in the Democrat Party. (and one might speculate about the Republican Party as well) It's simply who they are. This is what government is and why our founders were so adamant that it's powers be limited. "Government is the Problem" as the great 'Renaldus Magnus' told us and not so long ago that we can excuse forgetfulness.
