Illinois House expels Representative.

[RoccoRyg]

The Illinois House of Representatives, where I work as a page, just expelled Rep. Derrick Smith for bribery. The vote was 100-6 with 3 abstaining. Here's hoping this state can clean up the corruption that taints its reputation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/derrick-smith-expulsion-v_n_1796461.html

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. wow

[librechik]

2. He's indicted. Let's be fair and rid our politics of corruption from both sides.

altho, to be honest the corruption count has changed dramatically in the last 40 years to most of the sleazeballs being Rs--like the last two Illinois governors, republicans who wound up in jail.

[Flashmann]

4. I wish it were otherwise,but

The last Illinois gov sentenced to the pen,Blago,was a Dem...George Ryan,the other of the last two,was a puke....

[librechik]

6. oh right--then there are 3, 2 repubs and a dem--forgot about Blago

meh

[former9thward]

7. Don't know who you are thinking of...

There are four - three dems and one rep

Ryan - rep
Blago - dem
Walker - dem
Kerner - dem

[librechik]

10. bleh--I'm mixed up--again. nt

[cali]

3. Why did I know that the rep was a dem before I clicked the link?

yes, it's good to kick someone out of a political body if that person has been proven corrupt, but I don't see how Illinois is any more corrupt than Texas or Florida. It's a right wing meme seeking to hurt the President.

[AngryAmish]

5. Illinois corruption is a whole other beast.

We have our last two governors in jail. Everyone knows who runs the state - it's Madigan. He installed his freaking daughter as the Attorney General.

It is a RW meme that Illinois is corrupt, but it is true.

[davsand]

8. Cali, I'm sorry, but Illinois really is a corrupt shithole of a state.

We ARE pretty bad and there is just no way to sugar coat it. What is SO very painful is the realization that it is not just the GOP but also the Dems that are a mess. The taxpayers are so accustomed to the corruption in this state that it is almost expected that if you are a government official at any level you are taking bribes. I sat in a hearing one day with an attorney from Chicago who JOKED with a state level Administrative Law Judge about being amazed that he had not had to "write a check" to get into that particular hearing that day. (The popular dodge is that the payola comes as some form of "campaign contribution.&quot

Opening bids--er--campaign contributions for State Reps can run from a few thousand to $250K and up--depending on how controversial the issue is. An Illinois Senate seat is every bit as high priced.

It is THAT bad, and it is right out there in public.


Laura

[mick063]

9. Such is the failings of a two party system.

I despise Democratic criminals more than Republican.

They hurt America more than any political category. They inspire folks to support for the "serfdom" party.