Update: House votes to ask ethics to probe Dem leaders on Massa

It wasn’t that long ago when Congressman Mark Foley lit the liberal media & the blogosphere on fire with his inappropriate behavior. My own local Congressman Republican Tom Reynolds and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert faced endless accusations that they did not act soon enough on ethics complaints. Meanwhile the Democrats used the issue along with several others to ride a wave of anti-corruption slogans into the majority, ousting Hastert and leading Reynolds to retirement.

Fast forward to 2010 and Eric Massa. Oh how history repeats itself! Who knew what and when? It now looks like Nancy Pelosi was told in October of 2009 about Massa’s red flag raising behavior. What kind of behavior? We now know about Massa Massages, Tickle Fights, unwanted advances in the Navy, snorkeling (think about what that might mean real hard… yes you have it), and lots of reported male-to-male groping.

Of course the ethics investigation into the Congressman has been dropped, so figuring out who knew what and when rests on the shoulders of the American press.

By the way, my absolute FAVORITE narrative on the left is that Mark Foley’s unethical behavior was absolutely terrible because he was against gay marriage but because Massa was for that position, it is somehow that much better. Seriously now?

More from the Massa Saga:

According to Peter Clarke, a Navy shipmate, Massa was notorious for making unwanted advances toward subordinates. He tells the story of his friend Stuart Borsch, with whom Massa shared a hotel room while on leave during the first Gulf War. “Stuart’s at the edge of the bed,” Clarke says Borsch told him at the time, “and [Massa] starts massaging him. Massa said, ‘You’ll have to get one of my special massages.’ He called them ‘Massa Massages.’” Ron Moss, a Navy shipmate and Borsch’s roommate, confirmed that Borsch told him this story at the time.

Borsch, now a history professor at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, didn’t addresss that specific incident, but did confirm to me in an email that he was groped by Massa: “In 1990, aboard the U.S.S. Jouett, I was awakened when a senior officer, Lt. Commander Massa, seemed to be groping me. (I was a lieutenant at the time.) I believe he may have been drinking. I shouted at him and he left. I mentioned the incident to several other officers. I did not officially report it.”

Clarke says that Massa’s roommate, Tom Maxfield, was also assaulted. “Tom lived on upper bunk,” Clarke say. “When you’re on ship, you’re almost exhausted 24-7. So a lot of times you sleep with your uniform on. Tom and Massa shared a stateroom together. Massa climbed up on the top of his bunk, which is hard to do–you never crawl up on somebody else’s bunk. He wakes up to Massa undoing his pants trying to snorkel him.” Ron Moss also confirmed hearing this story from Maxfield. Maxfield did not return calls and messages left for him–I’ll update if he does.

I love politics, I loath politicians.

I’ve had a little fun over the last few days breaking the balls of a Democrat whose love of a politician, in my opinion, clouded his judgement. From the moment Congressman Eric Massa stepped down amid allegations of sexual harrasment, something did not add up. When Massa went from zero to sixty on the scale of humbled concession to outraged victimization and as he began spewing venom toward his own Party, the credibility of his claims that he was simply leaving for health and the toll an investigation would take on his family became less believable. As the logic was sucked out of the story, the Democrat whose balls I was breaking began attacking anyone and everyone who dared point it out. His love of Massa’s politics and feelings of personal connection to the candidate made him lose any sense of reason. He too began spiraling into his own sideshow of weird logic and outrage, mirroring Massa’s.

Last night the story developed further as now former Congressman Massa appeared on Glenn Beck. An hour of rambling, silky jokes, staged talking points and further destruction of the logic in his decision making and erosion of his timelines, served only to destroy what little credibility Massa had left.

Falling in love with a politician, regardless of their Party, will only end in heartbreak.

Democrats are waking up to this point thanks to an Obama administration that is anything but what they voted for. Local Democrats who pumped their heart and soul into Eric Massa’s campaign are watching their time, energy and dedication squandered. Republicans just had a twelve year example with Bush, McCain and the Republican lead Congress and every day there is another story that should make us seriously doubt the crop of 2012 Republican presidential candidates.

Yet I continue to see followers of both parties give up logic, reason and decency to defend their love of politicians. They give them heart and soul and receive little in return. If we want true change, if we seek better leaders, we must replace lust with skepticism, affection with stone cold accountability and love with the constant threat of rebellion.

Politicians are not rock stars or Gods, they are elected representatives of the people. We give them a great deal of wealth and power in their work but should give them neither as reward for their service. The work is their reward! As temporary public servants who believe in our nation, they should require no other. We need to begin treating these offices and their occupants in a way that they should expect and assume no other reward will come.

The issue is not campaign finance or special interest but a nation that can be largely divided between those who don’t care enough to vote and those who vote caring too much about superficial things that continually pair them to the wrong political mate. It is one thing to excitingly support a representative of one’s ideology and another to ruthlessly ignore their clearly visible flaws and corruption just to advance that ideology and cling to sentiment for the politician. This process leads to temporary advance but long term defeat.

There are few politicians deserving of God-like worship. Washington, Jefferson, Reagan, Jackson, Lincoln. We easily recognize their greatness but know they too were flawed and made plenty of mistakes. They were not dietys just the closest thing we have had on Earth. We long to add to the list of dynamic leaders so much that severly flawed men like John Kennedy become whitewashed and distorted while lesser personalities who are technically more deserving leaders like Calvin Coolidge are ignored.

In short my message is simple, stop looking for love in politicians, you will only be let down. Don’t trust them either, not with your continued money, time or energy. Not unless or until they show you, repeatedly, they are deserving of it and even then only give with hesitancy and skepticism! They will fail you and the country but you owe them little when they do. They are replaceable and should be treated as such and defended only when they are truly deserving both as leaders and human beings.

Former Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) has been under investigation for allegations that he groped multiple male staffers working in his office, according to three sources familiar with the probe.

The allegations surrounding the former lawmaker date back at least a year, and involve “a pattern of behavior and physical harassment,” according to one source. The new claims of alleged groping contradict statements by Massa, who resigned his office on Monday after it became public that he was the subject of a House ethics committee investigation for possible harassment.

I can say that local media are finally talking and noting that rumors of potential inappropriate conduct between Massa and male staff are not new, but because they were unsubstantiated they were not reported previously. Reminder Massa is appearing on Glenn Beck’s FOX News program tonight. Look for him to continue unloading on Democratic leaders and as he does, for more information to suddenly start leaking!

WOW this story just gets even crazier by the day! Tomorrow Glenn Beck, who is busy ripping Rahm Emanuel and the Dems a new one, will appear tomorrow on Glenn Beck’s FOX News show for the full hour. OH MY!

I wasn’t fond of the McCain & Steele support, I am dubious over the rumors of a reality show, I was dismayed over her support of politically correct whitewashing of our language, I am REALLY dumbfounded over why Sarah Palin would go on Canadian television and talk about her families use of the Canadian socialist healthcare system. It is bad enough Mitt Romney basically created and implimented Obamacare, now we have another potential candidate who was using socialist medicine before (or while) being against it.

I dig Palin but this is the latest in a line of things that have really eroded my support for any future political run. Seriously now, the admission was unnecessary in general but asinine when we are trying to put an end to the socialist system here. I don’t care if it happened in the 1960’s or six days ago, what a silly thing to go on about now. Did she help any illegal immigrants across the border while she was getting care? If so, maybe we can hear about it while debating amnesty.

Representative Eric Massa, who announced his resignation amid what could be a growing sexual harassment scandal, is now claiming he was ousted by his own Party to pass healthcare. Best of all he is attacking Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, describing an odd nude shower scene, claiming Rahm is the son of the devil and saying the Chicago political hit-man would lay his own children down in front of a locomotive to pass health care reform.

Mass is also calling Democrat Leader Hoyer.

From Roll Call:

In a statement released Wednesday, Hoyer’s office said the Maryland lawmaker was alerted to the allegations against Massa in early February by his staff. The statement said Hoyer gave Massa or his office 48 hours to report the complaint to the ethics panel or threatened to do so himself.

“Steny Hoyer has never said a single word to me, at all, ever, not once. Not a word. This is a lie. It’s a blatant, false statement,” Massa said.

What in the hell weird planet are the Democrats living off of? If Massa’s odd rants have reality behind them, wow. If they don’t, wow. Either way, this is a massive mess for the Democrat Party, Massa and the White House!

I have to say for a guy claiming he just used some “salty” language, he sure is racing out of town fast. For those who don’t live around here, Massa spent years trying for this seat. You know that old saying,”Where there’s smoke?”

From Massa:

“I own this reality. There is no doubt in my mind that I did in fact, use language in the privacy of my own home and in my inner office that, after 24 years in the Navy, might make a Chief Petty Officer feel uncomfortable. In fact, there is no doubt that this Ethics issue is my fault and mine alone. But in the incredibly toxic atmosphere that is Washington D.C., with the destruction of our elected leaders having become a blood sport, especially in talk radio and on the internet, there is also no doubt that an Ethics investigation would tear my family and my staff apart. Some would say that this is what happens when you stand apart from political parties, which I have done. Others will say that this is what happens to a non politician when they go to Washington DC. I want to make something perfectly clear. My difficulties are of my own making. Period. I am also aware that blogs and radio will have a field day with this in today’s destructive and unforgiving political environment. In that investigators would be free to ask anything about me going back to my birth, I simply cannot rise to that level of perfection. God knows that I am a deeply flawed and imperfect person.”

“During long car rides, in the early hours of the evening, late at night and always in private, I know that my own language failed to meet the standards that I set for all around me and myself. I fell short and I believe now, as I have always believed, that it is not enough to simply talk the talk, but rather I must take action to hold myself accountable.”

What in the heck kind of language is he using in long car rides home that would constitute sexual harassment? I mean, I have about the foulest mouth in private you can imagine. Yet I have never said anything a man, even a gay man, could construe as sexual harassment. Women definitely, men, no way! What in the world is up with this guy?

I can think of some hate speech examples, but sexual harassment? Really Congressman, just what are you talking about with your “salty Navy language” late at night in those car rides?

It was bad enough when Sarah Palin was just endorsing John McCain now there is talk that she is shopping around a reality TV show reportedly featuring Alaska and her family. First and foremost, let me just hope this is another media lie so we can be done with it. Please? Anyone? Lie?

Second if it isn’t a joke, let me hope no one buys the thing and we can just move on from here.

Why am I against it? Frankly I hate everyone else currently at the top of the list for the Republican nomination. Newt, Romney, Huckabee et al. I will be chronicling our crazy road to the White House more in the coming weeks and months and the more you learn about these people, the less you like. Palin, while not perfect, was one of the few glimmers of hope we have. A reality show though? I love reality TV, it isn’t at all because I respect the people on the shows, even the “classier” people. It is because I cannot believe people would expose this level of their life and stand there like idiots with the camera rolls.

Maybe the thought is that such a program would endear us to the Palin’s. Sarah, please, you had us at “pit-bulls and lipstick” this is not necessary. The right digs you, the left will always hate you, the rest of America is waiting for you to say something it thinks is “crazy” or “brilliant” either one will do. A reality show will most certainly benefit the potential for crazy and not the potential for brilliant.

More important than all of that, a reality show is WELCOMING public scrutiny of your family affairs. If you didn’t like David Letterman talking about your family before a reality show, just wait until it becomes fodder for the endless myriad of programs devoted to fluff. When it is remixed on YouTube and the press veils every terrible attack under the banner that reads: “Well you put your children on television.”

Seriously if this is true, pack it in. You should be forming policy if you want a career in politics, not treating your children like the square version of the Osbournes. If a career in politics is not what you want, let us know and step aside.

Ding Dong the Cheshire Cat is Dead… well not dead, just sent packing from his leadership of the House Ways & Means Committee after, you know, years of corruption finally caught up to him.

Another Democrat caught with his hand in the cookie jar or in this case, paw.