TPM Reader CC, on the Bill Jefferson conundrum:
While I’m sure that Jefferson is guilty and corrupt as sin, I’m a little concerned about the idea of not seating a duly-elected member of congress when there hasn’t even been an indictment in the case yet. If an indictment comes down, or the Ethics Committee finishes their investigation in the next couple weeks, that’s one thing. Could they not seat him pending the outcome of the Ethics Committtee investigation? I don’t know enough about the innerworkings of Congress to know.
With our legal system based on “innocent until proven guilty”, it seems to me that this has become a no-win situation for the Democratic leadership. If they don’t seat him, the GOP will use any angle possible as a wedge (race would be the most obvious thing here but I’m sure there are others).
Florida is an entirely different matter. Not seating the “winner” there would be a means towards a “do over” special election. You’re not saying that he’s unfit to serve, you’re saying, “there’s enough doubt in the process so lets do it again, and if you win again, so be it…”. Both parties have enough operatives and money to make the do-over race legitimate.
I don’t think that not seating Jefferson would blunt any of the outcry from not seating Buchanan just because Jefferson’s a democrat. Linking the two cases muddles the issue. Duly-elected (probably) unfit to serve Dem vs. (probably) not-duly-elected but fit-to-serve Repub. I think they need to be as separate as possible.
