Washington Post Vs. Jim Moran

Round 44.

I'm curious what you all think about this.  The comments on the Post site are mostly negative.  I don't see anything here that really bothers me on first glance...

Comments

[Spock]

The best part about Jim Moran is how much he kicks the other side's ass in elections, EVERY TIME !

The second best part is how much he pisses them off!

The 3rd is how much big bucks he brings to my district.

Go Jimbo!

[Sam]

The comments on WaPo's website are always mostly negative -- the general rule of thumb is 90% shrill, 10% shill.

As a voter, I'm not thrilled with the potential for lawmakers to mix their legislative endeavors with private money-making, although I don't think it'd be particularly fair to force a recently-elected member of Congress to divest from the market because of a new job that they might conceivably hold for only two years (the article doesn't make it clear, but are these the rules just for the House of Representatives? Because the Senate should be subjected to the exact same rules as the President).

Whereas as an investor, I think it'd be nearly impossible for me to keep track of every company that ends up in my portfolio when you throw in mutual funds, so if it turned out that Jim requested an ear mark for a company that he accidentally had some pocket change invested into, that wouldn't immediately draw my ire.

[Bubberella]

I think it's kind of smelly. Especially borrowing money from lobbyists. What does a blind trust involve? Couldn't the portfolio be actively managed by brokers in a blind trust?

[Spock]

Bubberella- I think he borrowed the money quite a while ago, and it was a lot less than what most of us have to borrow for school.

I am not excusing Moran, but I like the guy, and there are a lot worse out there who don't get half the crap he gets from the media.

[Bubberella]

Spock

For me it all comes back to the "appearance of impropriety". Taking loans from lobbyists and not recusing oneself from legislation in which you have an interest don't meet the smell test -- either R or D.

It's understandable that an elected official may not know what's in his portfolio. But to me, that argues for a blind trust so that a member can honestly say he didn't knowingly vote in his economic self-interest.

I like the idea of elected officials owning stock and having a personal stake in the economy -- just like most of us do in our retirement plans. But you can invest in a mutual fund or a blind trust.

I generally like Moran, too -- I think he's a good representative of his district and I tend to agree with the way he votes. He's too pugnacious for my taste -- I think fisticuffs show a lack of self-control. Speak your mind and call bullshit when you see it, but you don't need to actually throw punches to make a point.

[Spock]

Bubberella- I know what you are saying, but there is something kind of old school and true about his fists to cuffs style.

Everything in the DC-NOVA area is so sterile controlled and boring.

Its as if even the buildings are wearing dull khakis.

Moran is like an old world/ roll your sleeves up kind of politician who doesn't have to pretend to be some kind of phony "maverick" or a plastic holier than thou twisted religious freak.

He is what he is and there is something kind of down to earth cool about it.

I sort of like Marion Barry for the same reasons.

Both have taken a lot of hell for their imperfections and both have done some really good things for their constituents.

[Bubberella]

I suppose it's a "guy" thing.

[Loudoun Insider]

Jim Moran is a flaming a-hole!

[Spock]

Bubberella- Lol!

Loudon Insider- And how many years did you guys keep Dick Black in office?

At least Moran has a human soul...

[Martin Lomasney]

I read that article 2x and still did not see a "gotcha." A lot of stupid exposition of widely understood option trading but no dots connecting a trade or investment to a specific vote.

This piece was really flabby. It needed to be spiked or some aggressive editing, especially given the small news whole at the Post these days. And it sure didn't deserve to be on the front page.

What other stuff have O'Harrow & Keating done?

[Kullan]

Agree with Martin L. It was definitely flabby. Don't quite know what the point was supposed to be.

[emilie miller]

What was the purpose of the article? Jim Moran wins big because the voters like him and he does a good job. I like Jim.

[Jack]

He wins big because he is a Democrat. The dems could put up Marilyn Manson and he'd win big.

[TomPaine]

"The dems could put up Marilyn Manson and he'd win big."

But only because Marilyn's Republican opponent would be Charles Manson!

[Spock]

Tom Paine- Bravo!

[Post Skeptic]

If the Post can't tell me what the news is in the first four paragraphs, it's a fishing expedition at best and a smear at worst.

[HisRoc]

I sincerely doubt that the comments here would be so charitable if this story was about Frank Wolf instead of Jim Moran. However, I must heartily agree with the comparison of Moran with Marion Barry. Spot on: right down to the womanizing, substance abuse, and use of public office for personal gain.

[TomPaine]

"However, I must heartily agree with the comparison of Moran with Marion Barry. Spot on: right down to the womanizing, substance abuse, and use of public office for personal gain."

Sounds more like Tom Davis
and numerous other Republican elected officials!

[Spock]

TomPaine- That's because Davis is a moderate, if he was a REAL conservative he'd be after men....

[HisRoc]

Gosh, TP, I guess that you've never heard of Barney Fwank (male prostitute on his Congressional payroll), Dan Torricelli (illegal campaign contributions and gifts), Gary Condit (obstruction of justice), James Traficant (corruption, felonious bad fashion taste), Dan Rostenkowski (misuse of public funds), Melvin Reynolds (statutory rape, obstruction of justice), John Murtha (too many offenses to list, starting with Abscam), Gerry Studds (sexual relations with a teenage male House page), Alcee Hastings (impeached Federal judge, bribery), William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (bribery),...

Shall I go on, or are you willing to concede that Republicans don't have a monopoly on corruption in Congress?

[HisRoc]

Spook,

See my comment above. Fwank, Studds, and Reynolds. All liberals who go after men, boys, and young girls.

[Spock]

Traficant is a Nazi, and I don't mean that in the way people today use it loosely.

He has joined up with the white supremacists and Holocaust deniers from the old "Liberty Lobby", Willis Carto and friends, who are now the American Free Press.

Moran should go beat him up!:-)

[Spock]

HisRoc- How our elected officials want to have sex is really not that interesting to me, except if under age kids are involved and its a situation where there wasn't consent from all parties.

I was just making a joke to highlight the hypocrisy of the social conservative leadership.

If they start playing with hate groups, then I do care.

[HisRoc]

Spock,

I have to agree with you (did I REALLY say that?) that the social conservatives are major hypocrites. And, that is not just because they preach "family values" while demonstrating a total inability to keep it in their pants. They are hypocrites because they preach limited government involvement in American's lives, unless they need to legislate who you can marry, what a woman can do about an unwanted pregnancy, or when a family can end artificial life support for a terminal loved one.

On the other hand, social 'progressives' chap me just as badly. They "stand up for the working man" while amassing fortunes by benefit of their public office. Taxes are necessary to the function of government, just as long as they don't personally have to pay them (see, Geithner, Rangel, et al). And, best of all, terminating an unwanted pregnancy is a woman's right to choose, but executing a convicted serial killer is immoral.

You see, Spock, this is what makes me an Independent. Professional politicians of all political flavors are typically more self-interested than selfless, more prone to pandering than acting on principle, and consistently inconsistent in their application of a stated political philosophy.

We need term limits in Congress now. It has worked very well for the office of the President for over 65 years. It would do wonders in flushing the cesspool we call Congress.

[TomPaine]

"Shall I go on, or are you willing to concede that Republicans don't have a monopoly on corruption in Congress?"

I will agree that congressional Republicans do not have a monopoly on corruption, but they damn near have retired the silver cup on criminality, immorality,unethical conduct, and hypocrisy. For very dishonest Democrat that you can name since the beginning of the Republic, I can come up with at least four Republicans in the last twenty-five years alone.

By the way, we already have term limits; it is called elections!

I am certain that you really are an "independent"! Perhaps that is why you only vote the Republican ticket every election!

[Spock]

HisRoc- That is why I am an anarchist, there are scum on both sides who have no business in politics, Traficant is an example of how bad a politician can get.

I have voted both Dem and Repub, and Green whenever I can.

I agree with you about rich liberals not having an idea about the working folk.

There is nothing progressive about a $6 cup of coffee.

[HisRoc]

TP,

You obviously haven't voted in this country since the British Army left. We have this newflangled thing called the Secret Ballot, so you really have no way of knowing how I vote. And, since your pathetic dislike of officers is well established, I won't bother to attempt to dissuade you from you ignorant bias.

[TomPaine]

HisRoc:

I am certain that you have missed having the British Army defend the American frontier by distributing blankets contaning smallpox germs to the aboriginals
.
A really brilliant idea of early germ wafare!

I believe that your voting preferences (unless you are a right wing Democratic plant) are recorded in the Virginia primary elections records.

However, your tory inclinations (and political statements) are all too obvious by your blog comments. Ever heard that old phrase that when you lie down with dogs, you are apt to rise up with fleas?

I am certain that with your far-reaching expertise in so-called "secret ballot" voting procedures that you are also acquainted with the many ways to breach the secret ballot! Ever heard of the "Tasmanian Dodge"?

My experience with military officers has been that most claim to be politically "independent" while often openly advocating and proselytizing for far- right conservative/libertarian principles.

I don't dislike most military officers, just the ones who are pathetic hypocritical, incompetent liars. If the shoe fits, wear it!

[HisRoc]

TP,

The Virginia primary election records reflect that I have voted in both the Democratic and the Republican primaries in different years. That's what Independents do in an Open Primary State.

You protestations to the contrary, you do in fact dislike military officers. Only someone with a contemptuous disdain for a career professional would use the disparaging term "lifer," something that speaks loudly to your own hypocrisy since you yourself were a career civil servant who "lived on the public dole" taking public retirement at only 55 years old.

[TomPaine]

Yes, but I did not double-dip or seek to avoid civil service emplyment rules.

I have a good many friends who are retired Admirals and Generals and even 0-5 and 0-6 rank who completed their service without being "selected out." The selected out "lifers" are the ones for whom I share their disdain.

I was never just an "adequate performer" lifer and I have the commendations to prove it; also, I was never a "go along to get along" manager and I have the stripes to show that.