Andy McCarthy asks what's wrong with the Justice Department?

Jefferson is not only purported to be on tape, nearly two years ago, taking a $100K bribe, and was not only found to be in possession, nearly two years ago, of $90K in bribe money (stashed in the freezer). The government represented to a court that he obstructed the separate search of his home — which, if true, is a separate felony offense all by itself. And two people, beginning over a year ago, have already pled guilty to paying Jefferson hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes....Regrettably, after Sandy Berger, it's a question that has to be asked.

No kidding. One more piece of evidence of Bush incompetence, but not one that will make the left happy.

Of course (appropriately), Pelosi comes in for some appropriate criticism as well.

The esteemed Mr Jefferson just took a bribe, he didn't shoot any Mexican pot smugglers so it's likely not a real crime. The Justice Department has to spend their time and resources tracking down real hardened criminals like Border Patrol Agents and Texas Deputy Sheriffs.

So what's in it for the Bush Administration? The chance to be pilloried by the press and TV talking heads for a racist "persecution" of a black member of Congress from Nawlins, probably "covering up" their incompetence post-Katrina? The opportunity to alienate every Democrat in Congress for good and wreck any chance of legislative action on anything more serious than a resolution in favor of motherhood and apple pie? The chance, in short, to go down in glorious flames while "the base" hides under the covers or sidewalk-supervises and dribbles a little piss on them for not doing it quite exactly perfectly right, or too insensitively, or whatever?

Gosh, I don't see how they can resist.

If jefferson's dirty, he's dirty,

that's why we have judges and juries.

Of course, Judges are just fools when they preside over
the trials of neocons.

Certainly, we should never expect the House ethics committee to look into the matter.

The House ethics committee had all of 2006
to look into it too.

There is nothing new here.

If he's dirty he'll get indicted, he won't be the first,
he won't be the last.

The House ethics committee had all of 2006

Yes they did, and they didn't. The voters had their say on the subject and in came a new Congress that had the mantra of changing the ethics of Congress. They now have all of 2007 and 2008 to do something about Jefferson... 100 hours have gone by... 100 days are almost over... Maybe if they actually worked those 5 days a week that we were promised...

WAIT, there is news! Pelosi moved Jefferson from the Tax committee to the Homeland Security committee. Whew, glad someone finally took some action.