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Eric Massa slams Democrat leaders for ethics probe

ptif219 said:
How long has Rangle been avoiding it with much worse charges?
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Please ask your question in English. And you're likely asking me for information I don't have.
 
Democrats attacking because of a gay issue. How else do homosexuals get new recruits without what normal people wold call inappropriate of offensive comments.

Barney Frank I'm sure would welcome the attention.

And what is more gay, if it happened a wedding or Ralm Emanual confronting Messa and standing so close while touching him.

I personally might have decked Ralm for invading my space.

Talk about inappropriate. Doesn't Ralm have a shower in his home?

Really makes me wonder about the timing and possible hidden meanug.

It reminds me of Obama Being Accused of Gay Sex, Drugs, and Murder.

Is this a Chicago thing.

I make no accusations just asking.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwgD-8Bj_Qs"]YouTube- Obama Accused of Gay Sex, Drugs, and Murder[/ame]

How close are Obama and Ralm
 
Councilman said:
Democrats attacking because of a gay issue. How else do homosexuals get new recruits without what normal people wold call inappropriate of offensive comments.

Barney Frank I'm sure would welcome the attention.

And what is more gay, if it happened a wedding or Ralm Emanual confronting Messa and standing so close while touching him.

I personally might have decked Ralm for invading my space.

Talk about inappropriate. Doesn't Ralm have a shower in his home?

Really makes me wonder about the timing and possible hidden meanug.

It reminds me of Obama Being Accused of Gay Sex, Drugs, and Murder.

Is this a Chicago thing.

I make no accusations just asking.

YouTube- Obama Accused of Gay Sex, Drugs, and Murder

How close are Obama and Ralm
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If you're going to insult Rahm Emanuel, you could at least get his name right. :roll:

What I find so hilarious is that you all are so quick to believe a guy who has told multiple stories as to why he is quitting his job.

If my boss said to me, "I should be frakking you," I would be in shock. That kind of statement is so egregious that only an asshole talks like that.
 
PostPartisan - What's up with Massa?

From the article:

On Friday, Massa announced he would not seek reelection due to health. All the while, there were rumors that he was giving up his seat because of a sexual harassment allegation leveled by a male staffer. By Sunday, he was on WKPQ radio explaining the (I was just joshin') incident and declaring the implications a smear. But he also said that he was resigning altogether, effective 5:00 p.m. on Monday. . . .


Massa told a local reporter on Friday, “It’s not that I can fight or beat these allegations, I’m guilty.” If that's the case then why not go quietly? All this conspiracy talk strikes me as a distraction -- and not a very good one.
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This guy has no class whatsoever. Offering to help a guy with his handjob? Are you kidding me?
 
aps said:
PostPartisan - What's up with Massa?

From the article:



This guy has no class whatsoever. Offering to help a guy with his handjob? Are you kidding me?
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but is an absence of class a legitimate basis to run the guy out of office? if that were the standard the halls of congress would almost be empty

let's see what massa had to say for the incident behind the 'probe':
“On New Year’s Eve, I went to a staff party. It was actually a wedding for a staff member of mine; there were over 250 people there. I was with my wife. And in fact we had a great time. She got the stomach flu,” he said.

Massa explained that he then danced first with the bride, who was not identified, and then with a bridesmaid. He said multiple cameras recorded the incident.

“I said goodnight to the bridesmaid,” Massa continued. “I sat down at the table where my whole staff was, all of them by the way bachelors.”

“One of them looked at me and as they would do after, I don’t know, 15 gin and tonics, and goodness only knows how many bottles of champagne, a staff member made an intonation to me that maybe I should be chasing after the bridesmaid and his points were clear and his words were far more colorful than that,” Massa said. “And I grabbed the staff member sitting next to me and said, ‘Well, what I really ought to be doing is frakking you.’ And then tossled the guy’s hair and left, went to my room, because I knew the party was getting to a point where it wasn’t right for me to be there. Now was that inappropriate of me? Absolutely. Am I guilty? Yes.”
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Massa: Rahm is ’son of the devil’s spawn,’ confronted me in shower | Raw Story
sounds like the kind of candid, playful discussion i have encountered with friends who are openly gay. those who would be offended by it are those who are uncomfortable in their own heterosexuality.
rangel's ethicals lapseS, murtha's ethical lapseS, reid's ethical lapseS ...
rather than list the dozens, read this for yourself
Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry - washingtonpost.com
my challenge to you is to identify someone among them whose violation was for a lesser transgression than massa
clearly, there is a double standard at work when they stay and he leaves
 
justabubba said:
but is an absence of class a legitimate basis to run the guy out of office? if that were the standard the halls of congress would almost be empty

let's see what massa had to say for the incident behind the 'probe':
Massa: Rahm is ’son of the devil’s spawn,’ confronted me in shower | Raw Story
sounds like the kind of candid, playful discussion i have encountered with friends who are openly gay. those who would be offended by it are those who are uncomfortable in their own heterosexuality.
rangel's ethicals lapseS, murtha's ethical lapseS, reid's ethical lapseS ...
rather than list the dozens, read this for yourself
Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry - washingtonpost.com
my challenge to you is to identify someone among them whose violation was for a lesser transgression than massa
clearly, there is a double standard at work when they stay and he leaves
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You choose to believe his allegations of being run off. I don't. It's really that simple.
 
aps said:
You choose to believe his allegations of being run off. I don't. It's really that simple.
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if it were that simple you would have accepted my challenge and identified which of the remaining congressional members under ethics investigation has committed a violation which is found by you to be less significant than massa's transgression
you have chosen not to do so
while you may disagree with my position, it is not that simple ... unless you believe that the (absence of) integrity of congressional leaders and their willingness to impose a double standard to achieve political objectives is something simple
 
justabubba said:
if it were that simple you would have accepted my challenge and identified which of the remaining congressional members under ethics investigation has committed a violation which is found by you to be less significant than massa's transgression
you have chosen not to do so
while you may disagree with my position, it is not that simple ... unless you believe that the (absence of) integrity of congressional leaders and their willingness to impose a double standard to achieve political objectives is something simple
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Tell me why what other members are being investigated for matters. So he shouldn't be investigated since his transgressions are less offensive? What are you getting at?
 
aps said:
Tell me why what other members are being investigated for matters. So he shouldn't be investigated since his transgressions are less offensive? What are you getting at?
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this concept called a 'double standard', which i have repeatedly introduced into the discussion, relies on comparing the actions toward one element of a group with the actions taken against other elements within that group to determine if there is disparate treatment present
it appears you hold the belief that those who have committed the most severe violations are the ones who are entitled to the least punishment
at least that is what appears from your defense of this "simple" action
 
justabubba said:
this concept called a 'double standard', which i have repeatedly introduced into the discussion, relies on comparing the actions toward one element of a group with the actions taken against other elements within that group to determine if there is disparate treatment present
it appears you hold the belief that those who have committed the most severe violations are the ones who are entitled to the least punishment
at least that is what appears from your defense of this "simple" action
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Huh? How did you come up with that conclusion? That makes no sense to me.

My point is that a complaint comes into the Ethics Committee, and it MUST be investigated. I'm willing to wait to see what comes out of the investigation, as I trust the thoroughness with which these investigations are done. The COMMITTEE as a whole--both Democrats and Republicans vote on the outcome. I have a hard time thinking that bogus claims are successful.
 
aps said:
Massa sounds like a loser. You're a Congressman acting like that at a wedding? Do you have any self respect?
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Agreed. he should have stuck to time honored practices of shagging interns, accepting free travel and pocketing cash. ;)

On a serious note, this one doesn't pass the smell test. Sounds like that hardball Chicago style politics is coming into play. Massa sounds like a discourteous lout Until now, that has not been a disqualifying trait.
 
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Mick said:
On a serious note, this one doesn't pass the smell test. Sounds like that hardball Chicago style politics is coming into play. Massa sounds like a discourteous lout Until now, that has not been a disqualifying trait.
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This whole line of argument never really made much sense to me. Does anyone think that having him get investigated by the ethics committee helps the Democrats on the whole? While I guess I can see the convoluted logic that would lead one to say it (marginally) could help with regards to the health bill, any benefits from that would be far outweighed by the reputational hit that the party is taking, the loss of his vote on other matters, and the ever-present possibility that he would do...this.

Given the supremely creepy way in which he's describing his own actions, I think it's safe to say that he's fallen into some deep water and is clutching at whatever he can to keep himself from drowning.
 
RightinNYC said:
This whole line of argument never really made much sense to me. Does anyone think that having him get investigated by the ethics committee helps the Democrats on the whole? While I guess I can see the convoluted logic that would lead one to say it (marginally) could help with regards to the health bill, any benefits from that would be far outweighed by the reputational hit that the party is taking, the loss of his vote on other matters, and the ever-present possibility that he would do...this.

Given the supremely creepy way in which he's describing his own actions, I think it's safe to say that he's fallen into some deep water and is clutching at whatever he can to keep himself from drowning.
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Are you implying that the ethics committee can automatically reject a complaint because it doesn't help the party in charge?

A complaint is filed by multiple sources and it MUST be investigated. There are no, "Well, Joe Shmo, this looks like a stupid complaint. Bye." No. The employees must investigate it and provide a report to the ENTIRE COMMITTEE made up of both Democrats and Republicans, who then vote as to what should happen with the complaint. It's not about appearances for either party.
 
aps said:
Are you implying that the ethics committee can automatically reject a complaint because it doesn't help the party in charge?

A complaint is filed by multiple sources and it MUST be investigated. There are no, "Well, Joe Shmo, this looks like a stupid complaint. Bye." No. The employees must investigate it and provide a report to the ENTIRE COMMITTEE made up of both Democrats and Republicans, who then vote as to what should happen with the complaint. It's not about appearances for either party.
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Probably not dismissed entirely, but as we've seen many times, it can get placed on the back burner and take years to resolve.
 
American said:
Link


Democrats are eating their own now in order to get this healthcare bill jammed through the House.
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what utter crap. you guys should really make up your minds, either you think values are important, or you don't.
massa is insane.


The House will consider a Senate version of the health-care bill later this month, and if all lawmakers voted as they did in the November vote on health care, Democratic leaders would have precisely 216 votes. But dozens are considering switching their votes -- some from no to yes and others from yes to no -- making it impossible to determine whether Massa's vote would have been "deciding."
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aps said:
Are you implying that the ethics committee can automatically reject a complaint because it doesn't help the party in charge?

A complaint is filed by multiple sources and it MUST be investigated. There are no, "Well, Joe Shmo, this looks like a stupid complaint. Bye." No. The employees must investigate it and provide a report to the ENTIRE COMMITTEE made up of both Democrats and Republicans, who then vote as to what should happen with the complaint. It's not about appearances for either party.
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I'm saying the exact opposite - some people have posited that this ethics investigation was a sham to get Massa to resign because of his opposition to health care. I'm saying that even if we want to believe the worst about people, that wouldn't even make sense as it wouldn't help the Democrats overall.
 
TacticalEvilDan said:
Massa told us this past week about why he was quitting:
  1. His cancer is back and he needs to quit to deal with it and with family stuff
  2. He is about to be the subject of an ethics probe and he doesn't want to drag his family through it
  3. He's being forced out of the House
So to begin with, we're talking about a guy who can't keep his story straight.

Next, consider the timing. An ethics probe would take months, weeks at the very least, and the vote on the health care bill is (last I checked) scheduled for next week. Massa could easily hang in, vote, and then quit and escape the ethics probe -- since he'd be outside its reach and completely irrelevant in any case once he resigned.

There is something else going on here that we don't know about, and that is the real story -- not who is eating who.
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Well stated. The timing is the key. Why resign today when he could hang on for weeks or months? As has been pointed out in the thread, Rangel held out for what, years?

If he was being forced out, he should at least have stayed long enough to vote and stick it to whoever he believes is behind it.

RightinNYC said:
This whole line of argument never really made much sense to me. Does anyone think that having him get investigated by the ethics committee helps the Democrats on the whole? While I guess I can see the convoluted logic that would lead one to say it (marginally) could help with regards to the health bill, any benefits from that would be far outweighed by the reputational hit that the party is taking, the loss of his vote on other matters, and the ever-present possibility that he would do...this.

Given the supremely creepy way in which he's describing his own actions, I think it's safe to say that he's fallen into some deep water and is clutching at whatever he can to keep himself from drowning.
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This is another very good point. Indeed, after Rangel last week, why would Democrats raise another ethics investigation? :rofl

What a concept, charges of wrong doing can help the party and its goals?

There is also no guarantee who will replace him.
 
American said:
Link


Democrats are eating their own now in order to get this healthcare bill jammed through the House.
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Since Massa has come forward VERY publicly, the democrats should have no problem producing all the evidence against him that they used to coerce his resignation.

Dont know what everyone is shocked about. This has been Rahm Emmanuels reputation forever.
 
VanceMack said:
Since Massa has come forward VERY publicly, the democrats should have no problem producing all the evidence against him that they used to coerce his resignation.

Dont know what everyone is shocked about. This has been Rahm Emmanuels reputation forever.
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This has been every party's reputation forever. When a politician does something really stupid that looks like it could harm the party, he is placed under intense pressure by his side to resign and minimize the damage. There's nothing wrong with that.

What some people were claiming was that these charges were somehow trumped up by the Democrats in order to force him to resign because he was going to vote against the healthcare bill. That doesn't make sense.
 
RightinNYC said:
This has been every party's reputation forever. When a politician does something really stupid that looks like it could harm the party, he is placed under intense pressure by his side to resign and minimize the damage. There's nothing wrong with that.

What some people were claiming was that these charges were somehow trumped up by the Democrats in order to force him to resign because he was going to vote against the healthcare bill. That doesn't make sense.
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Again...there should be no reason now for the staffer that claims sexual harrassment to come forward and give his side of the story. Truth will set everyone free. And honestly...I dont know who to believe and Im not sure I care. Dems and reps...MOST of them are corrupt anyway.

They should all resign and we should be able to have a do-over...a mulligan for our government.
 
VanceMack said:
Again...there should be no reason now for the staffer that claims sexual harrassment to come forward and give his side of the story. Truth will set everyone free. And honestly...I dont know who to believe and Im not sure I care. Dems and reps...MOST of them are corrupt anyway.

They should all resign and we should be able to have a do-over...a mulligan for our government.
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I think the staffer should not come forward. The staffer will unquestionably be interviewed by the ethics committee, and should say nothing until the investigation is over.
 
aps said:
I think the staffer should not come forward. The staffer will unquestionably be interviewed by the ethics committee, and should say nothing until the investigation is over.
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since massa resigned, why do we need an investigation?
 
liblady said:
since massa resigned, why do we need an investigation?
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Hmmmmm. You have a point. I believe, however, that the committee must dismiss it on a vote.

I do want to hear/read the juicy details! ;)
 
aps said:
Hmmmmm. You have a point. I believe, however, that the committee must dismiss it on a vote.

I do want to hear/read the juicy details! ;)
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Oh, so do I. Imagine if that creepy radio interview is just the tip of the iceberg?:rofl

The rest has to be jaw dropping.
 
aps said:
I think the staffer should not come forward. The staffer will unquestionably be interviewed by the ethics committee, and should say nothing until the investigation is over.
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If he is retiring he is no longer a staffer...and since Massa came forward and gave details WITH corroboration, then the accuser should as well. I doubt the ethics investigation will continue.
 
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