Yesterday, while trying to pin down the correct date for William Jefferson's trial on corruption charges, I searched the Times-Picayune using just Jefferson and trial as search words. To my surprise, what came up was not Cold Cash Jefferson, but his sibilings. This story gets murkier and murkier.
Follow me on the jump to explore the implications for America.
This is what I found in the Times-Picayune.
The federal fraud trial of Mose and Betty Jefferson, two of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's elder siblings, has been postponed until Feb. 9.
The trial had been set for Dec. 1, but the Jeffersons' original lawyer, Ike Spears, was disqualified from the case at the government's request. Mose Jefferson has since retained Arthur "Buddy" Lemann, while Betty Jefferson -- who is also the city's 4th District assessor -- is represented by Eddie Castaing.
Mose and Betty Jefferson , along with Betty Jefferson's daughter, Angela Coleman, are charged with bilking a group of charities they controlled of more than $600,000.
One of the commenters on that story made reference to the "Jefferson crime family" and that seems to fit.
Pete McCloskey has often repeated the analogy that "politicians are like diapers. They need to be changed frequently... and for the same reason." The link on Pete's name will explain his view of what happened to the party he had joined so many years ago. There is a warning here also, because ultimately it could happen to any part.
At a time like this, when the feeling of change is sweeping America no one single act will say that the change isn't very big, did not go very deep, than returning William Jefferson to the House of Representatives. That is where McCloskey served for so long and with such honor. That is where the like of Duke Cunningham and William Jefferson remind us that crooks are in all parts of society and political power makes it easier to be a crook, even a dumb one.
Looking at the Jefferson family, where is "sibling" is an assessor makes me wonder just what the tax roles look like and who got special assessments.
There are really two options. One is to play politics as usual, return Jefferson to Congress and then try to get Nancy Pelosi to expel a member of her own party. (Good luck with that. After Jefferson was named in the original investigation, Pelosi appointed him to the Homeland Security Committee giving Republicans a field day.)
The other option is to take a chance electing someone who is not a Democrat, Malik Rahim. Rahim has most creds on the street than he has in the media. But most of those are about what he has done for the people of NOLA, not to the people of LA. The biggest contrast is between Rahim, whose Common Ground Collective has been working to rebuild the 9th Ward and Moses Jefferson, who helped bilk charities of $600,000. How many homes could that have rebuilt?
I am asking readers here at DKOS to put aside ultra-partisan leanings and help do what is right for the people of New Orleans and Jefferson (that name again) Parrish. Help elect a true worker for the people, Malik Rahim. Right now, he needs more money for media buys, so please help or ask yourself why you didn't. The election is Dec. 6. Don't let Dec. 7 again be a day in infamy when the announce that Jefferson won re-election.