Mitt Romney applauded a corrupt Bob McDonnell. Why can't federal prosecutors?
Expect
this to grow into a thing:
Is Eric Holder's Justice Department driven by a political agenda, or are the department's recent prosecutorial decisions simply signs of overzealousness?
The Justice Department has focused on two prominent Republicans, announcing a corruption indictment of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell and launching an active and very public criminal investigation into the antics of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's administration. In doing so, federal prosecutors have created at least the appearance that they are targeting two men who have been touted as plausible candidates for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.
You see, it has nothing to do with the two Republicans being corrupt assholes.
It has nothing to do with former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife using the trappings of their office to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and cash.
Please see below the fold for more on this story.
And of course no law breaking happened in New Jersey, which is exactly why Christie administration officials are pleading the Fifth.
You see, they are Republicans, thus should be given a free pass! Otherwise, we have no alternative but to speculate that "targeting" those corrupt jackasses might "appear" overly partisan. And that would be bad!
[McDonnell's] Defense counsel argue that "political courtesies" extended to campaign donors or to generous friends are not crimes under any reasonable interpretation of the federal bribery statutes.
Were it otherwise, notes the unusually acerbic motion, "President Obama's recent visit to DreamWorks DWA +2.50% studio in Hollywood, a company run by one of his top donors," would put Mr. Obama into the same club as Mr. McDonnell. As much could be said of every president who has awarded ambassadorships to campaign donors.
Obama would be in the same club if he accepted $120,000 in "loans" from David Geffen while Michelle was gifted $10,000 dresses, then directed federal agencies to hire the studio for their marketing materials. Considering that none of that happened, then no, it's not the same thing. And if a campaign contributor buys an ambassadorship by breaking federal contribution limits, then yes, please nail the bastard and the politician who appointed him.
But oh noes, the "appearances!" So yeah, expect a lot more of this "criminalizing politics" nonsense. It's inevitable.