Part 1.
Republican Rep. John Boehner (OH-8) announced his interest in running for House Majority Leader. The post was previously held by Tom DeLay (TX) and currently held by interim leader, Roy Blunt (MO). Boehner has some problems. According to Raw Story and U.S. News, Boehner belongs to an all male country club in Betheseda, Maryland. (They still exist?) Here is an excerpt from the article:
"I do belong to Burning Tree," he told us unapologetically. And, he kids, "I don't know of a female who would want to go out there with all those old fogies." The country club's rules have sometimes been a problem for the collection of politicians who play there. In another congressional leadership race, for example, foes of former Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma raised his membership at the club when he ran for Senate whip in 2002.
Boehner's one of the House's well-known golfers. He claims a 6 handicap. When we first asked his office about the issue, they skipped the spin and put him on the phone in five minutes. During the interview, Boehner explained how he ended up a member of the club some three years ago. First, he was invited to a golf event and then tapped to talk to members when the scheduled speaker backed out. "I guess they liked the job that I did and invited me to become a member," he said. Like other members, Boehner had sponsors, a retired Army general, and the then head of Norfolk & Southern's Washington office. And, he added, "I pay the same fees that everybody else does." That's a $75,000 initiation fee plus monthly dues of $500 a month, according to reports...
How do you think the people of Ohio's 8th congressional district would feel if they found out that their congressman joined a club with an entrance fee of $75,000? How do you think the people of Montgomery County, with a November 2005 unemployment rate of 5.8, feel about Boehner's high lifestyle? (December 2005 rates not released yet). How can Boehner fight for equal rights and equal pay for men and women when he doesn't believe women are good enough to join his country club? I'm just asking.
Part 2.
Want to know why the Republican Party is having so many ethical problems? Money. Their events are posted at http://www.nrcc.org/contents/events/ . You may attend the fundraisers, but you better bring a BIG check. Look for Pryce's fundraiser. Guess I'll have to skip it.
Part 3.
Jack Abramoff only contributed to Republicans.
Part 4.
President Bush is still living in a bubble. According to the New York Times, when Bush visited New Orleans he did not see any of the major destruction. Just like his audience, the route was closely pre-screened.