Taxpayer Abuse

It reads like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker's Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey's Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey … and Corona beer.

But that single receipt makes up just part of the more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for "in-flight services" – including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That's almost $1,000 per week.

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Judicial Watch, which investigates and prosecutes government corruption, show Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over that time.

Nancy Pelosi sure knows how to party on the taxpayers' dime. Didn't she promise to make ethics and good government cornerstones of her Speakership? Besides, the woman is loaded, she can certainly afford to pay for her own booze. She's the only member of Congress abusing the office right? Wrong:

When lawmakers travel overseas on official business they are given up to $250 a day in taxpayer funds to cover meals and expenses. Congressional rules say they must return any leftover cash to the government.

They usually don't.

According to interviews with 20 current and former members of Congress, lawmakers use the excess cash for shopping or to defray spouses' travel expenses. Sometimes they give it away; sometimes they pocket it. Many lawmakers said they didn't know the rules demand repayment.

"If that was the policy, you could never get many members traveling," said Rep. Solomon Ortiz, a Texas Democrat. Mr. Ortiz said he had never returned any money.

"There's a tacit understanding that if lawmakers don't spend the money, they get to keep it," said Rep. Sue Kelly, a New York Republican who was defeated in 2006.

I'm happy to hear she's no longer a member of the House. It's attitudes like hers that caused Republicans' to lose the confidence of the people and hence their majorities in the House and Senate. The 2006 exit polls showed voters more concerned with corruption(Abramoff) and scandal(Foley) than the war in Iraq.

Lawmakers who said they sometimes keep excess funds said the amounts were small. "I won't deny that sometimes I have a little left, but it's not much—maybe 80, 90, or 100 dollars," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D., N.C.).

That's more money than I have in my wallet right now. The amount of money the good Congressman is dismissing is just about a weeks' worth of groceries for me.

The winner for obliviousness comes from a guy who was impeached as a judge, so he became a Congressman:

Mr. Hastings (D-FL) said he sometimes used the extra taxpayer money to buy gifts, meals or drinks for military pilots, security officials and interpreters who travel with him. On a trip earlier this year to the Middle East, Mr. Hastings gave $100 to an Iraqi refugee, he said.

"I'm a generous spirit and a courteous spirit," Mr. Hastings said. "I stand accused."

True generosity would be to use your own money, not whatever you have left over of your taxpayer provided per diem.

As for House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel. He just got slapped on the wrist by the House ethics committee, but with the steadfast support of Speaker Pelosi he is in no danger of losing his gavel.

Enter Charlie Rangel, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Allegedly unbeknownst to him, he had the misfortune to have his Caribbean vacations paid for by corporations. After an admonishment by the House’s ethics committee, Rangel lamented that this was just his rotten luck, undone by unscrupulous staffers conniving to get him free beach time on Antigua and St. Maarten.

He also in his long Congressional career managed to amass $500,000.00 in two checking accounts which he never bothered to disclose in his mandated financial reports.

To members of Congress this is small potatoes and a perk of doing the people's business. Well, in the early 90's it turned out that many members of Congress were bouncing checks left and right and thought nothing of it. Balancing a checkbook, in their minds was something only the little people needed to worry about. Well, the little people showed up at the polls and bounced many of those self-important bozos right out of office. It's high time to clean the whole rotten lot out. We need people in office who are interested serving the public, not fleecing it.