Are Perjury Charges Coming?

No, it's not who you think.  It seems that Michael Brown, the disgraced former head of FEMA, has more 'splainin to do.

The core function of government is competence; the core requirement of government service is honesty.  This is not a political issue.

Comments

[felixrayman]

the core requirement of government service is honesty

Hahaha.

You're a gem.

[von]

You're a gem.

No; merely someone who believes in things greater than that which is.

[ral]

von, thanks. I believe in a few such things too.

I doubt there will be any charges lodged, though.

[ral]

BTW, spell check: perjury you meant?

[rilkefan]

I'm not sure Brown is competent to stand trial - I'd be happy to see him recede into obscurity sooner rather than later.

[felixrayman]

No; merely someone who believes in things greater than that which is.

Well you were talking about requirements here.

Clearly, honesty is not required for government service. If you would like to make it so, what action do you propose?

[Catsy]

Perjury, hell. That question about negligent homicide is starting to sound a lot less outrageous.

[Jesurgislac]

I mean, we already knew Michael Brown was incompetent.

I would think that after this, he's going to look back on that Baton Rouge dinner and wish to hell he'd had sandwiches in the car.

[Slartibartfast]

Um...von? "Purjury"?

[von]

BTW, spell check: perjury you meant

Whoops. [Spell check is my friend.] I just corrected it.

[alex]

Well, you're never going to get a job with the Bush administration with that kind of attitude.

[Barry]

Slart, you wunna of them there 'Eastern Elitists' who insist on that durn book-larnin' spellin'? If it was gud enuf f'r Jaysus, it's durn sure gud enuf f'r me.

[Jon h]

With that thing about not interrupting his dinner, I'm surprised he didn't show up at the Hill with a powdered wig, powdered face, and a black patch or two stuck to his face. He's clearly cut from a 17th century French mold.

[Barry]

"I'm not sure Brown is competent to stand trial - I'd be happy to see him recede into obscurity sooner rather than later."

Posted by: rilkefan

I'm sure that he is competant enough, so that cancels yours. And I'd like see him publicly screwed over as long as possible, because he certainly deserves it.

I understand your feelings, of course: 'get over it', 'move on', etc. But there's time that both justice and pleasure point to an excruciatingly fair public trial, followed by an excruciatingly painful public execution. This is one of those cases. Now, we can't execute Brown, but public humiliation and a decade in prison will have to do.

[hilzoy]

There are certain moments -- rare, but they do exist -- when I regret that we don't have the stocks available as a punishment anymore. Because, especially in the case of public figures who abuse their trust, I think having them sit out in public where people can tell them exactly what they think of them for prolonged periods of time would be just the right punishment.

[Gromit]

Barry: But there's time that both justice and pleasure point to an excruciatingly fair public trial, followed by an excruciatingly painful public execution.

On a barely-related topic, does anyone else find it hilarious and telling that Tom DeLay and Saddam Hussein share an objection to the proceedings against them? Well, there is a difference in degree: Saddam didn't screw over the presiding judge's people through unorthodox redistricting. He used poison gas.

[Catsy]

I find it telling that DeLay will do or say nearly anything to avoid addressing the substance of the charges against him. Complaining that the judge once donated to MoveOn? And that MoveOn (not really) is selling t-shirts of his mug shot?

I think that if I ever get hauled into court, I'll make a point of looking up the judge's political donations. That's sure to be a winner.

[KCinDC]

Catsy, and in places where judges are elected, how many politically unaligned judges can there be?

Gromit, I was just having similar thoughts.

[Anarch]

Complaining that the judge once donated to MoveOn? And that MoveOn (not really) is selling t-shirts of his mug shot?

Yes, it's worth reiterating that DeLay's lawyer lied* about MoveOn and the press didn't correct him.

* For rilkefan: technically, I believe he bullshitted but since I'm trying to get the common definition of "lie" to incorporate reckless indifference towards the truth as well as a deliberate reversal (since IMO what's paramount is the intent to deceive) I'm gonna call it "lying" anyway.

[Gromit]

KCinDC: Catsy, and in places where judges are elected, how many politically unaligned judges can there be?

I thought DeLay and his cohorts liked judges to be accountable to the people.

[calmo]

So, barbacue Brownie it is.
I mean some of those ~1200 lives could still be with us if this one person was doing his job.
But some are just fussier than others about skewering the same sausage over and over. It may not be that they need more variety so much as the pulverized state of the target. They demand fresh meat, preferably unskewered. They think that those he was responsible to had some share in this debacle.

[Barry]

calmo, we haven't seen anybody really suffer yet. Losing a job that he didn't deserve in the first place isn't punishment, even if he doesn't get a cushy consulting job (which he already has, back at FEMA).

Second, putting him in danger of 10-20 years in prison might loosen his toungue a bit. Brown wasn't alone in screwing up; it'd be nice to grab his superiors.