anyone shocked?

[callmeslick]

Heck, Ethics went out the window here a long time ago.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ ... li=BBnb7Kz

[woodchip]

Nice try at using just the headline to foment a point of view. From your link:

Under the new arrangement, the Office of Congressional Complaint Review could not take anonymous complaints, and all of its investigations would be overseen by the House Ethics Committee itself, which is made up of lawmakers who answer to their own party.

So, not like the Ethics dept is disappearing as your headline would imply. Or you could try a different source:

Under the ethics change pushed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics would fall under the control of the House Ethics Committee, which is run by lawmakers. It would be known as the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, and the rule change would require that "any matter that may involve a violation of criminal law must be referred to the Committee on Ethics for potential referral to law enforcement agencies after an affirmative vote by the members," according to Goodlatte's office.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01 ... ffice.html

[callmeslick]

get real, Woody. They took it from an independant, non-partisan status to a branch of a House controlled by one party(by definition). There was a REASON for that commission to be created, and have real power. The GOP actually put it into place in response to public outcry from some scandal. Not good optics, on this one, but as I stated, not shocking from a group that showed the lack of ethics and morality they consistently have.

[Vander]

Woodchip, I don't know how you can see this as a anything other than a bad thing.

[callmeslick]

even the old heads saw the bad optics........the change didn't last the day:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ ... li=BBnb7Kz


now, sit down for this one, Woody. First opportunity to congratulate the Pres-Elect, who pressured the House.

[Nightshade]

even the old heads saw the bad optics........the change didn't last the day:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ ... li=BBnb7Kz


now, sit down for this one, Woody. First opportunity to congratulate the Pres-Elect, who pressured the House.

This'll be a very interesting four years. Say what you will about Trump- but he actually has some of Joe Sixpack's sensibilities...imagine 'uncle Eddy' becoming president and finding out how stuff is done in government for the first time.... Sure, he's a sexist pig...insufferable narcissist and has the worst taste in just about everything- but he walks in and goes 'woah woah woah...what da heck is all dis? Dis is awl wrong!'

[callmeslick]

I hope, NS, you have it right. My suspicions are that EVERYONE in the Trump camp isn't naive, and I think there is an agenda here around controlling the House GOP by the threat of going after their ethical shortcomings if need by. And, all that is needed is the mere threat, as they are as human and imperfect as anyone else. Still, this move was a positive, and I am determined NOT to simply attack anything associated with Trump or his decisions without reasons for the attack. Likewise, he, like Obama did, deserves the chance for credit when he does the right thing. It was dreadful for the nation that the GOP and the lie machine painted his salvation of the nation's economy twice as some sort of giveaway to the wealthy, when, in reality, what had to be done enabled every citizen to be able to get money from an ATM or use a credit card.

[Tunnelcat]

It does make one wonder if it was both Trump and Ryan who were in agreement to tell the GOP back down, or if it was only Trump who then told Ryan in no uncertain terms via his tweet that Ryan himself and the rest of the GOP need to back down. In other words, who's fully in command here, Trump by himself or is it a Trump/Ryan team effort?

[callmeslick]

oh, I don't think THEY have that one sorted out, nor will they for a bit.

[Tunnelcat]

It'll be fun to see who's top dog in this battle. I'm betting on Trump.

[callmeslick]

now, after saying a few, meager, kind words for Trump, I heard from Dem pals elsewhere with reports about how Congress got flooded with angry voters calling. If so, good for that, too. Once again, that is how representative republics work.