>He was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, and his wife to a year, for pocketing campaign funds. The initial reaction here is that he got off easy. I don't agree. For one thing his political career and his political career are destroyed (deservedly so). And I don't think 2 1/2 years in prison is anything to sneeze at. I wouldn't want to spend 2 1/2
days in prison. Some people think anything less than the death sentence or life in prison is a slap on the wrist. I disagree. I think the sentence is pretty appropriate.
Jimmy Dimora, the Dem party boss and city councilman in Cleveland and his side-kick - Frank Russo county auditor - got about 20 years each for a pattern of corruption on Federal RICO charges. Not saying that is appropriate for non-violent crime, but definitely a lot more than 30 months and I believe less money was involved overall.
The one big difference I see is that Jimmy even looked like the old Nast cartoons of Boss Tweed and nobody was even mildly shocked he was a crook.
Jesse Jackson Jr. (and his father) have disappointed a lot of good people who deserved better of someone they thought they could believe in.
Charles Hankey
Though a good deal is too strange to be believed, nothing is too strange to have happened.
- Thomas Hardy
Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm-- but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
-- T. S. Eliot
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.
- Ben Franklin
Pardon him, Theodotus. He is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.
