Frist Now Supports FBI Raid On Lawmaker’s Office
It’s always fun to watch Majority Leader Bill Frist who has a political pattern: on a controversial issue he’ll break with the White House but eventually discard his original position and quickly change it to the official line. It has happened again:
Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, on Sunday defended the raid by federal agents on a Democratic lawmaker’s Capitol Hill office, breaking with senior House Republicans who had said the search was unconstitutional.Mr. Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation had acted appropriately when they searched the office of the lawmaker, Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, as part of a bribery investigation.
The House speaker, Dennis J. Hastert, Republican of Illinois, criticized the raid last week and demanded that the F.B.I. immediately return the materials from Mr. Jefferson’s office. Mr. Hastert even issued a rare joint statement with Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, saying that F.B.I. officials had not notified them before the raid and that the search violated the constitutional principle of the separation of powers.
Mr. Frist disagreed, shifting his position from last week when he had expressed concern about the search.
“No, I don’t think it abused separation of powers,” said Mr. Frist, who is considering a bid for the presidency in 2008, during a “Fox News Sunday” appearance. “I think there’s allegations of criminal activity, and the American people need to have the law enforced.”
In recent days, Frist has made it known that he intends to take up two vital issues greatly impacting the United States, issues about which the population is loudly clamoring for resolution — gay marriage and flag burning.
Frist is gearing up to run for President. But the FBI raid issue and others underscore (again) that the real issue is not limited to particular stances. It’s whether he has the backbone to take a difficult position that shows he is an independent thinker and stick with it — a position that isn’t pandering to the party’s base to get their support or adjusting a previous assertion to be in line with what the White House wants.
On this and other issues he shows the kind of backbone you find in this SEA-GOING INVERTEBRATE:
12 Responses to “Frist Now Supports FBI Raid On Lawmaker’s Office”
Specter does the same thing. Every single time.
Maybe Frist will change his tune when his office is searched for evidence of insider trading, which HE is currently under investigation for. The hypocrisy on Capitol Hill is nauseating!
I support Arlen Specter.
Whether he did or did not switch positions really is immaterial. His current position is absolutly the correct one.
Do you really want to grant to Congress blanket immunity from investigation? This was not a ‘dirty works’ type operation ala Richard Nixon. This was the lawful excecution of a court-ordered supoena that had been not only ignored but actively resisted.
The Constitution expressly and in very specific language carves out an exception to immunity for Congressmen for Felonies. And that is what this is, a felony charge.
I admit to being torn on the issue of whether or not Congressmen should have their offices raided when a warrant can be obtained.
What I am not torn about is that raids were not necessary for the (now) nine Republican Congressmen who have been indicted for corruption. Only, the Democratic Congressman was deemed such a threat that he warranted a raid. Coincidence? I think not!
Whether it’s correct or not is a separate issue when it comes to Frist. He repeatedly takes a position then discards it as if he never took it at all or tries to spin it in a way so that he has little credibility. I think he is not only one of the most ineffective majority leaders in the past 50 years, but he is also one of the most inept at explaining a change in position. So NO it is certainly NOT immaterial that he changes positions the way he changes it. He almost never comes out and says “I thought about it and changed my position.” He tries to act as if it wasn’t changed or says one thing that proves to be…ahem…inaccurate. Remember the viewing of the Terry Schiavo tape? He denied he said what he said and the videotapes later proved otherwise. I’m talking about a major character flaw that needs to be taken into consideration because this guy is running for President. Immaterial? In terms of the ISSUE and what side he supports from your stand point? Perhaps. In terms of his character as a political leader and the pattern he has displayed? NO. It should be taken into account. Hillary Clinton, John McCain…they’ve all adjusted their positions. But with a bit more explanation, style and ability. I ran a weathervane graphic on a post I did on Frist once. The only reason I didn’t do it again this time is that I’ve done it already.
Joe, your graphic this time was far better and wittier than the weathervane. I laughed pretty hard.
Holly,
Why do you support Specter?
Elrod, Arlen Specter has integrity.
Eclectic Floridian – did the 9 indicted Republicans refuse to surrender subpoenaed documents for over a year a la Jefferson? The guy basically thumbed his nose at the Feds, now we are supposed to feel sorry for him when they resort to getting a signed warrant to search his office?
I totally agree with Joe about Frist—during the recent gas hikes he was one of the worst panderers out there-talking about windfall profits taxes on the oil companies just because of the public outrage. Before and after that week he was against the windfall profits tax. Also, I thought his behavior during the Schiavo case was disgraceful. I did see a very funny picture of him on a medical team examining a gorilla’s heart (he was a cardiologist in private life). I have a hard time taking him seriously.
I agree with Holly about Specter. I think he’s one of the few Senators who still tries to see all sides of a position, and reaches across the aisle frequently to work with Democrats. His positions are usually very moderate, at a time when Conservatives rule the day in the Republican party, and he doesn’t mind standing up to the W.H. when he disagrees with Bush.
If Bush dangled a $20 infront of Frist and I’ll bet you he’ll do “other things” too.
PING:
TITLE: More strange bedfellows in the Jefferson case
BLOG NAME: Sister Toldjah
First, it was House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issuing a joint statement condeming and calling “unconstitutional” the FBI’s seizure of documents from Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-…
PING:
TITLE: More strange bedfellows in the Jefferson case
BLOG NAME: Sister Toldjah
First, it was House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issuing a joint statement condeming and calling “unconstitutional” the FBI’s seizure of documents from Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-…
PING:
TITLE: More strange bedfellows in the Jefferson case
BLOG NAME: Sister Toldjah
First, it was House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issuing a joint statement condeming and calling “unconstitutional” the FBI’s seizure of documents from Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-…