Pelosi Opposing Ethics Probe

A quick trip around Hannity's America...

Ethics? What Ethics?

Back when she only dreamt of becoming House speaker, Nancy Pelosi promised that if voters awarded her the gavel in the 2006 elections, she would "drain the swamp of Washington" and swiftly put and end to the "culture of corruption."

Well, the San Francisco speaker had a chance to do just that, because Republican Congressman Jeff Flake is sponsoring a bill that would launch an ethics probe into suspicious ties between key Democrats, most notably John Murtha and the PMA Group — a lobbying group that is now defunct. Mr. Murtha and others secured enormous earmarks for PMA, and then received similarly enormous campaign contributions from the group.

But apparently none of this smells bad to the San Francisco speaker, because The Hill newspaper reports that she is pressuring fellow Democrats to oppose the ethics probe! Two House Democrats, Representatives Ron Kind of Wisconsin and Tim Walz of Minnesota, are already wavering in their support for the measure.

I don't know, sounds like the creatures in that swamp are alive and well!

Making the Rounds

After President Obama decided to release top-secret memos on interrogation techniques used by the CIA, I guess he decided he better take his apology tour straight to Langley. Earlier this week, he visited with the agency's employees and attempted to tell his side of the story. And now, he gets our Liberal Translation treatment:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You're on the frontlines against unconventional challenges.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And now thanks to me, your top-secret work is on the front pages, too.

OBAMA: You help us understand the world as it is.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: I really wish somebody would clue me in.

OBAMA: You support the work of our troops and our diplomats and law enforcement officers. You disrupt terrorist plots and you're critical to our efforts to destroy terrorist networks.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Just make sure you don't use the phrase, "War on Terror." We don't want to insult our enemies.

OBAMA: You serve capably, courageously, and from here in Virginia, the dangerous outposts around the globe, you make enormous sacrifices on our behalf.

LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And I plan to reward you by leaking the details of your work to my pals at The New York Times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Mr. President, I'm surprised you even found time to meet with the great men and women of the CIA. You've been so busy lately cozying up to the Castros and your new friend Hugo Chavez.

Lawfully Wedded?

In early April, the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages, making Iowa the third state in the country to do that.

Now, the state's Department of Public Health is paving the way for those same-sex marriages by changing its marriage application forms. Until now, those forms asked for the name of the bride and the groom. According to the department, the court ruling "requires the department to amend the forms so that all couples can have access to the institution of marriage on terms which accurately identify and record their marital relationship."

The Des Moines Register reports that the forms that once read "bride" and "groom" now ask for the names of "party a" and "party b, " and then allow each party to check a box that allows each party to choose "bride," "groom" or plain old "spouse."

How progressive!

Pie Eating Contest

The current state of the economy is having an adverse affect on a lot more than people's wallets. It's also taking a toll on the eating habits of millions of Americans, and our elected representatives in Washington say they're not immune to this phenomenon either. Take it from Barney Frank:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES CHAIRMAN BARNEY FRANK, D-MASS.: I wish we didn't have the five-minute rule, and I wish we didn't have so many members, and I wish I could lose weight without dieting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

But Mr. Frank isn't alone. Politico.com reports that many members of Congress have been looking to save money during these tough economic times and their eating habits have suffered. Several of them say they have tried to be more thrifty at lunchtime by eating at fast food restaurants or in the cafeteria.

And speaking of the cafeteria, Politico says all of the lawmakers they interviewed for their story said, "Their biggest temptation is the cafeteria pie. Apple is the problem for Sen. DeMint and Sen. Daniel Akaka. Blueberry is the temptation for Sen. John Cornyn."

Wow, tough times up there on the Hill.

You know, members of Congress didn't exactly show restraint when it came to spending your money, so I doubt they'll be able to hold themselves back from the dessert tray.

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