Meet Your New House Judiciary Committee Chair
Right now all everyone can talk about is the prospect -- or specter, depending on your point of view -- of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But for those who follow the legal profession, the Democratic takeover of the House has other important implications.
Meet the incoming chair of the House Judiciary Committee: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). He's rather liberal, pretty old (77), and one of the longest-serving members of the House -- which is why he's the most senior Democrat on the influential Judiciary Committee. He's viewed by conservatives with a mixture of fear and loathing, but to many liberals he's a hero.
We don't want to get bogged down in substantive political discussion (ewww), so we'll just pass along some juicy gossip about Congressman Conyers. From CNN:
Two former staff members of U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Michigan, say the longtime Detroit congressman made them baby-sit his children, run errands and work on political campaigns while they were on his congressional payroll.Sydney Rooks, whom Conyers hired as a legal adviser in his Detroit office, recalls the lawmaker brought his two young sons into her office several times, saying, "Rooks, they're your responsibility for right now. I'll be back later."
Leaving your kids in the care of a lawyer: Isn't that child abuse? (Or at least neglect?)
We don't think these allegations are a big deal, 'cause everybody on the Hill pulls this kind of stuff. But we still find the mini-scandal amusing. For more details, see here and here.
Rep. John Conyers [official website]
John Conyers [Wikipedia]
Maybe Hillary Was Right After All [Wonkette]
Congressman Accused of Using Staff to Baby-Sit [CNN]
JOHN CONYERS, JR. [DiscoverTheNetworks]
Why your vote counts -- John Conyers as House Judiciary Chair [MyDD]
(3) Comments
I don't even see how this is an allegation. He's... not fun to work for? He treats his staff like the help?
Sounds like he thinks he's a partner at a law firm. If that's the worst that can be said about a member of congress, he probably deserves a medal.
Don't forget that Conyers (like his fellow congressman who needs to pander to an Arab constituency) is a raging anti-semite, and was one of just a few congressmen to vote against the resolution condemning Hezbollah attacks on Israel over the summer.
All the republicans need to do to sweep in '08 is to give the democrats enough rope with which to hang themselves.
I guess it's too much to ask that Stevens takes a few other crusty old economically illiterate midwest/rust-belt liberals with him when goes.
It's an ethics violation to have professional staff members, who are being paid out of government (taxpayer) funds, to do personal tasks like babysitting.
That said, this kind of thing is routine on the Hill. It's just that Conyers got called out on it.