Pelosi Knew – UPDATED


Dennis Hastert, call your office.

UPDATE: The Daily Caller reports that the House GOP will introduce a privileged resolution calling on the Ethics Committee to investigate Pelosi’s and Hoyer’s handling of the Massa allegations. Specifically, the resolution calls on the committee to find out what the Democratic leadserhip knew about Massa, when they knew it, and what they did – or didn’t do – about it.

Good for the House GOP. This is exactly what Democrats would have done had the roles been reversed. And I think it’s safe to say now that this action officially makes the Massa allegations a scandal and a campaign issue. As they should be.

UPDATE 2: The GOP resolution passed the House on a vote of 402-2. No Democrats voted against the resolution, which means shenanigans are afoot. It is now up to the House GOP to keep Democrats honest on this.

The Eric Massa sideshow just became a full-fledged election year scandal aimed like a dagger directly at the Democrats’ House majority. Numerous press outlets are now reporting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was informed in October of last year about the former New York representative’s odd behavior with male subordinates.

Joe Racalto, Massa’s chief of staff, was uneasy that Massa, 50, was living with several young, unmarried male staffers and using sexually explicit language with them, one source said. But what finally prompted him to call Pelosi’s director of member services, the source said, was a lunch date that Massa made with a congressional aide in his 20s who worked in the office of Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).

According to a person briefed on the call, Racalto was concerned that the lunch followed a pattern by Massa — who is married and has two children — of trying to spend time alone with young gay men with no ostensible work purpose. Racalto, according to this person, also alerted Frank’s chief of staff. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the matter.

Last week, Pelosi said the she first heard of concerns about Massa’s behavior in early March. Pelosi said her staff did not inform her of every rumor about members of Congress. But that explanation is no longer operative, since this was not a rumor that her staff picked up. It was a plea for intervention by none other than the member’s chief of staff, his highest ranking aide.

Pelosi’s “hear no evil” act is now about as believable as her pledge to run the “most ethical Congress in history.” She knew, and chose to do nothing.

Once upon a time, Pelosi was harshly critical of a House leadership which she said should have known about former congressman Mark Foley’s interactions with young male House pages.

“The children who work as Pages in the Congress are Members’ special trust. Statements by the Republican Leadership indicate that they violated this trust when they were made aware of the internet stalking of an underage Page by Mr. Foley and covered it up for six months to a year.

Many junior staffers in congressional offices are young people, fresh out of college. Although they are not children, they are deserving of protection from sex starved congressmen who seek to use their high position to score a bit more than campaign contributions.

Yet Pelosi did nothing. For six months she and her office looked the other way as Massa shared a house with five staffers and abused his official position to try and bed young male staffers on his and other members’ staffs. Pelosi’s failure to do anything to stop Massa’s behavior once his Chief of Staff made her office aware of it is unethical and shameful and casts a pall over the entire House.

Republicans are reportedly weighing a call for an investigation into Pelosi’s and Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s actions in handling the Massa allegations. And well they should. There will be charges of “politicization” and cries of “partisanship,” as Hoyer pre-emptively charged on the Sunday shows. But these criticisms should be seen for what they are: baseless attempts to distract from the issue at hand. Namely, the Democrats’ callous disregard for serious and credible allegations of behavior that meets the legal definition of sexual harrassment occurring in the people’s House.


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38 Comments Leave a comment

Kind of like she knew about CIA waterboarding eh? -nt

bk (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 9:13AM EST (link)

CNN is all over this story!

gwalt Thursday, March 11th at 9:16AM EST (link)

Sarcasm Off.

When the Larry Craig story broke (which the so-called journalist had been sitting on it for months) CNN was leading the top and bottom of the hour with Craig. I joked that CNN should become the Larry Craig network. (Same for Joe Wilson—-Gloria Vanderbilt had it the topic of every show for weeks).

CNN has become quite unwatchable as these so-called journalists take themselves so seriously as…..serious journalists. Ergo the SNL skits of late.

They have literally and figuratively become a parody.

“A lot of briefing for a 2 hr. special with Dan Rather. Saw the show & wonder why we bothered”. –Ronald Reagan, The Reagan Diaries (January 27, 1982)

 

the Pelosi govt should fall...

larryp Thursday, March 11th at 9:37AM EST (link)

the donks should have a “no-confidence” voter and then vote her out of the Speaker chair.Now. she is a disgrace.

 

Let me understand this.

skorrent1 (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 9:42AM EST (link)

It’s perfectly ok for “young gay men” to work for Bahney Fwank (from his basement?) but it is horrible for Massa to meet one for lunch?

I guess I get it. Has nothing to do with voting loyalty. All about “protection from sex starved congressmen”.

Aggh don't make me go there....

JoeG Thursday, March 11th at 10:01AM EST (link)

Barny wasn’t messing around with staffers.

 

Is this better?

Mark Impomeni (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:12AM EST (link)

Being a young gay staffer is not illegal. Using your position of authority to try and ingratiate yourself sexually with people subordinate to you is.

Receiving allegations of potentially illegal behavior and covering it up is unethical at best and possibly legally culpable at worst.

Now do you get it? Or did I use too many big words?

———————–
Damn the Obama! Full speed ahead!

Its not technically "illegal", i.e. its not a crime

JSobieski (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:17AM EST (link)

its like breaching a contract—behavior that results in liability.

For it to become a crime, there would have to an assault, blackmail, or something more

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

Well then, let's just play by the Rules

Locked and Loaded (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:31AM EST (link)

- for Radicals – and do it very visibly in all the media available.

Call Pelosi out personally, ridicule her unmercifully, and don’t let up.

Tell me this nut won’t crack, and we will have accomplished many objectives.

 

Sounds like an argument

texasgalt (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:53AM EST (link)

I heard once before from a certain company lawyer explaining an “indiscretion”. It’s a private matter and we are in love, he said. Ya, it was’t illegal but then . . .

A week later his young tart ran off to Brazil with the company credit card.

Back in the world of politics, where one party controls all the levers of power, all Pelosi has to do is use the old Clinton defense of “so what?” and the MSM will have no interest. The voters may have a different view.

Twitter Button from twitbuttons.com

Lying under oath is a crime

JSobieski (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 3:43PM EST (link)

and being questioned under oath is legitimate in the context of a civil sexual harassment case

I am no Clinton defender, just wanted to be precise

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

If only the Dems were precise about the law -nt

texasgalt (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 9:45PM EST (link)
 
 

Actually it is more like a crime

paint_it_red (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 5:41PM EST (link)

The issue for Massa is that he groped a subordinate. That’s assault and sexual harassment. He is properly being shown the door.

The bigger issue, of course, is Pelosi and Hoyer knew about it, and did not act on it when they knew. Assault and sexual harassment (regardless of sexual intent – which is Massa’s stupid defense) were tolerated by the Democratic leadership because they thought they could use that to own the guy and work his vote over on health care.

Only when it became clear that he was a “no” vote did they conduct an ethics investigation. To the Democratic regime in power, ethics is a weapon they wield when convenient for political gain, not a mandate to act in a moral fashion.

“It is not good to cultivate a respect so much for the law as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right.” Henry David Thoreau

“The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“If you want peace, work for Justice.” Pope John Paul II

5's [nt]

qixlqatl (Diary) Friday, March 12th at 9:59AM EST (link)

“Yet, Freedom! yet thy banner, torn, but flying,
Streams like the thunderstorm against the wind.”

George Gordon Noel Byron

 
 

not technically "illegal"

JHancock (Diary) Friday, March 12th at 10:37PM EST (link)

Thus an “ethical” investigation. South Carolina’s Govenor having a foreign affair wasn’t technically illegal either, but it did raise doubts about his fitness as a govenor.

 
 
 
 

Last minute Nancy, poor thing.

johnt Thursday, March 11th at 10:36AM EST (link)

Always the last to know, out of the loop, no wonder healthcare dictatorship is in trouble.
In the meantime, friendly liberals advise us not to pay too much attention to this. I wonder what they know or how widespread these adventures range, apart from Foley/Craig, who seem to be the boundary lines of interest for our media.

“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville

 

I bet Barney was livid about some one else rustling

Tbone (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:40AM EST (link)

his herd.

Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.

ROFLMAO !....."Rustling his herd...."

WIBadger Thursday, March 11th at 12:04PM EST (link)

…now THAT’s funny. Never heard that expression before. Good one !

 

Hilarious

Frozen_Man (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 1:22PM EST (link)

Just don’t picture Barney in his cowboy hat and chaps.

_____________________________________________________________
“This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.” C. S. Lewis

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” – Ronald Reagan

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” – C. S. Lewis

 
 

Be careful of the smears. You bought the "story" on Massa. Just like they want.

archer52 Thursday, March 11th at 10:49AM EST (link)

Easy boys. Easy. What is the issue with Massa they are trying to prevent us from seeing. Watch the hands, not the words. Is Massa bi-sexual? Here’s the issue, with the left working so hard to normalize gay relationships why are they using the “gay fear” tool as a way to discredit Massa?

The author buys in with this statement.

“Many junior staffers in congressional offices are young people, fresh out of college. Although they are not children, they are deserving of protection from sex starved congressmen who seek to use their high position to score a bit more than campaign contributions.

Yet Pelosi did nothing. For six months she and her office looked the other way as Massa shared a house with five staffers and abused his official position to try and bed young male staffers on his and other members’ staffs. Pelosi’s failure to do anything to stop Massa’s behavior once his Chief of Staff made her office aware of it is unethical and shameful and casts a pall over the entire House.”

Where is the evidence of gay sex, or attempted gay sex? We have a complaint-

“Joe Racalto, Massa’s chief of staff, was uneasy that Massa, 50, was living with several young, unmarried male staffers and using sexually explicit language with them”

What is “explicit language” and how does that translate into gay sex? When I was an active police officer we would make comments to one another that could easily be construed as “explicit” . For example when someone told us to do something we didn’t want to do I’ve heard comments involving the offender’s opportunity to perform a certain act upon the offended officer’s privates. Certainly not a very mature response, but hardly a serious offer. So, again what exactly happened? And why is it important now.

If Massa was becoming a problem for a number of reasons, the left could have handled it several ways- One, admit he’s a nut and a democrat and take the hit. Two- ignore him and hope he goes away (not likely). Three- start a preemptive series of strikes to isolate and discredit him early on. How? Make him gay bashing, closet homosexual, who is a serial liar. So when he says Rahm came after him naked and threatened him, you can say “Of course he when he thinks of Rahm, he sees him as “naked”, that how “those” people think.” Yet, if Massa was supporting the healthcare takeover, he could spend the weekends with Barney Frank in a San Fran bathhouse and nobody on the left would blink.

When Beck interviewed Massa it was obvious something had happened between the time Beck talked to him on the phone and the interview. I also noted several interrogation “tells” in Massa’s speech and mannerisms. Beck also pushed past several important issues trying to get to a specific accusation. I comment on that in my post-

http://truthandcommonsense.com/2010/03/09/becks-interview-goes-south-he-was-used-it-happens/

As Massa uncovered the ugly underside of being in D.C. Beck didn’t want to hear it. Like I said in the post- “It was like if Glenn was trying to interview a mobster and was saying, “Okay beyond the murder, kidnapping, drug dealing and extortion, what do you do that’s criminal?””

I don’t like Massa, he’s a worm. However, Sammy the Bull Gravano turned informant and his testimony bagged some really big fish. I understand later he went back to being what he was, a sociopathic criminal. But sometimes, as I learned early on, you have to deal with the witnesses you can find. You aren’t going to get a priest inside the mob.

Not the point

Mark Impomeni (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 11:01AM EST (link)

This is no longer about Massa. It’s about Pelosi’s management of the House and her lying to the press.

Massa could have been having all the gay sex he wanted with whomever he wanted outside of his subordinates and it would be nobody’s business but God’s and his wife’s.

It’s the staffers that makes this Pelosi’s responsibility. And she failed. Case closed.

———————–
Damn the Obama! Full speed ahead!

 
 

Time for Term Limits

Duke Thursday, March 11th at 11:00AM EST (link)

Ya hey, I know – half the people on here are opposed to term limits for our rulers in Washington! I don’t see any other way for the sane people in flyover country to clean out this nest of corruption and greed that exists in the dissyland that we have to call our nation’s capitol.

It’s not about a purge. It’s about an insurrection.

The problem with term limits

anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 1:36PM EST (link)

is the machines that support them. We’d only be trading one puppet for another at this point. To make real change both of the big parties machine politics needs to fracture/crack/fundamentally change and end up with some new blood altogether.

It’s hard to make real change when the *new* politician is handpicked by a state or national committee that likely is run by/beholden to the person being replaced.

Santorum? Well, at least he’s not Romney…
http://www.zazzle.com/enemy_of_the_statist_tshirt-235977043035297478

 

I thought Masa was a freshman?

Next93 (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 10:34PM EST (link)

N/T

Obama was The One in 2008.
He’ll be a BIGGER one in 2012.

 
 

Nancy Pelosi is the best thing for...

anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 1:32PM EST (link)

The RNC… let her keep her position… don’t interrupt the dems and risk shoving someone even slightly competent into her job… wait until after the 2010 elections then bring everything out when she’s no longer *majority leader*…

She should be front and center the picture girl of dem incompetency and corruption until at least after the elections…

Santorum? Well, at least he’s not Romney…
http://www.zazzle.com/enemy_of_the_statist_tshirt-235977043035297478

 

When you store all ammo for most effective use

talgus Thursday, March 11th at 1:39PM EST (link)

You occasionally risk having a premature blowup. Nancy and crew always keep their dirt evidence hidden until it can be most politically effective. Foley is an effective case in point. Charges introduced after the last date of selection of a substitute candidate in the state. Obama also knows it is easier to disqualify an opponent than beat them in the election.

 

402-2, is this a beginning to the end of Pelosi?

Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:12PM EST (link)

What is the motivation and implication of the REP resolution passing 402-2 for an investigation?

Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from, behind, the Back Nine.
Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.

WWI Trench Warfare

GT350 Thursday, March 11th at 2:24PM EST (link)

All those representatives have been pushed too hard to support her policy initiatives. There’s no support left. At a certain point, it’s less risky to shoot your own commanding officer than go one more time into the breech at her behest.

At least, that was the experience of the French soldiers during WWI.

 
 

There ain't nuthin' more powerful than the smell of mendacity!

tomswifty Thursday, March 11th at 2:14PM EST (link)

Great quotes in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” :)

 

Who were the 2??? -nt-

Christine (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:24PM EST (link)

The primary process is FLAWED. Two states should not decide our candidate.

“I would be a poor Commander in Chief”
– Barack Obama, July 3 2008

Fattah - Dem (PA-2) was the lone "No" vote...

rbdwiggins (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:57PM EST (link)

(15) answered “Present,” and (12) did not vote.

Roll Call 107

“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan

 
 

Drudge, Breitbart reporting differently

SKully (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:25PM EST (link)

From Breitbart: “GOP loses bid for ethics probe of Dem leaders” – they are saying :

Instead, the House voted 402-1 to allow the panel to determine the next step—a move that could kill any further investigation.

If that is true, why did all the Republicans for for that measure? I’m confused….

“Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government.” James Madison

dang....

SKully (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:26PM EST (link)

No formatting or links working for me today.

“Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government.” James Madison

 

The vote was to refer the issue to the Ethics Committee.

joayn (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 2:45PM EST (link)

So, basically it is up to the committee to proceed.

In the comment section at The Hill:

“This entire article demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about the Motion to Refer. If the House voted to open the probe, they would have voted directly on the resolution. THE HOUSE DID NOT VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION. Clyburn moved to refer the Resolution to the Ethics Committee — and moved for immediate vote on the motion to refer. The motion to refer simply sends a resolution to a committee, without any instruction or direction to follow the resolution. The motion to refer has been used by Democratic leaders in the past to avoid a vote on a motion to table the resolution (which would be the ultimate negative disposition, and probably not have enough votes to pass) but to avoid accepting the resolution itself. The Hill isn’t normally this bad, but really guys…your article is completely wrong.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/86213-gop-looks-to-force-ethics-investigation-of-dem-leaders-knowledge-on-massa

America is an idea; a noble idea that essentially boils down to the shocking belief that the masses are in fact not asses. John Nolte

 
 

Diversion

in_awe Thursday, March 11th at 4:23PM EST (link)

Whatever the specifics of this vote, the entire Massa issue is a diversion from the health care debacle and the immigration overhaul Obama has started rolling.

Sure, go after Pelosi and Massa – but don’t lose sight of what else of more importance is being moved along while our eye is off the ball.

 

This must sound familiar to the CIA

paint_it_red (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 5:45PM EST (link)

What!?! Pelosi is accused of lying for political gain and is now actively attempting to discredit the accuser and change the subject?? I’m shocked! *sarcasm*

“It is not good to cultivate a respect so much for the law as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right.” Henry David Thoreau

“The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“If you want peace, work for Justice.” Pope John Paul II

headlines are important

proudgop (Diary) Thursday, March 11th at 9:59PM EST (link)

For ie via Yahoo (AP)

“Democrats block investigation of possible Massa cover-up”

wonder if the news media will hound Pelosi and cronies like they did to republicans during Foley debacle

 
 

I'm laughing

irbobert Friday, March 12th at 2:27PM EST (link)

Can you just picture this: Pelosi, Reid, Hoyer, Biden et,al., forming a large daisy chain and kissing each others ******* good bye?

 

Transparency, and ethics.

edwlstr Saturday, March 13th at 1:13AM EST (link)

Good slogans, but let’s not carry this to far. Get the dirt out of the Dems house? Who’s going to be left to turn out the lights.