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Some years ago, Congress passed legislation giving the government far-​reaching powers to battle organized crime. The law is known as RICO, for Racketeer-​Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. RICO has often been used to harass people on a mere suspicion of wrongdoing that has nothing to do with “organized crime.”

Well, now a new kind of “organized crime” is bringing RICO full circle. The criminal enterprise being investigated? Congress itself. Sounds like an open-​and-​shut case. Are congressmen really racketeers? Democrat Patrick Kennedy is using RICO to sue Republican Tom DeLay for scheming to “extort political contributions from individuals and entities with interests before Congress …” Ouch. That’s a new one. Career politicians bullying folks for contributions? Somebody hand me the smelling salts.

And now Republicans are scouring public records to unearth fundraising shakedowns by Democrats. No one in official Washington seems too shocked by the charge that top-​ranking Republicans are racketeers or for that matter, that so are Democrats. Polls show most Americans believe congressmen are more likely to use their power to “help friends and hurt enemies” than to achieve a “fair result.”

The Washington Post editorialized, “… both parties could be said to ‘extort’ money from business, with varying degrees of crudeness. Success against Mr. DeLay would therefore trigger a barrage of copycat litigation.”

By all means, let’s put a stop to this before the entire Congress gets carted off to the hoosegow. On second thought, where’s Janet Reno when you really need her?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Recently there was a congressional hearing on why the White House failed to honor a subpoena to turn over e‑mail messages pertaining to one of the numerous Clinton scandals we’re supposed to keep up with. Considering the Administration’s deep and heartfelt commitment to the rule of law, one would expect them to abide by a court order to produce these e‑mails.

But at the hearing, White House attorney Cheryl Mills wailed that holding the hearings does not feed one hungry child, or help one family to get healthcare, or help one person get job training, or … Well, you get the point: Something like “Yesterday’s gone. Let’s think about tomorrow.” Any recently arrested mugger would happily echo this sentiment. “Forget about me and my crime … what about the widows and orphans?”

Meanwhile, recent audits of the Medicare program have found billions of dollars misspent. Audits of other government programs show the same widespread failure to get money to the people these programs are designed to help.

And recently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development shelled out $2.8 million of our tax dollars to help people in Washington, D.C. get job training and start businesses. Problem is the money is all gone and the program didn’t provide any real benefit to the poor. Instead, well-​connected consultants made off like bandits, while HUD was asleep at the switch. What else is new?

We may not be feeding the children, as Cheryl Mills complains; but we sure are feeding the crooked consultants. But that’s all in the past right?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

This is the tale of two congressmen.

One congressman became famous for speaking plainly. He pledged to abide by the people’s vote for term limits, serve three terms and then come back home. He said he would be a good listener. In an upset of David vs. Goliath proportions, he defeated the then-​Speaker of the House Tom Foley. He sent a message far and wide of trust in the people and hope that there were people in public life of honesty, character and integrity.

But there was another congressman. This congressman pledged to term limits and not to take more than a third of his funding from PACs-​in short, not to become just another Washington career politician. He carried with him the hopes and dreams of thousands of citizens for a government they could believe in, even be proud of.

But once in power, he changed. He voted three times to raise his own pay and pad his million-​dollar pension. He went on junkets paid for by special interests. He took over a million dollars in money from outside his state, and a much larger sum from PACs and special interests than he had promised.

When it came time for him to honor his pledge to step down, he refused to meet with citizen groups. At a press conference closed to the public closed to the people he supposedly serves he announced he would break his word. So who are these two congressmen, you ask?

George Nethercutt and George Nethercutt. Wow, power really does corrupt.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Last week President Clinton explained that he fought against his own impeachment to “save the Constitution.” It makes one wonder whether ole Bill even knows the difference between the Constitution and his own posterior because he was certainly trying to save one of those two things.

Of course, Clinton’s excuse-​making pales in comparison to the Justice Department’s snatching of Elian Gonzales. We’ve all seen the picture of a man shielding Elian while a soldier with a machine gun demands the young boy. The man in the photo is the fisherman who saved the boy’s life after Elian’s mother had drowned escaping Castro’s Cuba and trying to reach America.

Many Americans, whether they favor returning the boy to the father or keeping him with the Miami family, were deeply disturbed by the actions of the Justice Department. How could this happen in America? A court had just ruled that the boy had a right to seek asylum and attorneys close to the case claim negotiations over the disposition of the boy had not broken down at the time of the raid.

Now Janet Reno claims they were upholding “the rule of law.” She’s a lot like her boss, Mr. “I‑don’t-​know-​what-​the-​meaning-​of-​is-​is-​but-​I’m-​saving-​the-​Constitution” Clinton. I guess for this administration, “the rule of law” means government can exercise its power any way it wants if it can get away with it. And this administration sure does have a knack for getting away with it.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.