Even
though Schumer has accumulated one of the largest re-election campaign
war chests in the history of the world,,, he got caught billing
air flights to campaign fundraising events as official government
travel.
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Charter
Chuck Caught with Public Bucks;
Schumer Blames "Accounting Errors"
Summer,
which encourages slacking even among those who need no encouragement,
caused us to temporarily neglect a story. Others have neglected
the same story, for different reasons.
It
is another story of Two Americas, so currently fashionable. One
America is populated by citizens who do not feed at the public trough
and can spend only money that is rightly theirs. The Other America
is peopled by government officials who have access to their money,
money they hondle from contributors dedicated to the furtherance
of good government and our money. We learn of the misuse of ours
only when someone is caught.
So
it was that several weeks ago Charles Schumer, the Democrat senior
senator from New York, got caught. Even though Schumer has accumulated
one of the largest re-election campaign war chests in the history
of the world some $20 million he got caught billing
air flights to campaign fundraising events as official government
travel. For 35 such flights, Schumer has now been forced to repay
the government approximately $20,000.
Schumer
got caught only because the campaign of his Republican opponent,
Howard Mills, poured through hundreds of pages of records and then
turned the results of that investigation over to The New York
Times. While the Mills investigation, according to The Times,
overestimated the extent of public fund misuse, Schumer had to return
$20,000 for 35 flights.
According
to Schumer, the wrongfully charged flights were the result of "accounting
errors." Sure they were, the kind of accounting errors that
occur when there is no compelling reason for them not to occur.
The "accounting errors" occurred in "less than 5
percent" of the total. Well, thats comforting. Whats
5 percent among friends?
Except
Schumer isnt a friend. When its Schumers turn
to accuse anyone for anything which he takes every
time hes near a live camera, there is no 5 percent allowance.
Theres no allowance for "accounting errors." There
is only the vitriolic distemper of a transparent politician.
The
Times described the episode thusly: "It was, if nothing
else, a humbling moment for Mr. Schumer
" No, a perp walk
might be humbling. In Our America, a trip up the river would be
ordered. In Chuck Schumers America, its merely $20 million
minus $20,000. Unless, of course, there are more "accounting
errors."
[Posted
July 15, 2004]
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