Lately there has been a lot of news about prostitution, the D.C. Madam, Eliot Spitzer’s fling, and of course, we remember the Louisiana representative that made his way to the Senate after being outed on a list of Deborah Palfry’s “clients.”  In fact, we now know that the representative became Senator David Vitter.

There has been quite a bit of news about immigration of late.  Maybe not in the “big” media, but quietly government agents are rounding up undocumented workers straight off the grounds of the plants where they work.  If you live in one of those small towns with a meat packing company, you may have seen the procedure.  The workers are herded into vans and buses, booked, and in some cases deported.

So, there may be no connection between prostitution and immigration, per se, but let’s take a closer look at the arrests.  In the case of prostitution, it’s the “madam” who sits in court and faces trial.  The “clients”…. known as “johns”…. hope their names aren’t mentioned for fear of humiliation.  But, David Vitter didn’t face prosecution for buying a lady for an evening.  He walked away unscathed, was elected to the Senate, and offered an apology for his sins with his wife by his side.

The undocumented immigrants who are being herded out of factories and plants are the ones who are being arrested and facing deportation.  The employers are seemingly waiting for the dust to settle so they can hire more cheap labor… undocumented workers.  Very few of the corporations who have hired these undocumented immigrants are even fined.  Perhaps, I can think of one… from some time years ago.

Now, it seems to me that if someone steals something and I buy it from them, I’m about as likely to be arrested as the person who stole the item.  I think it is called “receiving stolen goods.”  With a penalty on both sides of the transaction there is less likelihood of the transaction taking place… at least for me.  If I buy pot from a dealer, he can go to jail for selling it.  I can go to jail for buying it.  There is a penalty on both sides of the transaction.  I’m well aware that there are still dealers on many corners across the country, but with a penalty for buying as well as for selling, I can say with certainty that they have one less buyer… me.

My question is simple.  Why is it with immigration and prostitution that the rich and powerful have no penalties?  Pilgrim’s Pride has no incentive to stop hiring illegals.  David Vitter has no incentive to remain faithful and monogamous.  On the other hand, we all know the sad story that followed Deborah Palfry’s conviction.  And, I have witnessed children staying in foster homes waiting for the resolution of their undocumented parents’ encounter with the law.

Perhaps, if there were “justice for all” David Vitter and Eliot Spitzer would be sitting in a court room facing graphic testimony of their exploitations followed by a few years in jail.  Maybe, Pilgrim’s Pride and the other factories who hire undocumented workers would lose a day or two of production, have a corporate officer or two or three or more sitting in a court room to answer why they continue to hire undocumented workers at below minimum wage when they know it is against the law.

If there were “equal justice under the law”… and we know there isn’t… perhaps, some of our country’s problems would begin to resolve themselves.  I am not so naive as to believe that undocumented aliens would never be hired.  Nor, as I so naive as to believe that men will stop seeking female company outside the marriage.  My only suggestion is that once again it seems that those who have the money and power to exploit those who are less fortunate, less educated, and in some cases desperate go without penalty for exploitation and degradation, while those who are exploited and degraded are punished.

But, we all know life isn’t fair…. and neither is the law.

The good news first!  It appears that the Democrats are almost ready to crown Barack Obama as the party’s nominee.  As much as I have enjoyed the season, it’s getting stale.  Hillary Clinton is still claiming victory after victory and Barack Obama has now moved ahead in all categories, popular vote, pledged delegate count, and those ever elusive Super Delegates. 

We are down to the part of the drama where someone reaches out from behind the curtain and drags Hillary into the background.  She has fought a hard battle, but we are all getting a little fatigued.  Maybe this weekend, as she rests at her home in New York she will put together an exit strategy.  So far she has infused her campaign with $11.425 Million to no great avail.  Maybe Bill should close the pocketbook and the checkbook and tell her its time to go back to the Senate.

John McCain is wandering around in the desert, his wife Cindy refusing to release her past income tax filings.  I did notice that Joe Lieberman is still paying McCain’s wing man.  Lieberman has lost face with just about everyone except McCain.  Maybe he is auditioning for VP…. again.

Aside from the nearing end of the primary tunnel, the Republicans have taken hit after hit this week.  Senator David Vitter was the only of the named scoundrels to escape.  The Senate decided that they could do nothing to condemn the senator for his part in the Deborah Palfry D.C. Madam mess since he wasn’t in the Senate while he was cavorting with the ladies of the evening.

Of course, we must not forget that Ms. Palfry took her life last week, seeing no way to go on.  But, this week Senator Vitter, one of her clients was allowed to continue his life as usual. 

And, just when we thought the sexual scandals of D.C. were about over for a while, Representative Vito Fossella of New York decided to get drunk and then drive to see his illegitimate daughter in Virginia.  Drunk driving is bad enough, but I have to question the man’s judgment overall.  Not mentioning the DUI offense, one has to wonder what kind of a father gets drunk before going to see his daughter.  Luckily, Laura Fay, the mother of Rep. Fossella’s “out baby”, was willing to get him out of jail.  Unfortunately, it was not a “get out of jail free” card.  Fossella still had to face his wife and three legitmate children at home in New York.

The White House of Cards is beginning to crumble… seven years too late…. but still it is imploding.  We saw Scott Bloch, a Bush appointee to the Office of Special Counsel have his office raided by the FBI.  As if that were not bad enough, it was leaked during the raid and investigation that of particular interest were some “Bush people” suspected of having violated the Hatch Act.  Named among those were Lurita Doan and Condoleezza Rice.  It was on a week or so ago that Ms. Doan, the “I don’t recall” Congressional witness who headed up the General Accounting Office, resigned under pressure from her office.  Maybe that was a “heads up” to her.  Perhaps, someone had seen the handwriting on the wall… Scott Bloch had done everything possible to insure that we wouldn’t see the writing in the emails.  And, of course, Condoleezza Rice had a file in the OSC, opened amid questions of Hatch Act violations.  Mr. Bloch had closed her file, saying there was no evidence of wrongdoing.  (Do we trust that?)

The VA, Jim Peake and Ira Katz, were clobbered by the House for the cover up of veteran suicides.  At least, someone is beginning to pay attention to the vets… probably too little, too late, but we will continue to hope our veterans get the proper positive attention they deserve.  It won’t be from Peake or Katz…. hint, hint.

Oh… and Baby Bush is getting married tomorrow. 

All in all, the bulk of the week’s news surrounded not so much what Washington has been doing to help the country, but how they are policing their own.  I suppose based on that we should not wonder that the country is in trouble.  The foxes are fighting amongst themselves and no one is even noticing the hens in the hen house.

Well, it’s 5:00 somewhere… and after this week …

It’s safe to say that this week, as a nation we stayed grounded… at least if you planned to fly American Airlines.  But, before we get to the FAA and the airlines, let’s start at the beginning. 

Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, stepped down from his position as top dog following the Colombian “whose side is he really on” fiasco.  But, Penn didn’t really step down.  He moved over and slithered into the shadows, still operating the failing campaign with a remote control.

By the end of the week, Bill was telling stories about Hillary’s Bosnia story causing more eyebrows to be raised.  Someone should tell him to let sleeping dogs lie.  It’s hard to tell these days if Bill is working for Hillary or just trying to sabotage her bid for the Oval Office.  By the third grade most of us have learned that telling a lie to back up or cover another lie isn’t the answer.  But, Bill believes he can survive anything.  Perhaps, he can, but we are beginning to wonder if Hillary can survive Bill.

Scandals seemed to pop up from one Capitol Office to the next.  Senator David Vitter, one of Deborah Palfry’s johns, found his name being placed on a witness list, possibly forcing testimony in the Lady of the Evening’s perjury trial.  Vitter, as many of us recall, apologized for his “sin” with wifey by his side, kept his Senate seat, and has refused to elaborate on his involvement with the house of prostitution.  Looks like those graphic details could come into the open if Vitter is called to testify at the trial. 

The meat of the week came by way of testimonies before Congress.  Let’s keep it short and sweet. 

• General Petraeus said the War in Iraq is ongoing, success is fragile and reversible.
• Ambassador Ryan Crocker said “ah…. um…. ah… ahm…”
• Whistleblowers from the FAA testified of threats and job displacement.
• Sabitini of the FAA said he was sorry.
• The Senate passed a bill that will help construction companies, but does little to help the consumer.
• And, looking to the future, this week “The Farm Bill”comes up on Friday and Senator Mitch McConnell has added a subsidy for those who raise horses in Kentucky.  The taxpayers may be owners of the next Derby winner.

So, what does that mean for us?

The War has no end in sight according to Petraeus.  Bush announced his exit strategy… leaving the White House and going back to his village.  Crocker… “ah… um… ahm…” caused a rush of diplomacy to be released on the Middle East.  Secretary of State Rice is being sent to the area to get the diplomacy rolling.  Okay.  Better late than never, except when it applies to the present administration.

The airlines are running scared, fearing fines for not being in compliance with the FAA AD’s (Air Worthiness Directives).  Dallas had a rise in tourism this week as Amercian Airlines grounded part of its fleet, canceling thousands of flights and leaving passengers stranded.  Other airlines began to see the handwriting on the AD’s and also began inspections.  Others, just closed the doors and shut down.  At last count, two airlines are now out of business and a third is filing bankruptcy, but still in the air.

The two men who were the targets of the blowing whistles, Thomas Stuckey and Douglas Gawadzinski, didn’t lose their jobs for endangering thousands of flights and even more passengers.  They were moved to other positions without “oversight” responsibility.  Damn!  Those two must have something good on someone.  Sturgell, the acting head of the FAA, doesn’t seem to have a clue, but we still have time to prevent further harm.  He has not been confirmed as the FAA Administrator as yet.

The Senate and the House worked hard to come up with some sort of stimulus package in the midst of the foreclosure crisis.  I certainly don’t have an answer, but they don’t either.  The Congress keeps dancing around the real issue of keeping families in their homes.  So, this week, there is a new tax cut for anyone who buys a foreclosed home and benefits for those who build houses.  Ah… what about those people who are being foreclosed on… those who are being forced to move out… As always, with best effort, Congress almost got it right, but remains one step out of sync with the people. 

On the campaign trail… Hillary has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she can’t manage anything.  Her campaign has been in turmoil since day one and if elected there is little evidence that she could suddenly get organized. 

Barack Obama, remember him?  He’s been campaigning quietly in states where he needs to close the gap.  At least, he raised no eyebrows this week with an gaffes.  However, I must say I was impressed with his questions of Petraeus and Crocker during the Senate hearing.

And, John McCain… well, old John finally offered a bit of a housing/economic plan much to the surprise of everyone.  But, of more interest to me this week was his analysis of the Office of the Vice President.  Visiting with the ladies of The View, McCain said the VP’s only real duties are to break tie votes in the Senate and check daily on the health of the President. 

Maybe someone should have told Cheney… And, by the way, what is that reflection in Cheney’s sunglasses?

Just when we think the Eliot Spitzer resignation had ended the rush of political scandal over illicit acts, everything from paid prostitutes to floor tapping and wide stances, one of those who ducked and dodged questions after his public confession of sin has made the witness list.

Remember Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana?  He and the Mrs. stood before the cameras as he apologized for, in his words, “a very serious sin.”  That done he seemed to fade into the woodwork.  There was very little said about the mess and Vitter said even less.

Well, that was then and this is now.  It seems that Senator Vitter’s name has appeared on a witness list in the perjury case against Deborah Palfry.  And, who really cares?  Probably Senator and Mrs. Vitter, only because under oath Senator Vitter will not have the luxury of avoiding the questions or refusing the answers.

Of equal interest are two other names on the witness list.  One is Randall Tobias, not a household name, but a senior State Department official.  The other, Harlan Ullman, military strategist who designed the “shock and awe” attack on Baghdad. 

The idea that men are visitng prostitutes is not news worthy.  It has become a little boring over the centuries.  I don’t care one iota about hearing the intimate details of the bordello activities, but I can’t help but notice that most often those caught with their pants down are the “family value” Republicans.  Do as I say, not as I do?