Crime & Federalism

Both Democrats and Republicans took bribes from subprime fraud, Countrywide:

U.S. senators or Senate employees received 30 loans—far more than had previously been known—under a controversial lending program at Countrywide Financial Corp. that provided cut-rate terms to favored borrowers.

Chris Dodd - the chief author of financial reform [sic] - is retiring from the Senate because of his accepting bribes.  Why isn't he heading to prison?  (And why does anything think someone who accepted bribes from Wall Street, and who is going to start lobbying for Wall Street, would enact a legitimate reform of Wall Street?)

In related news: Minutes before the financial regulation votes had been cast, Democrats and Republicans were taking bribes from Wall Street.

A controversial investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics into fundraising by eight lawmakers prior to the House vote on financial services reform is continuing, but whether the ethics committee will launch a full-scale probe is still far from clear.

Why is this a "controversial investigation"?  What is controversial about investigating crimes?  And why not launch a full investigation of this bribery?  There is a reason, though whether you or I consider it a good reason is up for debate.

The bribery is so common, that Congressmen couldn't function without it:

“There are things going to the floor every day,” said Representative Melvin Watt, the North Carolina Democrat who is also a subject of the inquiry. “If this is going to be the rule, you can never do fund-raising.”

There is neither Greek nor Jew; black nor white; Democrat nor Republican.  If you consider yourself a Democrat or Republican, you are a stooge for Goldman Sachs.  They want you poor- and middle-class people to continue fighting each other.  Because once you stop fighting each other, you'll see who the real enemies are.