Ethics Hoo-Ha
After 2 1/2 hours of argument and testimony Monday evening, the House Ethics Committee indefinitely delayed a decision on censuring Rep. Arlon Lindner, R-Corcoran.
According to one witness, this part stood out:
"Anderson, Lindner's attorney, had his secretary (and wife of 22 years) sit at the testimony table. She stated that she was preparing the letter and typed all of the names. She then went to a "red book" and got the addresses. She implied that she got the -Black from that red book and that since the B was capitalized, she thought it was a name. She then tearfully stated that she was working under stress because she had just returned from out of town, dealing with her mother's cancer surgery, etc."
[It] "sounded like an honest mistake until the folks on the other side went scurrying off to get their copies of the "red book"-- apparently a listing of all members of the legislature and their contact info. Turns out the -Black thing isn't in that red book. Anderson was forced to admit, to the collective gasp of the standing room only audience, that he had created a list of complainants with their personal characteristics indicated. In all the other cases, he separated the name from the personal characteristics with commas. In Walker's case, he used a dash. He then had to own that he was responsible for the gaffe, not the sniffling wife."
I don't know that I am convinced that Lindner should be censured by the House. What really should be happening is the Republican leadership should be removing him from his authority positions on any committees. Republicans should likewise be vocal about personally censuring his remarks. They are not, so one can only assume they (quietly) agree with Lindner's bigotted views on blacks and gays. That Lindner keeps getting re-elected is troubling, as well.
