DO DEMOCRATS EXIST FOR OUR AMUSEMENT?

Traficant Approves Presidential Exploratory Committee (Fox News, August 01, 2003)

James A. Traficant, a former Ohio congressman in prison for bribery and racketeering charges, has given his approval to supporters to form a presidential exploratory committee.

"The battle to free James Traficant and to evict the Socialists and 'free traders' from the Democratic Party is now under way," campaign spokesman Marcus Belk said. "Someone buy the Washington establishment a bottle of Maalox." [...]

Traficant, a Democrat who represented northeast Ohio in the House for nine terms, was expelled from Congress in July 2002 after being convicted in a federal court of racketeering, bribery and tax evasion. He is now serving an eight-year prison sentence at the minimum-security Allenwood federal prison in White Deer, Pa.

The former lawmaker couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

If you were George W. Bush, wouldn't you be tempted to pardon him? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 1, 2003 7:17 PM