Domenici's Distraction

Here is what the Senate Ethics Committee said about Senator Pete Domenici's late night phone call to U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.

"The committee finds no substantial evidence to determine that you attempted to improperly influence an ongoing investigation. The committee does find that you should have known that a federal prosecutor receiving such a telephone call, coupled with an approaching election which may have turned on or been influenced by the prosecutor's actions in the corruption matter, created an appearance of impropriety that reflected unfavorably on the Senate."

So, what does Domenici do? He doesn't apologize for the phone call but for the distraction that it caused. I can't imagine what the neo cons would be saying right now if Senator Bingaman had done something this stupid.

Speaking of ridiculous things people say, Domenici's answer to $4 dollar a gallon gasoline is to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Why doesn't he just give that one up and let his staff start thinking about his legacy before leaving the Senate in January. Domenici could go out with a bang by sponsoring a windfall profit tax on the oil and gas industry and putting all that revenue into the nation's renewable energy research? He would be a hero in my book.