A lot of people have a tough time separating their work life from their home life. I'm sympathetic to that issue, because a lot of jobs make it difficult to do that. Sometimes events in one place can lead to somewhat bizarre outbursts in the other. If you've been in the working world for any length of time, you've seen this dynamic play out and it's often quite a tough thing to witness and can even be a little embarrassing.
Consider the case of a woman named Jan Schakowsky. As it happens, Schakowsky is a member of Congress, representing a district in the Chicago area. That's not an easy job, of course -- Chicago politics are famous for rapacity and it's not generally an environment where being soft-spoken or circumspect is a recommended way to do business. So perhaps it wasn't surprising when Schakowsky, a Democrat who is loyal to President Obama, spoke out against the tea parties that took place yesterday in a manner that seems, well, a little intemperate:
"The ‘tea parties’ being held today by groups of right-wing activists, and fueled by FOX News Channel, are an effort to mislead the public about the Obama economic plan that cuts taxes for 95 percent of Americans and creates 3.5 million jobs," Schakowsky said in a statement.
"It’s despicable that right-wing Republicans would attempt to cheapen a significant, honorable moment of American history with a shameful political stunt," she added. "Not a single American household or business will be taxed at a higher rate this year. Made to look like a grassroots uprising, this is an Obama bashing party promoted by corporate interests, as well as Republican lobbyists and politicians.”
It's a bold statement when you use Daffy Duck's favorite word to describe your opponents. Based on the coverage I've seen of the events, the protests seemed spirited, sometimes irreverent and clearly heartfelt, but despicable? It makes you wonder if Rep. Schakowsky was having a bad day or something when she said it.
Turns out she was:
CHICAGO (AP) — The husband of an Illinois congresswoman pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax violations and bank fraud for writing rubber checks and failing to collect withholding tax from an employee.
Robert Creamer, a political consultant married to four-term U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, could face four years in prison on the two felony counts when he is sentenced Dec. 21.
I'm guessing that if anyone in Congress is sensitive to the vagaries of the tax system these days, it would be Rep. Schakowsky. So what did her husband do, specifically?
The indictment alleged Creamer caused a series of insufficiently funded checks and wire transfers to be drawn on accounts he controlled as executive director of the Illinois Public Action Fund. According to the indictment, he allegedly then used the inflated balances to pay the group's expenses and own salary.
Creamer pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud and failure to collect withholding tax. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped several other counts.
You might even argue that her husband's behavior was, well, despicable. But let's just assume that he wasn't able to maintain the proper work/life balance. Or is that account balance?
(h/t: Instapundit)
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