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Britain
MP highlights suicide risk over expenses
2009-05-23
Embarrassing disclosures about the vast expenses claims of MPs amount to a "McCarthy-style witch-hunt" that risks driving politicians to suicide, an MP warned on Friday.
Clearly none of them considered that they wouldn't be feeling suicidal about their actions being revealed had they acted properly all along.
The money was sweet and the power was an aphrodisiac ...
Nadine Dorries wrote on her blog that the two-week scandal, in which the Daily Telegraph has drip-fed details of how MPs have abused their generous expense allowances, was forcing politicians to the brink.
I'm afraid I've used up my empathy on the travails of the non-criminal class. Sorry.
The scandal has triggered outrage across recession-hit Britain and opposition calls for an early general election.

European and local elections to be held on June 4 are expected to reflect the level of popular disgust, with lower voter turnout and a move towards fringe parties predicted.
British electorate turns conservative. Women and minorities hardest hit.
"The atmosphere in Westminster is unbearable," Conservative MP Dorries wrote on the blog. "People are constantly checking to see if others are OK. Everyone fears a suicide. If someone isn't seen, offices are called and checked."

Asked about her comments on BBC radio on Friday, she sought to back away from the suicide suggestion, but said the disclosures, including that politicians charged for duck ponds, horse manure, bath plugs and pornographic films, were forcing MPs to breaking point.

"What the Telegraph are executing is almost a McCarthy-style witch-hunt. The way they are deploying their tactics and the way they are treating MPs has reached a point now at almost two weeks where I think people are seriously beginning to crack.

"I have to say the last day in parliament this week was completely unbearable. I have never, ever been in an atmosphere or an environment like it, where everyone walks around with terror in their eyes. People are genuinely concerned."
Perhaps they ought to remove themselves from the stressful atmosphere by resigning?
And then plead guilty. And then allocute. And then remove themselves from their homes.
Posted by:

#9  "risks driving politicians to suicide"

What's the downside?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-05-23 23:59  

#8  The Daily Telegraph responded to criticisms of its publication of the scandal "The extent to which some [MPs] have paraded their self-pity at feeling unloved by the general public has not been dignified. It has also not achieved its goal of making the electorate more sympathetic to the plight of those MPs whose greed, selfish thoughtlessness and occasional outright fraud we have exposed."
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2009-05-23 23:53  

#7  Reminds me of the Blazing Sattles scene:

"Stop or I'll kill the n . . ."
Posted by: DoDo   2009-05-23 11:18  

#6  Allocute. I had to look it up.
Posted by: Seafarious   2009-05-23 11:17  

#5  "risks driving politicians to suicide"

Interesting defense. I seem to have heard something like that before:

"I'll hold my breath till I turn blue!"
Posted by: James   2009-05-23 09:21  

#4  They're bloody lucky the police haven't started arresting them yet. Anyone else, except an MP, caught fleecing taxpayers' money wouldn't be getting off half as lightly.
Posted by: Bulldog   2009-05-23 06:52  

#3  The difference is that Joseph McCarthy the Pelosi-Reid-Obama-MSM cabal accused people without evidence and without giving them a forum to defend themselves.

There, fixed it for you.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2009-05-23 05:57  

#2  Wow, what a timely coincidence. I just posted a story about former South Korean president Roh offing himself yesterday. He showed a fine flair for the dramatic, too, jumped off a cliff, no less; thereby setting a sterling example for busted crooks the world over.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2009-05-23 00:53  

#1  The difference is that Joseph McCarthy accused people without evidence and without giving them a forum to defend themselves. He was right about some of the problem, but it was a damned foolish way of going about it.

On the other hand, these MPs are guilty! guilty! guilty!
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2009-05-23 00:31  

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