Necessary Roughness

In a twist of hypocrisy, irony, whatever you want to call it, the Politico’s blog, The Crypt, reports that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to gavel a vote closed until 16 minutes after it was supposed to be closed per the House rules. The extension allowed Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn to get four Democrats to change their votes and approve the creation of a new Office of Congressional Ethics.

The final vote on the parliamentary procedure was 207-206. The Democrats who changed their votes were Reps. Sanford Bishop (Ga.), G.K Butterfield (N.C.), Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.) and Bart Stupak (Mich.), according to Democratic and GOP members and aides.

An ethics discussion with former pastor Cleaver might prove interesting.