I love that formulation. He did not make a mistake. It was just somehow “made” when he double-dipped by stealing — and that’s not too strong a word — $17,000 from the state for expenses that had already been reimbursed by his campaign. And note that it was a “mistake.” Everybody makes mistakes. Come to think of it, that’s probably what I would call if the Associated Press, probably acting on a tip from a disgusted staffer, caught me with my hand in the public till. I suspect we’ll know more about how “the mistake was made” when the Travis County DA concludes her investigation.
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I hate this passive formulation of the non apology/apology.
I thought former President Reagan said it first, but apparently it was Ron Zeigler during Watergate. Reminds me of my friend Steve, who told me the perfect apology to give to your spouse: “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’ll TRY not to do it again.” Its simple, but useful.
“No government admits even its most obvious mistakes easily.
Remember White House press secretary Ron Zeigler’s famous apology
to The Washington Post? After pummeling the newspaper for nearly
a year from the White House podium, denying its Watergate revelations and attacking the newspaper’s integrity, he finally
had to own up in April of 1973, when President Nixon’s top aides,
Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, resigned in disgrace.
“Mistakes were made,” Ziegler said of his previous denials,
adopting a phrase that has since been used by other government.”
http://knight.stanford.edu/lectures/knight/2006/hoyt-lecture.pdf.
“Why should you go to jail for a crime someone else noticed?”
-Bob Loblaw’s law blog
DOUBLE DIP JOE
I’m gobsmacked at how they’re elected
Promising responsible spending (on selected)
While finding a way
To increase their pay
Joe Driver, you’re not what we expected!
Why is it that most of us know
Double dipping is always no-no
I guess he assumed
His system resumed
To what others said was a “go”.
Advice from accountants is good
When elected you probably should
Be more fiscally strict
Than a P-card district
Over which you were Robin of Hood.
But really his problem’s only started,
Fiscally, whoops his campaign just farted.
The jist of this mess
Expect notice from IRS,
Audit forthcoming and voters departed.
New verses:
So now comes “Mistakes were made”
Explanation, perhaps a little afraid?
Of the Travis D.A.
Having her way
(And I’m not saying you’ll get laid).
Only kids get slapped hands when caught
With fingers in the jar where they naught.
The rest of us, buddy,
Become a quick study
Of felony defense, just give it a thought.
You ignored the best part of the story — after getting caught, does he repay the taxpayers? H-E-double hockey sticks no! He puts the ill-gotten gains back into his campaign account to try to get himself frickin’ re-elected. I hope he enjoys a cell next to his City of Dallas colleagues.
Those five years of records must have revealed more malfeasance on Joe’s part as he repaid over $50,000 to his campaign. This reminds me of a quote by Herbert Hoover “No public man can be just a little crooked” Joe thinks it’s real justice, repay his campaign $50,000 that will help pay for his re-election bid. Who in their right mind would vote to put the Fox back guarding the Hen House.
I know Joe’s just made a mistake and he said he was sorry for the error. I would bet there are plenty of embezzlers and Bank robbers in Huntsville that would jump at the chance to repay the money they had stolen when they were apprehended. They would say ” It was all a mistake I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was wrong to take other peoples money, now can I go back to my job at the bank?”
Joe Driver did admit he had been pocketing money from the State, since he couldn’t remember, so did he claim those deposits as income to the IRS or did he make another honest error and conveniently forget to list those funds as income. Joe, tell the IRS it was a simple error.
Mr. Driver it appears will have many future legal expenses, now the question is will he have to pay or will the people of district 113 pay if he is re-elected?
Driver should have resigned when this was discovered. When the story broke, he made a comment indicating that he was told how to do the double dip so I have a feeling that he is not the only one and more will be exposed but probably not until after the election. All of those that did the double dip from both parties should resign immediately as should Harper-Brown and Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Both parties should be sent a message and all three should be voted out in November! Hard to do in a rigged system though.