The Louisiana Purchase 2009 - It's Bribery!

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana publicly accepted a $300 million bribe yesterday.

Many of the facts are documented in this article- WashPo: Dana Milbank - Sweeteners for the South

Bribe- Something, such as money or a favor, offered or given to a person in a position of trust to influence that person's views or conduct.
Bribery- The offer or acceptance of anything of value in exchange for influence on a government/public official or employee. Bribes can take the form of gifts or payments of money in exchange for favorable treatment, such as awards of government contracts. In most situations, both the person offering the bribe and the person accepting can be charged with bribery.

Last Friday former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years in prison for bribery.
If William Jefferson deserves prison, so does Mary Landrieu.

Oh- and don't forget about the Senators who bribed Mary Landrieu- According to Louisiana Law (RS 14:119 — Bribery of voters): "Whoever commits the crime of bribery of voters shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both, for the first offense."

But this event didn't occur in Louisiana.  In this case, we need to look at Federal Bribery Law.  18 USC Chapter 11

18 U.S.C. § 216 : US Code - Section 216: Penalties and injunctions: "Whoever engages in the conduct constituting the offense shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined in the amount set forth in this title, or both."

The LP2009 travesty is much more than "business as usual".  The people involved must be held accountable.