Hypocracy At the Highest Levels

Just what is it about Washington DC that creates the atmosphere of being above the law?
The FBI raided Rep. William J. Jefferson (La.) office this past weekend apparently following up on a videotape showing Jefferson taking $100,000 in bribe money and then finding $90,000 of that cash stuffed inside his apartment freezer.
But Congressional leaders of both parties are universally condemning the raid of Legislative offices because it's never been done, and "separation of power". It's never been done. The Patriot Act authorizes authorities to raid any citizen's home and office for National Security purposes, but they question a raid based on what appears to be solid evidence of wrong doing?
WaPo

The Saturday raid of Jefferson's quarters in the Rayburn House Office Building posed a new political dilemma for the leaders of both parties, who felt compelled to protest his treatment while condemning any wrongdoing by the lawmaker. The dilemma was complicated by new details contained in an 83-page affidavit unsealed on Sunday, including allegations that the FBI had videotaped Jefferson taking $100,000 in bribe money and then found $90,000 of that cash stuffed inside his apartment freezer.


Republican leaders, who previously sought to focus attention on the Jefferson case as a counterpoint to their party's own ethical scandals, said they are disturbed by the raid. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said that he is "very concerned" about the incident and that Senate and House counsels will review it.


House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) expressed alarm at the raid. "The actions of the Justice Department in seeking and executing this warrant raise important Constitutional issues that go well beyond the specifics of this case," he said in a lengthy statement released last night.


"Insofar as I am aware, since the founding of our Republic 219 years ago, the Justice Department has never found it necessary to do what it did Saturday night, crossing this Separation of Powers line, in order to successfully prosecute corruption by Members of Congress," he said. "Nothing I have learned in the last 48 hours leads me to believe that there was any necessity to change the precedent established over those 219 years."