Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2011 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The members of the House of Representatives on the list, in alphabetical order, include:

• Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
• Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
• Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
• Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Dishonorable Mentions for 2011 include:

• Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
• Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)

Spencer Bachus (R-AL): He has become the face of a congressional “insider trading” scandal that has rocked the Washington establishment as 2011 draws to a close. Rep. Spencer Bachus, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, was one of the principal targets of a 60 Minutes investigative report on the scandal, which aired on CBS in September 2011.

The report was based, at least in part, on the book Throw Them All Out by author Peter Schweizer, which outed a slew of members of Congress who allegedly profited in the financial markets by trading on insider information. Bachus was not the only congressman cited by 60 Minutes, others included Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, but the Alabama Republican stood out for his remarkable “good fortune” in shorting the stock market. (more…)

Lead by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Republicans have set high marks trying to steer the country back down the road of fiscal responsibility. This next week will test the Republican Leadership’s resolve.

That’s because lobbyist for big banks and financial services companies are pressing the Leadership to fast track Patent Reform legislation. Tucked inside the bill is an insidious provision that undermines the very reason we have a patent system at all.

Section 18, authored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, would allow big banks – the recipients of billions in bailout money – to retroactively attack patents held by small businesses and inventors. It’s another bankster giveaway that must be yanked from the bill before it is considered for action.

But just as critically, the legislation moves the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) out of the world of discretionary spending and into the world of mandatory government spending. Budget Committee Chairman Ryan and his counterpart on the Appropriations Committee, Hal Rogers, are strongly fighting the move.

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith – a champion of the legislation – Ryan and Rogers are calling the legislation fiscally irresponsible.

“We Strongly oppose this proposed shift of billions in discretionary funding and fee collections to mandatory spending. Putting PTO funding on auto-pilot is a move in exactly the wrong direction, given the new Republican majority’s commitment to restraining spending, improving accountability and transparency, and reducing the nation’s unparalleled deficits and debt.

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There is an old saying around Congress – there are Republicans, Democrats and Appropriators. With Republicans promising to reign in the federal government, the first order of business is to change the culture of the Appropriations Committee which has been the fueled the spending beast for decades.

The Republican leadership will decide on the next chairman of the Committee in a few days. The leading contenders are Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Jack Kingston (R-GA). Word on the street is that Rogers will select Bill Inglee as the Committee Staff Director should he get the job.

Who is Bill Inglee?

Inglee is the classic RINO who ran the Wednesday Group – the meeting of the liberal Republicans on the Hill. He went on the serve as a lobbyist for Lockeed Martin where he pushed for defense earmarks for the company.

To secure earmarks Inglee gave political contributions to leading Democrats include Jack Murtha (D-PA) and Dan Inouye (D-HI). In short, Inglee is not only a RINO, he is an appropriator through and through.

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