Good Riddance

James Traficant, a corrupt Democrat politician (redundancy alert) who was expelled from Congress is dead:

The Democrat's expulsion from Congress in 2002 came three months after a federal jury in Cleveland convicted him. Prosecutors said he used his office to extract bribes from businesspeople and coerced staffers to work on his farm and his house boat on the Potomac River in Washington. He also was charged with witness tampering, destroying evidence and filing false tax returns. He spent seven years in prison.

Got all that? Now here's what the local Democrat chairman had to say about him:

"Mr. Traficant was a complex man," Betras said. "He gave voice to the frustrations and anxieties of the common man. The public felt he was one of them and because of that connection, they supported him in good times and in bad. He was a larger than life character who will long be remembered."

Really? Are you talking about the same person? Because it sounds to me like the water in the gene pool just got a little clearer.

The only thing more heartening than a dead politician is two dead politicians. Any volunteers?