worst members of congress since WWII

[pbrower2a]

Duke Cunningham?
William Jefferson?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Geoff Davis has got to be one of the very worst.

The worst current member is probably John Fleming.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Bill Sali, Louie Gohmert, Steve Stockman, or Frank Cremeans.

[Mister Mets]

I feel Sheila Jackson Lee should be on there somewhere.

SJL is a complete idiot who shouldn't be in politics, but I wouldn't put her in the same category as freepcrusher's list. She doesn't really belong in the same category as

1) A MASSIVE racist
2) A rapist and a racist
3) A racist
4) A dude who was kicked out of the John Birch Society for being too far-right
5) A far-right bigot
6) A corrupt asshole
7) A more racist version of Jenny McCarthy
8.) Someone who should probably be in a mental institution
9) A racist and a conspiracy nut
10) A racist and a conspiracy nut.


My only addition would be to replace Larry McDonald with Helen Chenoweth.

Point #4 raises an interesting question,

Should Schmitz's actions after he lost his congressional primary count for the purpose of this discussion?

He was kicked out of the John Birch society about a decade after the voters kicked him out of Congress.

While a member of Congress, he did run for President in 1972, garnering 1.42% of the vote as an independent on a John Birch ticket.  So that counts against him.

[Old Man Svensson]

Also, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Bill Sali, Louie Gohmert, Steve Stockman, or Frank Cremeans.

As Angry pointed out about my attempt to include Sheila Jackson Lee, none of the above exactly stack up to the caliber of assholes in the initial list.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Trafficant really hits so many points on this list. There's a level of ambition to be horrible there that few people can approach.

Beyond that, Jesse Helms, William Jefferson, Cynthia McKinney, and Ron Paul all come to mind. I'd also like to put the latter half of Charlie Rangel's career on the list.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I used to like Traficant, but now he's worthless. He used to have a more populist agenda, even refusing to enforce foreclosures when he was sheriff. But now - after his criminal problems as a congressman - he's become a Tea Party member.

[free my dawg]

Also, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Bill Sali, Louie Gohmert, Steve Stockman, or Frank Cremeans.

As Angry pointed out about my attempt to include Sheila Jackson Lee, none of the above exactly stack up to the caliber of assholes in the initial list.

Well Stockman fits the "conspiracy nut" category pretty well.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I used to like Traficant, but now he's worthless. He used to have a more populist agenda, even refusing to enforce foreclosures when he was sheriff. But now - after his criminal problems as a congressman - he's become a Tea Party member.

There's also the extreme anti-semitism.

[publicunofficial]

I think the only members of Congress that can truthfully go on the worst ever list are Charlie Rangel, Scott DesJarlais, and MAYBE Michelle Bachmann.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

To answer the OP, there have been far too many members of Congress since WWII to only list ten of the bad ones, so I'll just go with the worst incumbent member of Congress: Peter King (R-NY).

[HAnnA MArin County]

I have many, but how can any of you forget about Marilyn Musgrave? Any member of Congress who receives an endorsement from the Ku Klux Klan and refuses to congratulate her opponent is a total assclown in my book. My continued list includes fairly recent representatives, as I did not become interested in politics until Election 2004, but Musgrave tops my list. Here they are, with brief reasons.

1. Marilyn Musgrave (KKK endorsement, Federal Marriage Amendment)
2. Allen West (78-81 Democrats are members of the Communist Party)
3. Joe Walsh (screaming and scolding constituents, deadbeat dad who hasn't paid child support)
4. Trent Franks (anti-abortion extremist)
5. Tom Tancredo (xenophobic on immigration)
6. Paul Broun (anti-science/evolution creationist nut)
7. Phil Gingrey (sexist gender roles remarks)
8. Bill Sali (anti-multiculturalism views)
9. Dan Burton (birther nutter)
10. Steve King (enough said) 
11. Michele Bachmann (no explanation needed)
12. Jean Schmidt (coward remarks)
13. Louie Gohmert (put more guns in schools) 

[hopper]

The Alans of Florida. Alan Grayson and Allen West. Add in Jesse Helms, Cynthia McKinney, James Trafficant, Gary Condit, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, Conrad Burns and Jesse Jackson Jr.

08-11 Grayson maybe, but '13 Grayson is currently the best member of the 113th Congress.

Whats the difference between the 2 Grayson's anyway? The 08-11 Grayson I didn't like but he could pop a funny joke once in awhile.

[hopper]

Charlie Rangel of the ones, surprisingly, not mentioned.

Rangel-the last 5 years he did a bad couple things with the tax thing and calling white people the "C'" word. Aside from that he seems likeable.

[hopper]

Maxine Waters-What has this lady ever done in Congress?
Steve King-His lastest comment about Hispanics sealed it for me.
Bachmann-She is just crazy.
Jim McDermott-Ok seems like a nice guy away from the House Floor but on the House Floor he goes nuts with the rhetoric.

[freepcrusher]

I have many, but how can any of you forget about Marilyn Musgrave? Any member of Congress who receives an endorsement from the Ku Klux Klan and refuses to congratulate her opponent is a total assclown in my book. My continued list includes fairly recent representatives, as I did not become interested in politics until Election 2004, but Musgrave tops my list. Here they are, with brief reasons.

1. Marilyn Musgrave (KKK endorsement, Federal Marriage Amendment)
2. Allen West (78-81 Democrats are members of the Communist Party)
3. Joe Walsh (screaming and scolding constituents, deadbeat dad who hasn't paid child support)
4. Trent Franks (anti-abortion extremist)
5. Tom Tancredo (xenophobic on immigration)
6. Paul Broun (anti-science/evolution creationist nut)
7. Phil Gingrey (sexist gender roles remarks)
8. Bill Sali (anti-multiculturalism views)
9. Dan Burton (birther nutter)
10. Steve King (enough said)  
11. Michele Bachmann (no explanation needed)
12. Jean Schmidt (coward remarks)
13. Louie Gohmert (put more guns in schools)  

all of those are pretty recent. This is since WWII.

1. John Rankin
Rankin was anti-Semitic. He once called the Jewish newspaper columnist Walter Winchell 'the little k---."[
Rankin claimed that the Immigration and Nationality Act was opposed solely by American Jews:
"They whine about discrimination. Do you know who is being discriminated against? The white Christian people of America, the ones who created this nation... I am talking about the white Christian people of the North as well as the South... Communism is racial. A racial minority seized control in Russia and in all her satellite countries, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and many other countries I could name. They have been run out of practically every country in Europe in the years gone by, and if they keep stirring race trouble in this country and trying to force their communistic program on the Christian people of America, there is no telling what will happen to them here.(Cong. Rec., April 23, 1952, p. 4320).

Rankin notoriously baited Jewish Congressmen, including Adolph J. Sabath and Emanuel Celler. In one exchange, Rankin referred to Celler as "the Jewish gentleman from New York". When Celler protested about the comments, Rankin retorted, "Does the member from New York object to being called a Jew or does he object to being called a gentleman? What is he kicking about?"

Rankin was known to use the n-word on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.
On the Peeksill riots

 "(the American people are not sympathetic) with that N----- Communist and that bunch of Reds who went up there."[18]

2. Gus Savage
blamed his primary loss on the "white racist press and the racist, reactionary Jewish misleaders".
Gus wouldn't talk to the press, saying that most of the press is "racist" and includes too many Jews.  He called "historically, culturally and politically accurate" Louis Farrakhan's statement that "Hitler was a great man" and that Judaism is a "gutter religion."  He's been know to respond to reporters questions by calling them "f****ts" and asking "Are you still messing with little boys?"  [For other pearls of wisdom, check the Quote Board].

He was investigated by the House Ethics Committee which concluded that he made improper "sexual advances" to a young female Peace Corps volunteer during a trip to Zaire in 1989.  According to the woman, Savage, "aggressively and repeatedly fondled her in the back seat of the embassy car despite her strong spoken protests and physical resistance."  "As soon as the . . . cars pulled off from the ambassador's residence, he grabbed me," she said.  "He tried to force me to have sex with him." Finally, an information officer from the U.S. embassy escorted her from Savage's car and took her home.  The woman had to be medically evacuated back to the U.S. and underwent six weeks of intensive therapy given to victims of sexual assault.  The Peace Corps volunteer, who has not been identified, was called "a traitor to the black movement" by Savage.

3. John Rarick
had ties with the Citizens Council, the KKK and JBS. Felt that the civil rights, antiwar, and gun control legislation was all part of a communist conspiracy
 
4. John Schmitz
John Bircher, even during his 2 1/2 years in congress, he was a loon.

5. Larry McDonald
nominated Rudolf Hess for the Nobel prize. Pretty virulently anti-gay if I recall and had ties to the Reconstructionist movement. Oh and he was at one point the chairman of the JBS.

6. James Traficant
ever seen his speeches

7. Clare Hoffman
He was seen as a "a bitter lone wolf" during much of his time in office, unable to work with either the Democrats or the Republicans.[1]

8. Cynthia McKinney
conspiracy nut, possibly unhinged, and a downside to the VRA.

9. Bill Dannemeyer
made his entire career an obsession over what he saw as the radical homosexual movement. He also was pretty anti environment.

10. B1 Bob
Possible alcoholic, wife beater, pretty jingoistic. Also anti-gay. Possibly possessing the nastiest temper of anyone in congress.

[publicunofficial]

The Alans of Florida. Alan Grayson and Allen West. Add in Jesse Helms, Cynthia McKinney, James Trafficant, Gary Condit, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, Conrad Burns and Jesse Jackson Jr.

08-11 Grayson maybe, but '13 Grayson is currently the best member of the 113th Congress.

Whats the difference between the 2 Grayson's anyway? The 08-11 Grayson I didn't like but he could pop a funny joke once in awhile.

'13 Grayson has calmed down the rhetoric a bit, and is focusing more on getting stuff done. He reportedly got a lot of Republicans to sign onto Amash-Conyers, and has gotten more of his amendments passed than any other member of the 113th Congress. For a freshman member of the minority party, that's pretty impressive.

[hopper]

The Alans of Florida. Alan Grayson and Allen West. Add in Jesse Helms, Cynthia McKinney, James Trafficant, Gary Condit, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, Conrad Burns and Jesse Jackson Jr.

08-11 Grayson maybe, but '13 Grayson is currently the best member of the 113th Congress.

Whats the difference between the 2 Grayson's anyway? The 08-11 Grayson I didn't like but he could pop a funny joke once in awhile.

'13 Grayson has calmed down the rhetoric a bit, and is focusing more on getting stuff done. He reportedly got a lot of Republicans to sign onto Amash-Conyers, and has gotten more of his amendments passed than any other member of the 113th Congress. For a freshman member of the minority party, that's pretty impressive.

True.

[Maxwell]

Charlie Rangel of the ones, surprisingly, not mentioned.

Rangel-the last 5 years he did a bad couple things with the tax thing and calling white people the "C'" word. Aside from that he seems likeable.

I don't know whats with Republicans on this forum and liking this guy. He was on the god damn Ways and Means committee (the god damn chairman) and he was involved in fraud with the tax payers money. Come on.

Not to mention he put forth proposals to REINSTATE THE DRAFT. Such a likable guy.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

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You're mentioning just one (failed) action that came when the man was dying, which, as much as I disapprove such attempts to annoit a successor, is hardly a "crime". And judging his entire long congressonal career by that one example is a bit narrow minded, not to use stroger terms.

Btw, what were the other "crimes" of Inouye?

LBJ: Mostly for his actions as president, not to mention my personal belief that he was responsible for JFK's assainaton, he did have the most to gain from it. Since none of it is related to his Senate Tenure he comes in at 18th on my list.

Evidence, please?

Besides the fact he benefited the most...

Yeah, yeah. Also, Theodore Roosevelt payed Czolgosz to shot McKinley. Coolidge travelled all the way to San Francisco to suffocate Harding with a pillow and Harry Truman poisoned FDR so it would appear as a stroke...

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OK, so you're admitting it's just your baseless personal belief. Dude, you're clever!