It's Time to Go, Jimbo - Why James Traficant Should Resign

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It's Time to Go, Jimbo - Why James Traficant Should Resign
by J. Edward Tremlett

July 24, 2002

"Down On the rANT Farm"

J. Edward Tremlett Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) A few months ago, I bemoaned the fate of Rep. James Traficant - the fire-spitting, take-no-prisoners congressman from Mahoning County, Ohio.

Now, I'm not qualified to say whether the ten federal counts he was found guilty of (bribery, racketeering, tax evasion, etc.) were justified or not; I was not there, I was not on the jury and I keep my mind-reading to a bare minimum these days. This could have been a gross miscarriage of justice, or it could have been a reckoning that was way overdue. Who knows?

My chief cause of sadness was that it was more than likely the House would be losing a voice of uncompromising individuality and self-determination when Rep. Traficant went to the pokey for a stretch. In a town where focus groups and questionable polls are more important than principles and ideals, he's a welcome respite. And you have to respect a Democrat who wouldn't vote for Dick Gephardt ...

Now, the good news - for Traficant, at least - is that he'll only be serving a 7.25-year sentence instead of the 60 years they could have handed him. And he will be appealing, of course, so he might yet be vindicated.

But there's another fight that Traficant's lost in the meanwhile. The House Ethics Committee voted to recommend to expel him from the House due to those ten federal counts. And it's not unlikely that, when the House votes to decide on the matter sometime in the near future, James Traficant will be tossed out.

Of course, he knows this. He's said that he expects the vote to go that way. In fact, he's already got his last moves planned: "When I go to the floor for this final execution, I will wear a denim outfit... I will walk in there like Willie Nelson, combination of John Wayne, Will Smith, James Brown ... Maybe do a Michael Jackson moonwalk, right up to the stand and ask unanimous contempt to undress and revile the House."

But I'm of the opinion that it shouldn't even go that far. Rep. James Traficant should do the right thing for his constituents - he should resign before the vote is scheduled.

Why? Because he's on the fast track to becoming all smoke and no fire. James Traficant's made for a name for himself with his strange, eccentric behavior and willingness to say what he thought - regardless of the consequences. That was a great thing when he was working for his constituents in particular, and America as a whole. But he wasn't elected just so he could go to Washington and make a fool of himself. And if he continues on the course he seems dead-set on following, that's all he WILL be doing: being a nagging gadfly just to flip a few more middle fingers up at his antagonists.

Based on his outline of his future plans Traficant seems to think that he's superman. He will somehow be able to juggle what little rights he has as a jailed felon, along with his visiting hours, in order to both run as an Independent from his jail cell and manage an appeal as his own lawyer. And if he gets elected, then he plans to represent whatever constituents he gets while sitting in jail.

Now, I'd be the last person on earth to tell you that miracles can't happen and that time can be hyper-managed (ask any College Senior) but that's REALLY stretching it. How can he expect to effectively represent his voters when he's in a pokey in the Midwest and all the action's going on in DC? Would you really want to go visit your Congressman in jail?

I think this is a case of personal pride getting in the way of common sense and good judgement. Traficant seems to think that if he compromises even a little bit on anything it will be a sign of guilt on his part. Maybe it will, too, but sometimes being a public servant means having to bite the bullet and do what's best for your constituents. The best thing that Traficant can do now - both for his constituents and for himself - is to resign, get his own ass out of a sling (if he can) and then come back into the political arena when his own house is in order. ***

J. Edward Tremlett is a published author, political thinker and self-described "mean-spirited crank." He lives with his wife and two cats in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

"And then when I get out (of prison) I will grab a sword like Maximus Meridius Demidius and as a Gladiator I will stab people in the crotch." - Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) on what he'll do when he breaks out of the pokey

Photo of J. Edward Tremlett courtesy of staff files
Photo of Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) courtesy of the Associated Press