Dan Burton exits stage right

[ProSense]

Dan Burton exits stage right

By Steve Benen

Rep. Dan Burton (R) of Indiana, facing another serious primary challenger, announced this morning that he will not seek re-election.

Burton's lengthy career -- the right-wing Hoosier is currently in his 15th term -- has at least been memorable. The lawmaker has been accused of some highly suspicious fundraising and ties to unsavory international thugs, as well as having a scandalous personal life. He's also known for having odd habits, including avoiding soup in restaurants because of a fear of AIDS.

But it was Burton's wildly unhealthy hatred for President Clinton that will be hard to forget.

Burton was at his most famous in the 1990's, when he led many of the investigations against President Bill Clinton. "If I could prove 10 percent of what I believe happened, he'd (Clinton) be gone," Burton declared in 1998. "This guy's a scumbag. That's why I'm after him."

Over the last six years of Bill Clinton's presidency, Burton led the House Government Reform Committee and unilaterally issued 1,089 subpoenas to investigate allegations of misconduct.

Burton handed out subpoenas like candy, targeting 141 different Clinton administration officials. He once held hearings -- for 10 days -- on the Clintons' Christmas card list. In one instance, Burton was so reckless, he subpoenaed the wrong man (looking for someone with a similar name).

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http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10280340-dan-burton-exits-stage-right

And people wonder why the country is so screwed up!

[dhill926]

1. good........

one of the most vile people to ever roam the halls of Congress.....

[brooklynite]

2. Pumpkins will sleep more soundly tonight...

[msanthrope]

3. I thought he liked to shoot up melons in his quest to prove Vince Foster was murdered? nt

[LiberalFighter]

10. As a going away present there should be dumpster full of watermelons

dumped at his home.

[UTUSN]

9. R#13 & K for, bwa-hah!1 I was going for the more mundane, "Mr 2nd Amendment for Exploding Pumpkins"

Yours is SO funny!1

[gratuitous]

4. And because of the Watermelon Man

Dan Burton is the Watermelon Man, because in his zeal to get at the "Truth" of the Vince Foster suicide, he did a little amateur ballistics testing in his back yard on watermelons. Numbskull.

But Burton's reckless prosecutions had a salutary effect, in that it cowed Democrats from launching even legitimate investigations into very real wrong-doing, a legacy that continues to this day, as Democrats continue to be chary of "criminalizing" criminal behavior.

[B Calm]

8. I thought Vince Foster was murdered

by Dan Burton and Henry Hyde drove the getaway car.

[williesgirl]

5. But he'll continue to suck the public's teat as he has for decades. Rotten fucker! rec'd

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

[B Calm]

7. I wont miss this HYPOCRITICAL SOB!

[Major Hogwash]

11. Thanks for the good news.

That melon-shooting nutjob should be wearing a straight jacket sitting in a room lined with cushions!!
He was the craziest nutcase I ever saw in Congress, and that's saying a lot!

[madinmaryland]

12. Good fucking riddance. Ham sandwiches world wide are rejoicing!!