Retribution

From Roll Call:

House lawmakers on Thursday referred a resolution to the ethics committee that calls for a new investigation related to allegations that ex-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) sexually harassed his aides, including a review of when Democratic leaders and their staffs learned of the accusations and their responses. ..

[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi has said she was unaware of the ethics investigation into Massa’s actions until he announced his retirement last week, but media reports Wednesday indicated members of Pelosi’s staff may have been alerted to other concerns about Massa’s behavior, including his decision to live in a Capitol Hill townhouse with several aides, as early as October.

A Pelosi spokesman did not immediately return a telephone call for comment Thursday.

The resolution, which the House voted to refer to the ethics panel in a 402-1 vote, was sponsored by Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and echoes one introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was then Minority Leader, in 2006 after allegations surfaced that then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) sent sexually explicit e-mail messages to a House page.

Pelosi, at the time, called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate Mr. Foley and the Republican leadership, including, Rep. John Boehner.

Flashback, October 2006:

The resolution introduced by Rep. Boehner on Thursday, would direct the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, known as the ethics committee, to form an investigation subcommittee within 10 days...

But the ethics committee does not have to establish an investigative subcommittee, or even respond to the resolution. To order an investigation, the House would be required to approve the resolution itself, rather than refer the resolution to the ethics panel.

Whether the ethics committee will actually investigate Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues remains to be seen. But at least for the time being, Pelosi is getting a taste of her own medicine.

Rep. Boehner was well within his rights to demand that Pelosi be given the same treatment that he and Republican leaders were given in 2006.

A little bit of retribution, I suppose.

Payback!