USA & UK: What are your views on this question of morals?

Question

What are your views on this question which concerns dubious money:

George Galloway, British politician, launched an appeal for medical treatment for a little girl in Iraq. Donations came in from many people. One donation was from a multi-sector businessman who may have had dealings in Iraqi oil.

The US Senate investigated George Galloway in May 2005. At the investigation Senator Levin said , "...American politicians who find the source of money after it's given to them troubling - they find out something they didn't know afterwards - frequently will - and hopefully, I think always - at least frequently - will return that money, will say they disagree with the source of the money. Hopefully all of us will do that. But whether or not we all live up to that standard, you clearly do not adopt that as a standard for contribution's to Mariam's Appeal...."

Contrast this with John McCain's acceptance of $112,000 of contributions from Charles Keating who served five years for corruption when many Americans lost their life savings. McCain also received holidays for him and his family - but after the scandal, paid the holiday money back.

The main difference is that the Mariam Appeal money went towards medical treatment, whereas the McCain money went to further his political career. But did McCain pay the political contributions back. I can't find any evidence that he did.

And isn't money given to help a child different to money given for a political campaign?

Answer 1

You must have no life haha.  Anyway, why would you be able to find evidence?  Banks don't exactly give that information out..It would be up to Mccain to produce the information.  However, he is rather busy at the moment.  Btw, he can't control a person's actions just because he took a donation from that person.  

Answer 2

I would have few doubts about George Galloway's honesty, but plenty about his judgement.  And there is no shortage of British politicians who show every sign of being much, much more corrupt.  One was Prime Minister not so long ago.

Speaking of which, I also recall a certain leadership contest not so long ago or far away, when the votes cast mirrored very closely the proportion of funding of the candidates' campaigns.  No-one has ever got to the bottom of the source of the winner's backing.  The winner is grinning inanely still, though no longer in England.

I don't think, in this day and age, we can really advance British political morality as superior to American, or vice versa - although for most of the 20th Century, British politics were fairly honest, give or take a Horatio Bottomley or two.

However - and this is my main point - how dare any US institution claim a right to investigate a British politician?  Yet another reason for declaring independence and dumping Gordon Brown in the Atlantic he claims to love!