Thanks to Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, members of Congress are protected from lawsuits thanks to things said on the floor of the House or Senate — though of course, they can still be slapped on the wrist for intemperate comments.
But imagine the ramifications for political speech if the controversy over a ruling by FactCheck.org could get a member of Congress suspended — and suspended for as many as six months?
In Malaysia, it turns out that something close to that can indeed happen — at least when the accusation leveled is a claimed connection between a political promotional slogan used by your nation and one employed in Israel.
In this case, such an accusation resulted in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s six month suspension from parliament, prompting a walkout by supporters and resulting in “pandemonium” among members.
The ramifications of Anwar’s suspension are difficult to predict: does this serve to further his claimed status as a martyr, hounded by political opponents? Or does it make him less legitimate as a political leader, inspiring his opponents within his fractured coalition to emerge publicly?
Either way, Anwar will now have plenty of time to campaign in the lead up to expected elections in the second quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, Charles Rangel, having been found guilty of 11 counts of misconduct and ethics violations, heads back to work in January. Business as usual.
