Ethics, Schmethics

The Democrats regained control of Congress in 2006 promising to change the “culture of corruption” that they claimed pervaded Congress during 12 years of Republican rule. And it’s tough coming up with excuses for the GOP after the antics of Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney and Jack Abramoff.

But you would have to be a mindless, leftist drone to fail to connect the dots of Democrat corruption in the two years since Speaker Pelosi became the new sheriff in town. Impressive in its own right:

Let's start with Rep. William “Cold Cash” Jefferson (D-LA), who somehow found 90 grand in his freezer, presumably when he was digging around for the fish sticks.

And let's not forget House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) who keeps trying to scrape a series of real estate, tax, and conflict of interest allegations off his shoes.

How about Illinois Democrat Rep.Luis Gutierrez who allegedly netted over $400,000 in questionable real estate transactions?

While we’re dealing with Illinois pols, how about Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the poster child for stupid and corrupt politicians and the Chief Auctioneer of U.S. Senate seats?

Let's not forget Illinois (Oops, there’s that state again) Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) , who may or may not be wrapped up in Gov. Blagojevich’s alleged pay-to-play scam.

Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, whose enthusiastic use of earmarking has come under scrutiny, joined this hit parade in 2007 with some creative fundraising of his own.

Alan Mollohan (D-WV), in his best impression of the bride at an Italian wedding, was forced in the 110th Congress to resign from his position on the House Ethics Panel over charges of funneling cash back home.Having an ethically challenged pol on the Ethics panel is a bit like having Cuba on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Barack Obama's nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General has been praised in some quarters. But let's not forget Mr. Holder's role in in Bill Clinton’s pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, whose wife subsequently donated a million dollars to the Democratic party, not to mention picking up the tab for some Clinton legal bills and buying them ten grand worth of furniture, presumably as a housewarming gift when they vacated the White House.

And finally, there’s Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who chairs one of the Congressional committees with oversight over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but whose moral compass somehow told him it was okay to take a sweetheart mortgage deal from a leading mortgage company that made a fortune off of government-sponsored high risk loans. Too bad the massive defaults on these loans helped start the global economic free fall we now find ourselves in. Oh well, stuff happens.

Somehow the Dems have no problem writing a hall pass for someone like Dodd who took favors from a company that has profited handsomely from a business over which his committee has jurisdiction.

Well, after watching the economic free fall of the last six months, I have a problem with it. You gotta answer for Sonny, Carlo, er, Chris.

Jefferson…Rangel…Gutierrez…Blago…Jackson Jr…Reyes…Mollohan…Holder…Dodd...Connect the dots, please. My point isn’t to paint the Democrats as the new party of corruption, in the same way they tarred the Republicans. It’s simply to show the hypocrisy of Speaker Pelosi who presides benignly over this cesspool.

The problem isn’t party or the other. It’s a party system that perpetuates itself by 1) making elected officials begin foraging like squirrels for re-election cash as soon as they win an election; and 2) making it virtually impossible to challenge incumbents at the polls.

Until we put an end to lifetime sinecures for elected officials by preventing them from gerrymandering their districts every 10 years, we’re going to have our Duke Cunninghams and our Rod Blagojevichs. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.

Just thought you might like to know.