Newsflash: corruption scandals still a threat to GOP
By Kirstin Ellison
Posted on Wed May 30, 2007 at 05:20:44 PM EST
Congressional Corruption Caucus (AP Photo)
If the House GOP was hoping that headlines and gossip linking their ranks with corruption and scandal would fade away after last November's massacre, they were definitely being overly optimistic. In fact, even though last November saw a House-cleaning of sorts, the worrisome numbers are building again.
In pure numbers, Republicans are approaching the magnitude of their problem at this stage of the 2006 election cycle. Eventually, nine House Republicans faced FBI investigations. Four stepped down, and two -- Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California and Bob Ney of Ohio -- are in prison. Of the five who sought re-election, three lost and the other two remain under ethical clouds.
Let's see...so far I can count one...two...three...SIX current Republican Members of Congress under investigation/suspicion of corruption. Let's review!
Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA): allegations of improper financial ties to the radioactive Jack Abramoff.
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ): under investigation for a suspicious land deal.
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL): I bet he regrets that golf trip with Abramoff now...
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA): under suspicion of using earmarks for personal gain.
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA): being investigated for ties to a lobbying firm linked to Duke Cunningham (R-Federal Pen).
Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA): earmarks and land deals, again.
That's a pretty strong California contingent, isn't it? And now, according to the AP and other sources, investigations of two other MoCs may be percolating close(r) to the surface - Alaskan Senator Ted "series of tubes" Stevens, and Pennsylvanian Tim Murphy. Whenever faced with the question of what these scandals mean to Republican electoral possibilities, party officials like to, of course, turn it around on their opponents and bring up Reps. William Jefferson (D-LA) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV), who have serious ethics problems of their own.
These two Democrats have yet to cause serious electoral problems for their party, though if the investigations proceed and punishment is deemed necessary, they still may. Republicans, however, cannot depend on this happening when their own rank and file is under such scrutiny. Corruption cost the Republicans big in 2006, and if they aren't careful, they'll continue to pay in 2008.
Tags: Ethics in Government, Rick Renzi, John Doolittle, Tom Feeney, Ken Calvert, Gary Miller, Jerry Lewis, Alan Mollohan, William Jefferson, Tim Murphy, Ted Stevens (all tags)
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