Republicans Pay for Scandals, Inaction on Ethics Law

[rodeodance]

Republicans Pay for Scandals, Inaction on Ethics Law

Jonathan D. Salant Wed Nov 8, 4:52 PM ET

Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans gambled that congressional ethics scandals wouldn't be an issue with voters. They lost the bet.


Democrats ousted three House Republican incumbents with ties to Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff. They won all three seats vacated by Republicans who resigned because of scandals involving Abramoff and former Representative Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record) of Florida. They also defeated two Pennsylvania Republicans with ethical problems.

The election results showed that the Democratic arguments about a Republican ``culture of corruption'' resonated in several districts. A CNN exit poll found 42 percent of voters saying ethics were an ``extremely important'' factor in their vote.

``Every member or district that had an issue related to the professional conduct of that member switched and became Democratic,'' Representative Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record) of Illinois, who headed the Democrats' congressional campaign efforts, said today. ``That was eight seats -- half of the 15 you needed.''

In the Senate, Republican Conrad Burns lost his re-election campaign. Burns received more money from Abramoff, who pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to corrupt public officials, than any other lawmaker.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20061108/pl_bloomberg/apnh1rdm6_qa

[Demeter]

1. It's the Criminality, Stupid! n/t

[iamjoy]

2. Power Corrupts

I can't help but remember how Democrats lost control in 1994 due to ethics problems.

I hope our party leaders remember this.

I don't want a bunch of right wing extremists controlling our government again (with no balance) because a few Democrats couldn't keep their grubby fingers out of the till.

Ideally, I'd like to see some real election financing and lobbying reform but I almost think we'd see a unicorn walking down K Street before that.

[classysassy]

3. Republican rats,clawed by Dem cats

Republican rats asked to leave the house,pick up your droppings on your way out.