The Associated Press: Analysis: Democrats self-destructing over ethics
The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.
Freshman Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.
Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.
Freshman Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.
Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
Culture of Corruption
The pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months is the political mess for the Democratic Party. Now the Democrats are trapped in their own ethics system. In 2006, Republicans lost control of the House after Democrats effectively used a "culture of corruption" theme against them. The Democrats waited shortly before the election and broke the Rep. Mark Foley story. They knew it would help them with their "culture of corruption" issue and help them win the house.
Now the Democrats are doing it to themselves with the help of the Republicans.
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who has been under intense scrutiny in the aftermath of reports about financial arrangements involving
rental properties in New York and a beachfront villa in the Dominican Republic.
Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of the powerful defense panel on the House Appropriations Committee, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has helped steer more than $100 million in contracts to Kuchera, a government contractor founded in 1985 by Bill Kuchera .FBI agents have scrutinized other contractors linked to the 76-year-old Democrat. Murtha was caught on tape during the ABSCAM scandal back in the 1980s discussing a bribe from an FBI undercover agent, but he was never charged with a crime.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic governor and his chief of staff John Harris, who also was arrested, to "sell the U.S. Senate seat" once held by President-elect Barack Obama for a high-paying job, promises of campaign funds, a Cabinet post or ambassadorship or corporate-board seats for Blagojevich's wife, Patricia.
Democrat Tom Daschle, who was to head the Health and Human Services Department, had income that he didn’t report in a timely fashion.
Democrat Nancy Killefer, who was Mr. Obama’s nominee for chief White House performance officer, had a nanny tax problem.
Democrat Timothy Geithner made public his tax obligations, which resulted in his recent payment of $42,702 in additional taxes and interest for tax years 2001 to 2004. In addition, the committee's report on the matter says that in 2005 Geithner employed a housekeeper for about three and a half months after her ability to work in the U.S. had lapsed.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Democrat, abandoned his nomination to become commerce secretary under pressure of a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors _ an investigation that threatened to embarrass President-elect Barack Obama.
Democrat William Lynn as Deputy Secretary of Defense has placed Barack Obama under the burn of political heat just days into the presidency.
Having lobbied the government on behalf of the defense industry giant Raytheon, Lynn's appointment violates the newly-instituted ethics guidelines that the president applied to his staff shortly after taking office. Questioned about the transgression, the White House said Lynn was being granted a waiver.
Democrat Sen. Roland Burris revealed he was asked by Mr. Blagojevich's brother to raise campaign money for the governor. In testimony before the committee in January, when asked about conversations with associates of the governor, Mr. Burris had acknowledged only one conversation with a former chief of staff for Mr. Blagojevich in which Mr. Burris expressed interest in the open Senate seat.
In 2006, Republicans lost control of the House after Democrats effectively used a "culture of corruption" theme against them, there October surprise. Looks like it's coming back to bite them on the ass.
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Blago Announces Roland Burris for IL Seat
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