It’s Always Amusing
When the press notices something we've been saying here in the Blue Crab Boulevard crabitat for quite some time now. We can almost feel our lips moving when we read a story like this.
For the past year, Democrats have been jockeying for the high ground on congressional ethics, hoping a largely Republican lobbying scandal would help propel them into the majority come November's elections.
But the issue is proving to be a two-edged sword, as Democrats themselves have come under scrutiny for allegations of bribery and conflicts of interest.
Where have we heard that phrase before? It's so hard to remember. There's a lot of other things as well. The article hits every issue we've covered here. The ending is particularly interesting:
Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic campaign committee, said Republicans have "a governing philosophy" to cozy up to lobbyists that has led them to favor industries such as oil and pharmaceuticals, producing higher prices for gasoline and prescriptions. "That is a fundamental difference," he said.
Panetta said such line-drawing is lost on voters. The best Democrats can hope for is a repeat of 1994, he said, when voters — angered over misbehavior by members of both parties in a House bank scandal — turned 38 incumbents out of office. "It hurt the party in power the most," Panetta said.
Panetta is pointing out something else we've said here – a "throw the bums out" strategy can backfire and catch some of your own. It may well hurt Republicans more, but it likely won't be a cost-free move, either.
By Black Jack, May 10, 2006 @ 12:00 pm
No doubt about it, the big crab has been all over this issue, and way ahead of the better paid pundits. Quite likely, a few even read BCB. Credit where it’s due.
By Gaius, May 10, 2006 @ 12:22 pm
Thanks for the compliment.