A Note on Corruption

I think we have to give the Democrats a lot of credit for getting this "culture of corruption" theme into the popular consciousness. They're swimming against a very strong tide to do so. The power of staying on message, of using the term in practically every announcement, every press release, every interview, has borne fruit. It takes that kind of persistence for the media to awake and reluctantly report it.

I know that we're not all the way there, as the poll reports that a strong majority feels that both parties are equally involved in corruption (although they do find that a plurality pick the Democrats as more trusted to dealing with that corruption). Being that there are more Republicans in office than Democrats, simple logic dictates that the feeling that incumbents are corrupt is more beneficial to the minority party. Democrats must continue to draw contrast, to separate things out. However, the case of William Jefferson is not helping, and I wish he would resign.

Not to mention the fact that the netroots is performing admirably as a backup to the Party in ensuring that the media reports fairly. The Deborah Howell affair is an obvious example.

I'm fairly confident that continued insistence on these points will provide continued understanding in the electorate that what is going on here is not just corruption among individual Republicans or individual Democrats, but an over-arching culture that is key to the Republican functioning of government since the Gingrich Revolution of 1994. Lobbyists writing legislation. Back-room arm-twisting deals. Pay-to-play schemes for lobbyists. Money flowing freely and disappearing in Iraq. These are not sins of selected Congressmen. All the while I agree that any Congressman proven to be breaking the laws of the office needs to go, regardless of party affiliation. Corruption is not a partisan issue. Throw them all out.