Posted on 12/17/2008 12:48:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
WASHINGTON -- Over the past four years, the Democrats blamed the Republicans for ushering in "a culture of corruption" that they charged had infected every nook and cranny of the government.
The lobbying payoffs and influence-peddling scandals did indeed bring down a number of Republicans, though it turned out that many Democratic lawmakers also had received tainted contributions from the same lobbyists or their clients. But that got less attention from the national news media.
Now the tide has turned against the Democrats on two fronts, and it is they who are being investigated on corruption charges just as they were poised to take over the White House and strengthen their legislative grip on Congress.
Rod Blagojevich's pay-to-play scandal, in which he has plotted to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder, has pushed the Illinois governor to the brink of impeachment. But it has also embarrassed and distracted the president-elect and his transition advisers, and a top election analyst says the GOP could end up winning the vacated seat.
Obama is not implicated in the scandal, but many questions were raised about whether his designated chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel -- a hard-hitting practitioner of Chicago-style politics -- is the "president-elect adviser" mentioned in the U.S. Attorney's complaint that details Blagojevich's plans to put Obama's seat up for sale.
Meanwhile, Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, the powerful chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, is being investigated for, among other things, failure to pay his taxes and helping a rich donor to obtain a tax loophole in return for a large contribution to a public-service center named in Rangel's honor.
Last week, Republicans were attacking Democrats with a vengeance for being corrupt -- unleashing a barrage of press releases promoting a flood of newspaper stories about their latest troubles with headlines that read, "Democrats web of corruption continues to grow," "Rangel's troubles create a problem for the Democrats" and "Did Obama team have contact with Illinois governor?"
The smell of a scandal "might be building, though it's not there yet," said Jennifer Duffy, senior political analyst at the Cook Political Report. "But Democrats who have won on this message of culture of corruption now find the tables have turned on them, and they do have to be very careful that it doesn't get bigger," Duffy told me.
For Barack Obama, "it's a distraction he doesn't need right now," she said.
Scandal-wise, this has been a bumper year for the Democrats, who have seen some of their biggest names brought down by one investigation after another.
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign his office after being caught in a high-priced prostitution ring. A little-known Republican defeated Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana, awaiting trial for bribery charges and money laundering, in a runoff election last week. Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney, who replaced disgraced Republican Mark Foley, was defeated last month after keeping his mistress on the House payroll and trying to buy her silence.
More recently, a federal grand jury is investigating another "pay to play" case in which a California financial firm received a $1.4 million contract from the New Mexico government after contributing $100,000 to two of Gov. Bill Richardson's political action committees. Richardson is Obama's nominee to be Commerce secretary.
This week, Obama reported that an internal review of the Blagojevich scandal showed that no one on his transition had done anything wrong or had any improper contact with the governor about the Senate seat. But questions lingered about Emanuel and reports that he had presented a list of names to the governor for the seat.
But Obama supporters cautioned that, even if he did, there was nothing wrong with that if there were no payoffs.
There was "no harm in Obama's staff speaking with Blagojevich and expressing a preference for the appointment as long as they didn't offer anything in return," said Thomas Mann, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution.
Republican Party officials, however, were stepping up their attacks on the scandal -- perhaps a sign of things to come when the Obama regime takes over next month.
"The serious nature of the crimes listed by federal prosecutors raises questions about the interaction with Gov. Blagojevich, President-elect Obama and other high-ranking officials who will be working for the future president," said House Republican whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.
Still, while political analyst Duffy thinks the Blagojevich scandal "is pretty darn serious" for the Democrats, "I'm not sure this is serious for Obama; in fact, it's probably not serious at all."
More shoes will surely drop before this investigation is over. But the Republicans are going to keep pounding the Democrats on this one to make sure that they -- and the Senate nominee they pick -- will have little chance of retaining Obama's seat.
"The Republicans could have a chance to take this seat," Duffy said. "I think a special election would give them the chance to do that with a credible candidate."
Our man-child President will be protected by the media like a mother bear protects her cub.
Sure didn’t take long, did it?
“C[orruption] you can believe in.”
Oooooooo... attacking with a vicious "barrage of press releases!" The Republicans better find a better means of attack than press releases. Who do they think the frikin' press is?
There’s too much corruptin’ goin’ on out deah!............
Mr. Lambro, you're delusional.
Leftists are exempt from the punishments that mere proles endure.
You must have been asleep at Re-education Camp that day.
They are corrupt by their nature. This will get bigger because their SOP leaves no other choice.
But we got a whole column inch on page B23 of the Fern Valley Nickel Shopper & News Gazette!!
Recall that Newt Gingrich got Speaker Jim Wright’s scalp & that served as a catalyst for the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives. I’d say you’re correct to be skeptical about the Republicans taking action against corruption. But the opportunity is there for a new Republican leader with a little bit of vision.
This is funny=
Red State Update: Blagojevich Has Dirt On Obama?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN2jq9kHNvI
I disagree. Republicans are attacking and with some success. The press has been forced to ask some (not so) hard questions with more to come. Two of Obama’s appointees are already tainted and they haven’t even left the starting gate yet. The comment in the article that this won’t hurt Obama may be right when talking about him personally but it will affect his ability to govern. Not only that, he’s been exposed as thin skinned. He’s bound to piss people off with his haughtiness eventually. These scandals could have an impact in the 2010 election cycle.
The Republicans should demand that Obama answer questions regarding Rezko, Blago, Jackson and Daley. It should be 24x7, at every press conference.
Run ads asking, “What is Obama Hiding?” and “Bigger than Watergate?”
Here would be a good one. “Democrats called Republicans the Culture of Corruption and because of it, the people listened and put Democrats in office. Now Obama is asking for change. Is the new Democrat Culture of Corruption the change Obama was speaking of?”
Recall Obama
Not if they listen to JOhn McLame.
The Chicago Tribune knew about the plot to sell Obama’s seat in October but sat on the story. They sat on it until someone was about to fork over money and make it a bigger crime.
And where was this dope smoking picture of OBambu before election day?
The MEDIA colluded with the DEMOCRATS to sell America on a notion of a GOP “Culture of Corruption” in 2006. It is the same media that colluded with the DEMOCRATS to get Obambi elected.
The writer doesn’t seem to understand that the MSM will run interference for the Dems while attempting to appear neutral.
Harry Reid is also involved with scandals.
As is Chris Dodd.
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