ethics wars: bring it on

After week after week of bad press for Tom DeLay caught with his hand in the cookie jar, someone leaked information that Democrats were on the take of Jack Abrabhof as well. Was it Jack? Was it DeLay's staff? Other angry GOPers in the know? Democrats who hate these congressmen? Or actual journalistic work? The last one seems the least likely. Jack paid for other people's illegal trips to Northern Mariana, those lovely sweat-shop islands

James E. Clyburn (S.C.), now vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Bennie Thompson (Miss.), now the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. The aides to DeLay were Edwin A. Buckham, now a lobbyist for the Alexander Strategy Group, and Tony Rudy, now a member of Buckham's lobbying firm.

All three congressmen when confronted with this claim they had no way of knowing that Abramoff's credit card was being used to pay for the trips. They believed that this was all being paid for by sham nonprofit groups, as House rules permit.

If this takes down Clyburn, the much overhyped kingmaker for the much overhyped SC presidential primary in 2004 (just ask John Edwards) and well as Bernie Thompson, both of whom are African-Americans from majority minority districts, then so be it. I have no stomach for these congressmen who have no actual competition and violate ethic rules right and left while not parting with their giant warchests or helping out in the battle to reclaim the House.

Who was against Campaign Finance Reform? Who wanted to eliminate the estate tax? The CBC, which has NO Republican members. I say good riddence. We need more CBC members like ex-Rep Denise Majette (GA) or Rep Artur Davis (D-AL). Both represent[ed] majority minority districts but did so in a way to appeal beyond their African-American base and allowed Majette to run a decent campaign for the Senate last year. She will be back too. With the state being reredistricted by the GOP, Majette will be running again to reclaim a seat. My vote is with her and against McKinney.