Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Where was it when major changes were made to Congressional ethics rules to permit DeLay and other Republicans to perform acts that were once a violation of the House's  ethical code?

Where was it when the House Ethics Committee was purged of those who had repeatedly voted to rebuke DeLay?

Where was it in November of 2001 when the Enron scandal broke and implicated dozens of Republicans?

Where was it in August of last year when the Abramoff scandal began implicating more Republicans than the Enron mess, and for even worse crimes?

Where was it last November when "Duke" Cunningham pled guilty to a variety of felonies?

The GOP's forthcoming "reform" push (and it will come, have no doubt, and most likely be led by GOPster Congressman Jeff Flake) will be cosmetic at best, a face-saving public relations gambit offered only because 2006 is an election year.

The Republican Party came into power eleven years ago claiming that it would "clean up" Congress, but the institution has been turned into a moral and ethical sewer where corruption is SOP for the GOP; it stretches credulity to the breaking point that Republicans -- who turned a blind eye to dirty dealings when they weren't participating in such dealings themselves -- suddenly feel an urgent, conscience-driven need to "reform" the way they've done business for more than a decade.

In other words: When Republicans offer "reform" in the near future, don't let anyone believe the hype; the GOP doesn't have the track record to support it.