Because after all, it can't be that the national Democrats are corrupt -- so the Houston Chronicle would prefer to slime an entire state instead.

The indictment of Jefferson, a Democrat, shifts some of the attention and shame from the Republican side of the aisle after a string of Republican congressmen, aides and lobbyists — including the notorious Jack Abramoff, whose name has become synonymous with lobbying excess and improper favors — were indicted for bribery and other forms of official corruption.

If there is a distinction to be made, it is that Jefferson's behavior seems less the product of Washington's ethical void than of Louisiana's. Jefferson's constituents, perhaps inured to a culture of rampant official corruption, apparently regard $90,000 in a politician's freezer as a commonplace and re-elected him to Congress last November by a wide margin.

Now granted, Louisiana Democratic politics is known for its corruption, and Democrats have long turned a blind eye to such unethical behavior in that state because it has allowed them to retain power. But to trash the entire state?

But why stop there -- we could point out a disturbing tendency for official corruption among black public officials (at least anecdotally) that proportionally outstrips such corruption on the part of whites. Or perhaps we could go digging into religion or other demographic breakdowns -- anything to try to avoid the clear truth of the matter. You know, that William Jefferson is just one of a long string of corrupt Democrats that have highlighted the party for decades.

Posted by: Greg at 02:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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