The tactic worked, sometimes to raise doubt about those who came forward. Just ask Paula Jones, Jennifer Flowers, Juanita Broadderick, Kathleen Willey how they felt after getting the full treatment. In a more spectacular display, the left even caused Speaker Gingrich to resign after it was learned he had some hanky panky skeletons of his own. Of course, resignation as an honorable alternative never occurred to Bill Clinton.
The left practices the politics of personal destruction because it works. Create a bogeyman like Newt Gingrich or John Ashcroft and watch the fundraising dollars roll in. Better yet if you can force them from office, removing one more skilled hand at the Republican wheel of government.
Well folks, they are at it again. Target number one has become Tom Delay, Republican of Texas and Majority Leader in the House of Representatives. The drip, drip, drip of charges alleging impropriety and ethical violations. The latest includes charges that Congressman Delay's political campaign committee paid his wife and daughter to work on his political campaigns and that this is somehow improper. (story here, link requires registration).
Having worked on more than a few campaigns at that level I can tell you that there is nothing unusual with family members working for your campaign. It would be unusual if they did not. Paying them for their services in line with compensation of other professionals can only be judged wise if they produce good election results and of course Delay's campaigns have been successful.
Meanwhile, Harry Reid, MINORITY (I like the sound of that) Leader of Senate Democrats continues to get nothing more than a wink and a nod for basically selling the power of his office to promote the business interests of his sons. A Los Angeles Times story was titled: "In Nevada, Reid Is the Name to Know," with the subhead: "Members of one lawmaker's family represent nearly every major industry in their home state. And their clients rely on his goodwill." See the PDF chart of Reid family corruption here.
At least 17 senators and 11 members of the House have children, spouses or other close relatives who lobby or work as consultants, most in Washington, according to lobbyist reports, financial-disclosure forms and other state and federal records. Many are paid by clients who count on the related lawmaker for support.
But Harry Reid is in a class by himself. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid's help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator.
In the last four years alone, their firms have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees from special interests that were represented by the kids and helped by the senator in Washington.
Don't expect the GOP to take on Senator Reid with the malevolence of the Democrat funded hit squad out to get Delay. But isn't the hypocrisy of these folks just stunning?
My advice to Delay and to the rest of the GOP leadership is to hang tough. We've thrown enough good men overboard and for what? Trying to demonstrate a sense of ethics and honor to Democrats will never bring about a similar reaction on their part when worse outrages are uncovered.
We'll just have to work this problem out the old fashioned way... defeat them at the ballot box and slowly but surely make their status in the minority a permanent fixture of the political landscape.
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