SAVE SOME MONEY FOR THE SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOLLOWING THE INDICTMENTS THAT WILL COME AFTER THE MIDTERMS

Next week's campaign will be a wipeout. The Republican majority will feel the wrath of the American people for the contempt with which they have been treated by Bush and his rubber stamp Congress run amuck. Iraq is at the top of the list for most people and these people are the most motivated to get out to the polls-- and the most motivated to get the Republicans out of Congress.

But today's Washington Post points out that a plethora of scandals should be enough to cost the GOP their majority. "Indictments, investigations and allegations of wrongdoing have helped put at least 15 Republican House seats in jeopardy, enough to swing control to the Democrats on Tuesday even before the larger issues of war, economic unease and President Bush are invoked."

The Post plays it pretty close to the vest. "Four GOP House seats have been tarred by lobbyist Jack Abramoff's influence-peddling scandal." They mention 2 in California--Dirty Dick Pombo's and John Doolittle's, plus the Texas and Ohio seats abandoned by indicted crooks Tom DeLay and Bob Ney. The Abramoff scandals go a lot deeper-- and right to the core of Republican governance. Abramoff and his relationship with the Republican congressional hierarchy-- and not just in the House; let's not forget the end of Conrad Burns' disgraceful political career-- helps define the Culture of Corruption and helps define the systemic criminality of Republican rule in DC.

I'll leave the individual scandals the Post talks about today-- the depraved sex-related crap swirling around Don "The Choker" Sherwood and John Sweeney (wife beater), the extortion racket Curt Weldon and his family have been running out of his congressional office, Rick Renzi's land deals, plus the shameful coverup of the Foley page molesting by Dennis Hastert, Sue Kelly, Deborah Pryce, Tom Reynolds, etc-- for another time (or for the DWT archives).

Let's just take a look at the Abramoff criminal gang and the serial bribe takers not mentioned in the Post today from corruption kingpin Jerry Lewis to pork barrel monstrosity Don Young. Sources inside the myriad investigations seem sure that indictments will be coming down after the election for both of these criminals and for at least half a dozen other congressional felons. Almost sure to see indictments include Virgil Goode, Jr (R-VA), Katherine Harris (R-FL), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Republican presidential candidate/joke Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA), J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Barbara Cubin (R-WY), and Charlie Taylor (R-NC). A week ago the FBI admitted that Abramoff was being so cooperative in building cases against his GOP former best buds that he has his own desk at headquarters now.

Most of these cases will be made by the Justice Department, Democratic challengers and local media having been to circumspect or just plain lame. After the midterms I expect quite a few indictments, resignations, plea-bargains, trials and special elections. My favorite Republicrook tale though is the story about how Jerry Lewis, probably the most guilty of corruption of anyone short of DeLay, managed to avoid a challenger in this election season. It boggles the mind.

(picture thanks to Star A. Decise, the hero of our "Had Enough?" campaign in CT-05)


UPDATE: NEY, NEY, NEY-- AND CURT WELDON THROWS IN THE TOWEL

Even the right wing nut cases hate Ney now and are already blaming what's coming their way on Tuesday on him. Most know they all have themselves to blame and, like Curt Weldon did today, many Republicans are just giving up-- and saving the money they would have wasted on pointless fear and smear TV ads between now and Tuesday, for their legal defense funds.