JOSEPH McDADE-- IT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE ALL ON THE TAKE, NOW WE HAVE CROOKED REPUBLICANS WIGGLING THEIR WAGGLES AT PEOPLE IN PUBLIC TOO?

I wish Florida Governor Charlie Crist would come out of the closet. That's because I think he's been a much better governor than anyone could have expected. Even though he's a Republican-- of the nearly extinct moderate species-- he's been acting on behalf of all the people, not just on behalf of special interests. A couple weeks ago I mentioned that he attended a climate change rally with Sheryl Crow and that he seems to have made the decision to pardon, posthumously, Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison, who had been convicted of exposing himself during a Miami concert in 1970.

Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida and went to FSU (as did the future governor). Crist may soon have to consider pardoning another fella who exposed his privates in Florida, a former U.S. Congressman and crooked Republican Joseph Dade. Like Crist, McDade hails from northeast Pennsylvania. McDade was elected to Congress in 1962 where he racked up a solidly right-wing voting record, opposing everything progressive and championing almost everything reactionary. He was eventually caught taking bribes and was indicted for racketeering and conspiracy. He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions-- as Mark Foley, Tom DeLay, Jim Kolbe, Jerry Lewis, Rick Renzi, Curt Weldon and dozens of other corrupt Republicans are doing now-- to avoid prison. He finally retired from Congress in 1999, although he had already been booted out of his lucrative position as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

A couple months ago the 75 year old right-wing loon was caught masturbating in public and charged with exposing himself on a Florida beach on Sanibel Island, a place crawling with wealthy Republicans. According to police reports, McDade was seen "masturbating on the beach and by the pool area of the hotel" by three witnesses in January. He hasn't been charged with any of the corrupt practices he's been rumored to be involved with since leaving Congress and becoming a lobbyist for defense contractors. As Republicans do, McDade denies everything.

These crooked Republicans are making crooked Democrats look like angels. Just ask Rahm Emanuel.

"Madam Speaker," he thundered on the House floor today, his dander up, "the list of Republicans under investigation or resigning in this administration in disgrace keeps growing. This morning the Washington Post reported, Julia McDonald, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Department, resigned just as she was being investigated for changing scientific reports to protect the interests of oil and gas companies and real estate developers, all the people she was supposed to be actually holding accountable. I wish this was an isolated case in the Bush Administration. This morning the New York Times reported the Department of Commerce Inspector General faces three separate investigations into the conduct of his office. Scott Bloch, the Special Counsel at the Justice Department, is being investigated for the management of his office. Lurita Doan at the GSA being investigated for the politicization of the offices. Monica Goodling at the Justice Department resigned. Sue Ellen Wooldridge at Justice stepped down. Matteo Fontana, at the Department of Education, has to step aside. David Safavian, OMB has been prosecuted. Steve Griles at the Interior Department had to step down. All have had their conduct scrutinized while in a professional office. It is time, for in fact it justifies why this Congress is doing its job of oversight and accountability and bringing people's professional conduct in order."

All good points. But can't the Democrats find someone... a little more credible to make the anti-corruption case than the Democrats' version of Tom DeLay?