IF YOU WATCH FOX, LISTEN TO HATE TALK RADIO AND READ EXTREMIST BLOGS, YOU DEFINITELY KNOW WHO NORMAN HSU IS

Right-wing bloggers think Republican toe-tappin' posterboy Larry Craig has moved out of the public consciousness for Norman Hsu? Who? No, Hsu, a crooked "businessman," who, unlike 90% of crooked "businessmen," donated to Democrats instead of Republicans. He's on the lam. Every single big wingnut blogger wrote about it today. Yawn.

After all, there is a very big difference between a systemic, well-organized culture of corruption that is the hallmark of one political party and a few bad apples in the other party. The potential for Democratic corruption is strong-- especially if you look at the crew around Hillary Clinton or examine, for a minute and a half, what sort of people Democrats have elected to lead them in the form of Rahm Emanuel ("our Tom DeLay," people used to say fondly) and Steny Hoyer. But that potential hasn't been realized yet. The Republican culture of corruption? Still huge.

With Fox, the hate talk radio propaganda network and the crazy right-wing blogger all calling Hsu a "major Democratic funder," lets take a look at some actual major funders, Republican ones who have had recent run-ins with the law.

Jack Abarmoff - Abramoff, a Bush Pioneer and Republican lobbyist, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in connection with Suncruz casino boats in January 2006. He also pleaded guilty to two additional fraud counts and tax evasion in connection with lobbying for Native American tribes in 2006.

Alan Fabian - Fabian was the co-chair of Mitt Romney’s national finance committee and a prominent Republican donor who gave 100,000+ to the RNC and the Bush inauguration. In August 2007 he was indicted for allegedly making $32 million in false purchases of computer equipment to pay for his lavish spending habits.

Kyle “Dusty” Foggo - Foggo, the former #3 official at the CIA, was indicted by a Grand Jury on corruption charges in connection with his campaign contributions to Republican members of Congress and resulting federal contracts.

Robert Kjellander - Kjellander, a Bush Pioneer and RNC treasurer, was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in August 2005 as part of a probe investigating corruption at the Illinois Teacher’s Retirement Systems, a state run teacher’s pension fund. The subpoena specifically sought records relating to Kjellander’s receipt of $4.5 million in fees from the Carlyle group, for helping to land the business with the pension fund.

Bernie Kerik - “Federal prosecutors in New York have informed Kerik that he is a ‘target’ of a criminal investigation into possible tax problems, illegal wiretapping and making false statements in an FBI questionnaire connected to Kerik's nomination.” In addition, a Daily News “investigation revealed that Kerik accepted cash and gifts from Interstate Industrial, an allegedly mobbed-up construction company.”

Michael Mixon - Mixon, a major NRCC donor, was indicted on charges of fraud and funding terrorism.

Thomas Noe - Noe, a Bush Pioneer, pleaded guilty in May 2006 on charges of money laundering in connection to his political fundraising. He was also the key figure in the Ohio “Coingate” scandal.

Ralph Reed - Reed, a Bush Pioneer (2000), Ranger (2004) and prominent Republican lobbyist, is being investigated because of a $4 million payment that Abramoff made to Reed.

James Tobin - Former NRCC, RNC and Bush-Cheney ’04 staffer was convicted in December 2005 for his role in a plot to stop people from voting in New Hampshire in 2002.

Brent Wilkes - Wilkes, George W. Bush's finance co-chairman in California, was indicted in February 2007 by a Grand Jury on corruption charges in connection with his campaign contributions to Republican members of Congress and resulting federal contracts.

Sam Wyly, Charles Wyly - The Wylys, top Bush fundraisers from Texas, are under investigation for tax evasion by federal and state agencies. The Billionaire Bush patrons are accused of setting up offshore trusts on the Island of Man, a noted tax shelter in the Irish Sea, in an attempt to evade paying taxes on stock options.