The Republican Culture Of Corruption Goes Way Beyond Just Trump And His Congressional Lackeys In Buffalo And San Diego

When Trump's first congressional endorser, Chris Collins (R-NY) was indicted on a long list of financial corruption charges, he was smart enough to announce the end of his reelection campaign. When Trump's second endorser, Drunken Hunter (R-CA) was indicted on a long list of financial corruption charges, he blamed everyone but himself and even lashed out at Paul Ryan for telling him to leave his committee positions, saying he never would. (He did the following day.)

On Tuesday, a Tulchin Research poll was released showing Hunter exactly tied, 46-46% with his progressive Democratic opponent, Ammar Campa-Najjar. This, in a district where Obama never got even 40% of the vote and where Trump beat Hillary 54.6-39.6%. The PVI is R+11. Wednesday the San Diego Union-Tribune didn't; t make matters any easier for Hunter with a scathing report of a career in politics built on a foundation of mind-boggling corruption... and more. The 47-page indictment also talks about 5 "personal relationships" Hunter had with other women, relationships tied up with the stolen quarter million dollars he had tried to blame his wife for... until the stories about his mistresses started leaking. (Prosecutors told the defense that they have pictures of Hunter's indiscretions-- extramarital infidelities and excessive drinking, all paid for illegally with campaign funds.)

Speaking to the media, Hunter has called his prosecution a deep state witch hunt. He has both blamed his wife for any improper spending-- “she handled my finances”-- and admonished reporters to “leave my wife out of it” when asked about the case.

In all, the indictment alleges some 200 incidents in which Hunter and his wife misused political donations. Many of the purchases were recorded when the family bank account had little money on deposit or were overdrawn, records show.

...Throughout his political career, Hunter has presented himself to constituents as a Christian conservative and committed family man... Rebecca Bartel, a professor of religious studies at San Diego State University who has been following the Hunter case, has another theory about why the scandal has yet to threaten Hunter’s re-election.

She said many white evangelical Christians are playing “the long game” and are willing to overlook personal indiscretions of elected leaders if they pass laws and appoint judges who are favorable to their core beliefs.

“It’s about putting different people on the Supreme Court,” Bartel said. “It’s about rewriting laws and recreating a kind of atmosphere where these individuals no longer feel like they are being persecuted.”

Paul Goren, who teaches political psychology and other courses at the University of Minnesota, said many voters overlook the personal behavior of elected officials because they support their positions on culture-war touchstones like abortion and same-sex marriage.

“It just blinds partisans to a lot of these indiscretions that lots of members of Congress are engaging in,” he said.

Yesterday the Kaiser Foundation released a late summer tracking poll that shows three in ten voters (33% of independent voters, 32% of Democratic voters, but just 25% of Republicans, who, apparently, still have a much greater tolerance for corruption than normal people) say corruption in Washington is the "most important" topic for 2018 candidates to discuss. THE most important topic! WOW! Anyone who would like to help Ammar Campa-Najjar replace Duncan Hunter so Hunter can spend some quality time in a detox facility before beginning a new-- non-public-- life, can click on the thermometer on the right, a thermometer for progressive candidates who have already won their primaries and, like Ammar, have been ignored and abandoned by the DCCC. Drunken Hunter had been an especially bad member of Congress-- in terms of policies and in terms of ethics. In helps define the term "corrupt conservative." There is every reason to believe that Ammar will be the opposite.

I'm surprised-- and happy-- to see that so many people are finally taking DC ethics so seriously. And people-- especially young people-- are sick of it... and seem to be planning to do something about it in November. This is the HeadCount.org anthem this cycle: