Scandal: The Issue In November?
But the 2006 election is not shaping up to be about ideology. Instead, it seems destined to become a referendum on the Republican scandals.Jack Abramoff, Bob Ney, Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham and Mark Foley have all been driven from power over the past year because of ethical and legal challenges. Only DeLay's arose from political battles. The others were busted in various sexual, financial and ethical scandals that will haunt all Republicans this fall.
It is impossible for voters to get a clear picture of the quagmire in Iraq. With Shiite death squads killing Sunni citizens and Sunni insurgents blowing up Shiite children, it is hard to find good guys in that war. It is also difficult to get a read on America's economic outlook. Gas prices are down, interest rates are steady but the deficit and debt are at all time highs.
With Republican and Democratic spokesmen spinning every issue at warp speed, scandals like Mark Foley's are easiest to grasp.
A Republican congressman preyed on young boys. His leaders knew about inappropriate emails. They did next to nothing. And when it hit the fan a month before the election, Republican leaders spent the first days of the scandal pointing fingers at each other. One more scandal.
One more indictment. One more reason to vote Democratic.
For those of us who were once proud to be Reagan Republicans, these are dark political days. Most conservatives find themselves asking how things could get any worse in the Republican Congress. If history is a guide, I'm confident our GOP leaders will find an answer to that question soon enough.
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