Corruption Wins the Day in LA-2

The night isn't over, but the outcome looks grim for common sense and reform in the LA-2 Congressional race. William Jefferson, who was caught red handed with wads of bribe money in his freezer, looks to be sailing to re-election.

With 264 precincts reporting out of 492, Jefferson is leading with 58% of the vote. It ain't over yet, but Karen Carter will have a hard time overcoming that lead.

I have railed over and over again about how disgusting Republican corruption is. And I still maintain that Republican corruption is far wider spread and far worse than Democratic corruption, and has worse consequences such as the death toll in New Orleans after Katrina because Bush appointed an incompetent crony, "good job Brownie," a failed race horse inspector, as head of FEMA. Or in the case of 3000 dead American soldiers in Iraq for a war that basically does no good to anyone except the war profiteers, Exxon/Mobil, Bechtel and Dick Cheney's favorite company, Halliburton.

Democrats aren't sacrificing American lives for profit the way Republicans do. But that doesn't mean we are completely innocent of corruption. Anyone who has read my pieces on Brooklyn politics knows I also fight against Democratic corruption. But William Jefferson is one of those very rare cases where a Democrat reaches a Republican-scale of corruption.

And the voters in LA-2 are poised to re-elect a man who was caught red handed taking bribes. Corruption was a prime issue in the defeat of Republicans across the nation in 2006. Democrats need to take that lesson to heart. We cannot afford to tolerate corruption among our ranks. I for one, condemn the actions of William Jefferson even though he is a fellow Democrat. I supported his opponent (also a Democrat) Karen Carter. Sadly, corruption seems to have won the day. Why doesn't Congressman Jefferson just go all the way and switch parties. He will be far more at home among Republicans Tom DeLay (indicted), Jack Abramoff (in jail), Bob Ney (plead guilty) and Randy Cunningham (in jail).


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Words to live by

In the Post article, Maryscott says at least one thing that is both true and wise, which is that her rage and her blogging are both "born of powerlessness." The problem is that Lord Acton's maxim is equally true in reverse: If power corrupts, so does powerlessness. It can lead to fatalism, apathy and irresponsibility %u2013 or to paranoia, rage and a willingness to believe evey loopy conspiracy theory that comes down the pike.

The difference, I think, between left and right is that the right has no rational justification to feel any of these things, and yet many, if not most, conservatives continue to wallow in the mindset of a besieged minority.

Liberals, much less radical progressives, really are a besieged minority in this country. So why is it suddenly considered front-page news that they're acting like one?

The answer, of course, is that if the Maryscotts of Left Blogistan are evidence of the corruption of powerlessness, the Washington Post is proof positive of Lord Acton's original argument. Given everything that's going on around us, it's hard to imagine that anyone would believe the former is more of a threat to the republic than the latter. But I guess that's what the corruption of power is all about.


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