Reflection conviction

Congressional Republicans and White House spokeman Tony Snow are offering up a heapin' helpin' load of the usual remonstrations about Bob Ney, his conviction (or guilty plea, however you see it) and the fact that the not-so-soon to be ex-felon congressman has so far refused to resign from Congress. With so many things going south for the GOP right now, just weeks before the election, it hardly helps their already desperate case to have a convicted felon filling up the ranks of the Republican benches in the House. The only fortunate aspect of this situation for the GOP is that Congress is in recess now, otherwise I'm sure we'd all be savouring the sight of Bob Ney, Republican felon, seated in the House of "Representatives." If ever there were to be a consummation of Americans' dim view of Congress, that would be it.

The huffing and puffing began when Republican leaders issued a statement declaring that Bob Ney had

betrayed his oath of office and violated the trust of those he represented in the House.

And furthered decried the scofflaw, saying, "there is no place for him in this Congress." Which is funny, really. I expect most Americans probably view the derelict Congress as the perfect place for a delinquent, self-serving shitbag like Ney.

And then the White House spokeman, Tony Snow, had to issue forth with another of his protean wisdoms in defense of the Republican Party:

What Congressman Ney did is not a reflection of the Republican Party.

No, indeed, it is not.

Nor is Tom DeLay's indictment. Nor Tony Rudy's conviction. Nor Randy Cunningham's prison term. Nor Mitchell Wade's guilty plea in bribing Cunningham. Nor Katherine Harris' and Virgil Goode's receipt of illegal campaign contributions from Wade. Nor the federal investigation of the CIA's Kyle Foggo and his "poker parties." Nor White House contracting officer David Safavian's conviction. Nor Jack Abramoff's and Michael Scanlon's jail time. Nor Bill Frist's SEC investigation. Nor Bob Corker's land deal nor his hiring illegal immigrants. Nor federal scrutiny of Conrad Burns and his association with Abramoff. Nor the DoJ investigation of Curt Weldon. Nor Republican Governor Bob Taft's guilty plea in association with the illegal money funelling activities of convicted Republican Tom Noe. Nor Mark Foley's pedophilia and hypocrisy. Nor Dennis Hastert's lying and cover-up of Foley's activity. Nor Dennis Hastert's own shady land deal. Nor Grover Norquist's defrauding taxpayers. Nor four other Republican "non-profit" organisations accused of violating their tax-exempt status and laundering money as Abramoff directed. Nor are the Republicans convicted in the Iran-Contra affair who now hold sway in the current White House.

No. None of these are "reflections" of the Republican party. They are the Republican Party.