How Do You Spell Ethics? G-O-P

Got the latest newsletter from my surfin' Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach). We only recall receiving these in the years ol' Dana's running for reelection (again and again and again — and he's for term limits!). But this one is titled the Spring Newsletter, so maybe we've just tossed the previous seasons versions from non-campaign years out with the redundant Victoria's Secret catalogs.

But this one does include one HEEEEE-LARIOUS page. On it, Rohrabacher essentially argues that all these ethics violations hitting Republicans is NOT because current laws have been watered down, ignored or just plain violated. It has nothing to do with the fact that, despite the insistence of ranking Democrats, GOP-chaired ethics committees in both houses have refused to hear damning allegations against the Bush administration, for instance.

No, according to Dana, it's been the “ongoing strengthening of ethics standards” since the GOP takeover of the House in 1994 that has caused all these ethics violations to make their way into “the news.” Steps taken by the GOP include a first-ever House audit, a crackdown on lobbyist disclosure, a shutdown of the House bank, committee chairperson term limits, stronger gift rules, the elimination of proxy voting, etc. etc.

Thank heavens for all these safeguards, Dana. Because, without them, we'd never have learned of your own slimy ties to disgraced superlobbyist Jack Abramoff.

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