Newt as Diogenes for Republican Culture of Corruption

[SpiralHawk]

It is a sorry state of affairs when the corrupt former Republican Speaker of the House comes forward to lecture on morals to the current crop of NeoCon Corruptos infesting America's capitol.



From the NYT editorial page.

Newt as Diogenes in a Dark Capitol

Published: January 7, 2006

It was a measure of the failure of Congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle that Newt Gingrich, the disgraced former speaker, was the one to lecture the House Republican majority this week on the siren lure of lobbyists and the pitfalls of cronyism. But Mr. Gingrich, whose downfall included a $300,000 penalty for violating House ethics rules nine years ago, did speak truth. "You can't have a corrupt lobbyist without a corrupt member or a corrupt staffer on the other end," he warned fellow Republicans, who were stunned when Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist darling of legislative leaders, copped a plea and promised to help an investigation of influence peddling at the Capitol.

In the blink of a news cycle, lawmakers and President Bush were turning over tainted donations from the Abramoff money machine to charity, as if they were buying indulgences for a political inquisition to come. They gave no sign of heeding the real messages of the week.

(snip)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/opinion/07sat1.html?th&emc=th

[Octafish]

1. Keep looking, Diogenes.

It ain't Newt you're after.

"You can't have a corrupt lobbyist without a corrupt member or a corrupt staffer on the other end."

Gee. Of all people. Newt should know.

Wonder why the Democratic leadership doesn't shine more light on all this, loudly?