Asymmetrical Ethics Warfare

The New Republic Online: Loss Leader

I figure this recent TNR article is a decent lead-in to the Sunday road trip for Chris Bell's big campaign launch. The short version is as follows: Dems should unleash the dogs of ethics wars in the House of Represntatives even if we suffer a few casualties of our own. I could try to agree more, but I think it's virtually impossible.

The Bell connection to this arrives thusly:

The same status quo that guarantees Pelosi and Menendez their leadership positions effectively consigns House Democrats to minority status. In their defense, some Democrats have rejected this dubious bargain. Much of the credit for DeLay's current political trouble goes to a former Democratic representative named Chris Bell, who last year filed the complaint that led to DeLay's official admonishment.

Good to see credit going where it's deserved.

The editorial, overall, is spot-on. I could care less which Democrat suffers electorally because of an all-out ethics war. Last I checked there's more of the other team and their habits in the leadership have already made the worst excesses of prior Democratic rule in the House look tame by comparison.