Like Media Matters for America, I too was a little puzzled as I read the Associated Press story talking about shaky ethics among Democrats recently (including Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris). The article cited some of the nominees for cabinet positions who had to pull out of the process for one reason or another (many times for issues related to taxes). Fox News (as you might expect since it was an article critical of Democrats) got the story and ran with it high stepping into the end zone (so to speak). However, as Media Matters points out, the Republicans are not without their own issues of ethics.
From Media Matters:
Examples of Republicans recently convicted, under indictment or under criminal investigation include:
Stevens: On October 27, 2008, Stevens was found “guilty on seven felony counts, each with a maximum penalty of five years in prison,” as The Washington Post reported. Stevens has asked that the jury’s guilty verdict be overturned. The Washington Post reported that the next court hearing on Stevens case will occur in April.
Alaska Rep. Don Young: According to a July 25, 2007, Wall Street Journalreport, Young is “under criminal investigation” for whether he “accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., Alaska’s largest oil-field engineering firm.” As recently as January 11, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Young was “under federal investigation on corruption allegations,” and that he “lost his senior committee leadership positions over the break.”
Additionally, the Anchorage Daily News reportedon December 9, 2008: “Since the beginning of 2007, Young has spent more than $1 million in campaign contributions on legal fees related to a Justice Department probe — which includes an investigation into fundraising.”
Former Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi: As Roll Call reported(subscription required) on December 8, 2008, Renzi “faces trial in March on corruption charges.” Renzi was indicted February 22, 2008, “on charges of federal conspiracy, fraud, extortion and money laundering related to a land-swap deal in his home state,” according to a December 7 Congressional Quarterly Weekly article (accessed in the Nexis news database). A January 14 AP article reportedthat Renzi pleaded not guilty.
Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki: Krolicki was indicted December 3, 2008, by a grand jury “on four counts of misappropriation and falsification of public records,” The Hill reported.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. How about tax issues Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is having right now? That is another issue that is not getting much play on Fox News, but is in fact an issue. Karl Rove has his ethics issues going on as well. Former president George W. Bush, former vice president Dick Cheney and numerous people in their inner circle have exhibited questionable ethics that has led to investigations. The list could go on for quite some time and these kinds of issues exist on both sides of the aisle. Also, it wasn’t so much that the Democrats used a culture of corruption against the Republicans as much as they used a need for change at the highest levels of government with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, horrifying issues of torture, the declining image and status of the United States of America around the world and so on. AP and Fox News have a responsibility to report both sides of the issue. We don’t expect Fox News to do it, but we should all expect that from AP, a far more reputable news outlet.
Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200902200001?f=h_latest
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