Another piece from The Hill. It looks like the change that swept the land in 2006 may have come to naught. Perhaps this might be the time for Republicans to capitalize although after many disappointments it seems unlikely.
Democrats have gotten a taste of the ethics woes that have battered the Republican Party for the past three years, but any public outrage has taken a backseat to pocketbook issues and will likely only affect individual races.
This year, ethics scandals have generated fewer national headlines as the housing crisis and economy have rattled voters. The hard-fought presidential race also has overshadowed the dynamics in congressional campaigns.
“When people’s pocketbooks really start to hurt, every other issue fades into the background,” said Meredith McGehee, an ethics expert and policy director of the Campaign Legal Center. “But higher gasoline and food prices? That’s an everyday reality for most Americans and it gets their attention.”
Ethics issues still matter during hard economic times, McGehee argues, mainly because voters want to believe that Congress can help solve their problems. Seeing evidence of corruption or abuse of power spurs cynicism and destroys faith that lawmakers are competent enough to solve difficult problems.
Read the whole thing!
