o In Connecticut, a Republican Governor quits after it’s revealed that he used local contractors to feather his own nest.
o In Illinois, a Republican candidate for the Senate withdraws in a sex scandal.
o And the Republican Vice-President of the United States tells a Senator of the other party to do something to himself that is anatomically impossible. Later, the VP tells us he felt better for saying it.
Republicans are behaving like Democrats.
Democrats traditionally use political power to get cash or favors-in-lieu-of cash, Democratic men get caught fooling around with women, Democrats drink and curse. That is the tradition, as is getting caught with their ethics down.
Republicans have long stolen quietly, cleanly. Often, they write laws to transfer huge sums from the exchequer to friendly, private hands. Sometimes, a nod does the job. The funneling of wealth to trustworthy acquaintances is achieved decorously. Republican thievery frequently escapes the public’s attention for years and, of course, its beneficiaries get away with a lot more legal tender.
I do not understand this role reversal, but surely it cannot bode well for the Republic.