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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2006-01-20

Rocky Mountain News For Shadegg

From today's Rocky:

Of the three contenders, only Arizona's John Shadegg offers the dedication to principle and commitment to reform that could get his wayward party - and Congress - back on track.

Shadegg is an underdog. Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the majority whip, was DeLay's loyal deputy.

Little wonder. Blunt was also thick with the K Street crowd. . . .

Nor is Ohio Rep. John Boehner a fresh face. He has floated in and out of the leadership since 1995. . . .

For his part, when Shadegg discovered $6,900 in donations from Abramoff's casino clients, he didn't return it to the lobbyists; he donated it to anti-gambling groups.

I don't particularly have a dog in this fight. To the extent that the perception of corruption sits on the House GOP, I think a clean break is essential. But recent polls show that the perception of corruption is a bi-partisan thing (and for those who don't think that's fair, just remember the names Bob Toricelli, Henry Cicsneros and Marc Rich), so . . .

On the other hand, you know the Dems are going to try to hang this on the House Republicans, and only a person whose credibility is unimpeachable will be able to fire back effectively. Beyond that, I think a periodic shake-up is a good thing--fresh blood, fresh ideas, new momentum.

If I were worried that the transition would give the other side a chance to take over the agenda, that would be a concern. Fortunately, I have no reason to fear that Nance Pelosi could possibly go on the offensive in the war of ideas.

Couple the logic of the Rocky's endorsement with an impressive interview Shadegg gave Hugh Hewitt last week, and I would have to add my voice to the growing chorus calling for a Shadegg victory on Feb 2.
Posted by: Michael / 1/20/2006 02:39:00 PM

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